Chocolate Gravy Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated April 26, 2019
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Photographs: Joshua Bousel

After experiencing chocolate gravy for the first time while in Alabama, I've exalted its greatness to all who will listen. It's probably the words "chocolate" and "gravy" combined, but my New York friends oddly seem to react to this with more confusion and disgust than smiles.

So, I'm on a mission to change the tides and make this something everyone knows and rightfully loves.

This "gravy" is really more akin to a warm, slightly thin chocolate pudding. To get that super fine, thick texture, the gravy doesn't start off with a roux—instead, it gets whisked together with sugar, cocoa, flour, and milk that's simmered until thickened. Then right at the end, a few pats of butter and vanilla are added for extra richness.

The resulting sauce is a decadently sweet and creamy gravy. It reminded me of those youthful years when everything on the morning table had to be sugar loaded.

Recipe Details

Chocolate Gravy Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 10 mins
Makes 2 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter, sliced into 1 tablespoon pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, and flour in a medium saucepan until completely smooth.

  2. Place saucepan over medium heat and whisking constantly, slowly add milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until gravy is thickened to a consistency a little thinner than pudding, about 3 minutes, whisking frequently.

  3. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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