Chocolate Gravy
Chocolate Gravy is a unique and delicious recipe from the Appalachia region. It’s a fantastic reason to get out of bed on Sunday morning!
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When someone mentions biscuits and gravy, my first thought is savory gravy. This recipe for Biscuits and Sausage Gravy remains one of my all-time favorites, and we make it every year during the holidays. But there’s another type of gravy. Chocolate gravy. Yup, you read that correctly…chocolate gravy.
What is Chocolate Gravy?
Chocolate Gravy is just that…gravy. But it’s a sweet gravy made with sugar, cocoa powder, flour and milk. This simple recipe is popular Sunday morning breakfast fare throughout the Ozark and Appalachian mountains. The result is a thick chocolate sauce of sorts that is poured over hot buttered biscuits or leftover pound cake from the night before. I’ve also seen it served with pancakes or waffles.
I know the concept of chocolate and gravy might sound a bit off, but trust me here. The folks in the Ozarks and Appalachian mountains know what they’re talking about with chocolate gravy! This stuff is fantastic. I’m personally not a chocolate-for-breakfast kinda guy, but I absolutely love this recipe. The taste is fantastic. (I’ll still probably choose it for dessert over breakfast, but that’s just me.)
While there’s no telling where this concept originated, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America proposes that chocolate gravy may have come about thanks to trading between the Spanish in Louisiana and the settlers in the Tennessee Valley. The logic there is that chocolate gravy is basically “Mexican-style breakfast chocolate” meets Appalachia.
While this gravy is not nearly as popular as its’ savory, meaty cousins, it still deserves a moment in the spotlight. After all, we’re talking a decadent chocolate sauce poured over buttered biscuits. This is heaven on a plate, folks. Heaven on a plate.
When it comes to serving chocolate gravy, it is most commonly spooned over homemade buttered biscuits. I included my go-to buttermilk biscuit recipe below – those biscuits are absolutely fantastic with or without gravy on top. In a pinch, you could easily use canned biscuits like Grands. In fact, this gravy is ready in about the same time it takes the biscuits to bake. Coincidence? I think not.
I often like to add fresh berries alongside our biscuits and gravy. In this case, raspberries were on sale at the store, so I grabbed a pack of those. Strawberries or blueberries both work well, too.
How to Store Leftover Chocolate Gravy
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To heat it back up, just put the gravy in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
This gravy also freezes well. Just put the cooled gravy in an airtight container (or freezer bag) and freeze for up to 4 months. Let gravy thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
If you’re looking for a fantastic reason to get out of bed on a Sunday morning, then this gravy is the answer! This sweet treat from Appalachia is a secret that needs to be shared. Oh, and in case you wanted to take this to a whole new level? Some folks like to crumble cooked bacon on top of their Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy. Woah.
Did you make a batch of this Chocolate Gravy at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Chocolate Gravy
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
For the Chocolate Gravy
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups whole milk warmed
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
For the Biscuits
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set pan aside.
- Using a large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda; stir until well combined.
- Cut butter into ½” cubes and add to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter (or two table knives) cut in butter until it’s the size of small peas.
- Add buttermilk; stir until well combined. (Note: The dough should be somewhat shaggy at this point.)
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into an 8”x8” square. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces; stack each piece on top of themselves. Roll into a square again. Repeat process 2 more times.
- Roll dough into an 8”x8” square (~1” thick). Using a 2½” round cookie cutter dipped in flour, press down without twisting cutter. Place biscuits 2” apart on prepared baking sheet. Reroll scraps as needed until all dough has been used.
- Place pan in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Whisk egg with 1 Tbsp of water; brush egg wash on top of biscuits.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown in color.
For the Chocolate Gravy
- Using a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt.
- Add milk; whisk until well combined.
- Pour mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture thickens to gravy consistency.
- Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir until butter has completely melted.
- Pour over hot buttered biscuits, pound cake, ice cream, etc.
Looking for more tasty gravy recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me i love chocolate soooooooooo much i never chocolate gravy before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
If you are a chocolate fan, then you definitely need to put this on your list of recipes to make, Ramya! It’s fun…and delicious!
What an interesting back story to this unusual dish. And it looks really tasty. And I like that the chocolate sauce doesn’t sound overly sweet.
This actually reminds me of a very different dish but one that also features an unexpected pairing of chocolate and a savory ingredient: melanzane al cioccolato, or eggplant with chocolate sauce. Sounds weird but the combination actually works, imo.
I’m totally with ya, Frank. When I first heard of chocolate gravy, my reaction was “what the…” But one bite was all it took! Now I’ll have to try that eggplant with chocolate sauce that you mention…because that also sounds like “what the….”
Wow. This is really tough to wrap my head around! But hey, if it’s chocolate, it must be good!!!
I’m 100% with you, Mimi – chocolate gravy sounds absolutely silly! But just give it a try…it’s legit good!
Chocolate gravy eh? Well that’s always a reason to get out of bed in the morning! Ha ha! Hope you have a good time over the festive period David! Merry Christmas!
Haha – you’re right, Neil! Chocolate gravy is a good reason to get out of bed on a weekend morning. I’m normally not a chocolate in the morning kinda guy, but this one is really, really good!
bacon on top of chocolate gravy? now that sounds very interesting. I do like bacon with maple syrup (well back in the days when i ate bacon) so i’m sure it’s a winner. Merry christmas David to you and yours.
cheers
sherry
Happy New Year, Sherry! And, yes, bacon and chocolate sounds absolutely silly…but it works! Bacon dipped in chocolate is a thing. The salty/savory + sweet is a great combo!
A nice introduction to a southern classic. We used to go to a joint in Kentucky that offered waffles and chicken with syrup or chocolate gravy. But, my favorite is waffles and chocolate gravy. I first tasted this in Brussels, where you got your Belgian waffles with chocolate sauce that was more than just melted chocolate. As a kid, at Christmas, my granny would make her version (with a shot of bourbon) of chocolate gravy that was served over pancakes. I hadn’t thought of that in years.
Thanks for the memory…
Ohhh…Liege waffles with chocolate sauce. Now you’re talking, Ron! In fact, I’ve made Liege waffles here at home on occasion. Why didn’t I think to do that with this chocolate sauce!? Also, the addition of bourbon sounds absolutely fantastic! *big nod to granny for that idea* 🙂
No one thinks twice about biscuits with strawberries so why no with chocolate gravy; 😊
Exactly!! Chocolate gravy is one of those recipes that makes you stop and say “Wait…what?” But it’s legit delicious!
This chocolate gravy is so intriguing David! What a fascinating history. And it looks absolutely delicious! 😋 Chocolate gravy over biscuits sounds like the perfect Christmas morning breakfast, yum!
Ah, yes! Chocolate gravy over biscuits (or really anything) would indeed be a good Christmas day breakfast. I hope you and your family had a great holiday season!!
What an interesting concept! Chocolate gravy sounds so delicious especially on those biscuits!
Chocolate gravy really is an interesting (and odd) recipe…but I’m telling ya, it’s SO good!
I hope you and your family have a healthy, happy and delicious New Year.
Thanks, Karen! I hope 2024 brings many blessings and good times for your family, too!
This chocolate gravy adventure had me hooked from the first line! You paint such a vivid picture of this “chocolate sauce poured over buttered biscuits” – heaven on a plate indeed!
You can say that again, Raymund! This is a unique – but delicious – recipe!!