Chocolate gravy recipe
A friend and I were comparing notes about our favorite childhood treats. As I was raving about my grandma’s chocolate pie, my friend said, “So how’s your grandma’s chocolate gravy?” Huh? Chocolate gravy—is that like mole, I asked. Nope, it’s spooned on biscuits, she said. I had to admit that I’d never heard of chocolate gravy; clearly I’d been deprived.
Curious why I had been denied the joys of chocolate gravy all my life, I called my grandma and demanded an explanation. “Why don’t you make chocolate gravy?” I asked. She replied, “Because I don’t know what it is.”
I see. Apparently, my grandma was in the dark on this secret as well. My only consolation? At least I wasn’t alone.
So what’s the provenance of chocolate gravy? Because I know everything, I assumed that if I hadn’t heard of it, then it must not be Texan.
I was wrong.
I poked around and not only had my friend—a long-standing Texan—grown up eating it within slapping distance of Dallas, but other Texan friends had been eating it all their lives as well. I heard chocolate-gravy stories from friends as far west as Midland and as far south as Houston. Though friends who had grown up in Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia had also indulged, so it’s not particular to just Texas. But no matter, my family had been missing out on a very good thing.
I needed to make up for lost time. A little research revealed that there hadn’t been much chocolate-gravy recipe evolution over the years. The biggest schism I found in the chocolate-gravy community was whether to use milk or water as your liquid. I was surprised that no one had thrown some chipotle or bacon into their gravy, but actually this pleased me as it proved that chocolate gravy was indeed a classic that didn’t need any tinkering. But enough about thinking, it was time to eat.
I made my first batch and it was a deep, dark concoction—smooth, creamy and thick. I sliced a biscuit in half and plopped some chocolate gravy on each half. My first bite revealed this gravy’s pleasures. Its pudding-like consistency is pure comfort on a cold, winter morning. And while biscuits are in no way virtuous, their texture and heft prevents the gravy from sliding into total decadence, which is important as this is a breakfast treat after all, not dessert.
Does chocolate gravy and biscuits replace my beloved chocolate pie? No, but I certainly wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to pass an occasional morning with it poured on top of a biscuit. And am I the only one who didn’t grow up eating this? No matter, I am very, very pleased to finally make its acquaintance.
Chocolate gravy
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Biscuits, for serving
Instructions
- Mix together in a pot the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon (can sift if it’s too lumpy). Add the milk and while stirring cook on medium heat until it thickens. Stir in the vanilla and butter and serve immediately with biscuits.
Susan S–Gravy is always good! And I also grew up with honey on my biscuits, which I still adore.
Lisa–I got my gravy dish at Fishs Eddy by Union Square. It was a couple of years ago but they always have stuff like that in stock.
Karly–Thank you!
Michael–I love butter-infused biscuits! Will have to spoon some of my chocolate gravy over some next time.
Copperchef–It's similar but more custardy than buttery.
The Runaway Spoon–Awesome. Many thanks! And I'll give you full credit, of course.
Suburban Housefrau–I'm a big fan of red-eye gravy as well. And like you, that's definitely something my family has heard of.
Mark–You're such a rebel!
Katie–Yep, if you'd grown up in Texas you'd be swimming in gravy!
Floaty–I'd suspected that it was mighty popular with Arkansans.
Chris–Oh, no! What a horrible association! I hope your welcome-home batch is a much more pleasant experience.
LK–Ah, sounds like your grandma may have been influenced by her time in NM.
Anon–You are a lucky dog!
Wow, I feel so cheated. I am a Texan from a family that goes all the way back to the Old Three Hundred and I've never heard of nor had chocolate gravy. I'm so glad you posted this so I will not be in the dark anymore!! Also, this sounds like a fun addition to a Valentine's brunch…or like any brunch, breakfast or snack!!
Wow, does that look tempting! I love hearing about unusual things like chocolate gravy, but I admit to feeling just a tad deprived. All you lucky people growing up in Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Arksanas and the like got a real treat. Growing up in south Alabama, I never heard of such a thing, but perhaps it was, as my Dad would have said, "a North Alabama thing!"
Texan from generations of Texans — my great-grandmother came to the state in a covered wagon. Absolutely NEVER have I heard of or seen chocolate gravy! Looks good, though.
What we DID do, when I was a counselor at summer camps in the Hill Country, was eat large pans of chocolate pudding on left over brown-and-serve rolls– the kind with the four rectangular sections? On nights off, the counselors would congregate at a picnic table outside the mess hall to eat whatever Miss Viola left in "our" fridge as a treat. Banana pudding is awesome on brown-and-serve rolls, too.
But I had no idea we were engaged in a widespread Southern tradition when we did this! I thought we were just starving teenage girls with few options. 😉
Growing up I lived in both Texas and Georgia eating more than my share of biscuits and gravy, but have never encountered chocolate gravy. I feel like I need to whip up some in the morning now that I know of its existence…