Meet the rich, savory topping your mashed potatoes have been longing for—yes, this easy Vegan Gravy will ensure you never have to eat your potatoes plain again! Make it for Thanksgiving or all year round, because this gravy recipe doesn’t require you to roast a turkey and it’s ready fast.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Vegan Gravy Recipe
- A Gravy Everyone Will Love. Here’s the best part: this is not a gravy that the non-vegans at the table will skip. It’s savory, umami, rich, and everything you want in a gravy—minus the turkey drippings—which means you don’t have to make different gravies to accommodate different diets. One gravy to feed them all! (For more crowd-pleasing plant-based faves, see my collection of vegan Thanksgiving recipes.)
- No Mushrooms Here! Mushrooms are one of those polarizing love-‘em-or-hate-‘em kinds of foods; if you’re in the Mushroom Lover camp, I’ll direct you to my Mushroom Gravy recipe, which is easy to veganize. For everyone else, this vegan gravy is the perfect substitute for Turkey Gravy on Thanksgiving.
- The Perfect Make-Ahead Gravy. Even if you make the Cranberry Orange Relish and Sweet Potato Casserole in advance, you always have to wait until the last minute to make the gravy because you need the turkey drippings. Unless—unless!—you make this vegan gravy, in which case no drippings are needed. Whip it up, pop it in the refrigerator, and warm it up when it’s go time.
- It’s Not Just for Thanksgiving. Gravy isn’t just for mashed potatoes, although I will admit that this vegan gravy is my absolute favorite with Crockpot Mashed Potatoes. Use this vegan gravy in decidedly non-vegan ways (like with this Air Fryer Whole Chicken or Crockpot Turkey Breast), make vegan biscuits and gravy, or pour it over Pork Chops With Apples.
How to Make Vegan Gravy
The Ingredients
- Canola Oil or Vegan Buttery Spread. Opting for the vegan butter will add more richness, but if you’re not a fan, oil is just fine.
- Shallot. Can’t find shallots at the grocery store? An everyday yellow onion is the best substitute.
- Garlic. We’re getting garlicky up in here! I use four cloves, but keep in mind if you’ve got extra large or extra small cloves, that number may need to be adjusted.
- All-Purpose Flour. I’m a flour-in-gravy kind of girl; I think it produces a better consistency than cornstarch.
- Nutritional Yeast. An ingredient that will be familiar to any vegan, nutritional yeast is a flaky golden-colored inactive yeast that adds savory flavor to any dish. (You can find more nutritional yeast recipes here.)
- Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth. Mushroom broth or a faux meat broth (like no-chicken broth) will also work.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce. Use tamari to make it gluten-free.
- Dry Rubbed Sage. I like sage in gravy because it adds an herbal note without overpowering everything else we’ve got going on.
- Ground Black Pepper. If you’re partial to a peppery gravy (which is outstanding when you’re making biscuits and gravy!), you can amp up the pepper here.
The Directions
- Cook the Shallot. This is the gravy’s base.
- Add the Garlic. It smells good.
- Sprinkle in the Flour. Continue to stir constantly for a minute.
- Whisk in the Stock. Add the nutritional yeast, then slowly pour in the stock.
- Simmer. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring the vegan gravy to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer to thicken.
- Finish. Season vegan gravy to taste, stir, and ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate vegan gravy in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat. Reheat vegan gravy in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. You can also warm it up in the microwave, although I prefer the stovetop method.
- To Freeze. Freeze gravy in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Meal Prep Tip
This gravy is fantastic for the holidays because you can make it up to 5 days in advance.
What to Serve with Vegan Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes. Yes, it’s obvious! Serve your vegan gravy over Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, and even Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. (You can easily make any mashed potato recipe vegan with plant-based butter and milk!) Vegan mashed potatoes and gravy is as comforting as it gets.
- Vegan Meats and Meat-y Meats. Pour this easy vegetarian gravy over all your plant-based roasts and cutlets for the holidays, or use it for Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin or Thanksgiving Turkey.
- Vegetables. Add some savory flavor to Oven Roasted Potatoes or Air Fryer Green Beans by pouring on this gravy.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Deep Skillet. The perfect cooking vessel for this vegan gravy.
- Whisk. A small whisk is ideal for using in a skillet, which has lower sides than your standard mixing bowl.
- Liquid Measuring Cup. While I’ve tried different kinds, I always go back to glass.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t Burn the Garlic. Burnt garlic has a strong, sharp flavor that’s no bueno in a vegan gravy—or any other dish for that matter. As soon as the aroma hits you when you’re standing at the stovetop, you can move onto the next step in the recipe—no need to make sure the garlic is golden or brown.
- Cook the Flour. One of the most common mistakes with making gravy is skipping that minute of stirring the flour in the pan. This step cooks the raw flavor out, which is key for delicious gravy.
- Add the Stock Slowly. And the other most common mistake is adding all of the stock at once. If you do this, you are guaranteed to have little gummy lumps of flour in your vegan gravy. Pour in a small amount of liquid and whisk until it forms a thick, smooth slurry in the pan. Then continue to slowly incorporate more broth.
- Stir Often. This ensures that the gravy will be smooth and creamy, without sticking to the bottoms and sides of the pan.
Vegan Gravy
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
This easy vegan gravy recipe will please everyone at the table! Full of savory, umami flavor it's ideal with mashed potatoes and the holidays!
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup canola oil or vegan buttery spread
- 1 shallot finely chopped (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves minced about 4 teaspoons
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour use 1:1 flour substitute to make gluten free
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari to make gluten free
- ¼ teaspoon dry rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallot. Saute, stirring often, until the shallot is translucent and turning golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that it softens, but does not crisp or turn dark brown.
- Stir in the garlic. Let cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 full minute. Make sure no white bits of flour are remaining. Stir in the nutritional yeast.
- Slowly whisk in stock, adding a little at a time, until all of it is added and the gravy is smooth.
- Add the soy sauce, sage, and pepper. Bring the gravy to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring very very frequently and scraping a wooden spoon or spatula along the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Carefully taste and adjust seasoning to taste (be careful, it is HOT).
- Just before serving, give the gravy a stir and rewarm gently on the stove if needed. You also can let cool completely and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Rewarm gently.
Notes
- Adapted from my Mushroom Gravy
- TO STORE: Refrigerate vegan gravy in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat vegan gravy in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. You can also warm it up in the microwave, although I prefer the stovetop method.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze gravy in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
Serving: 4tablespoonsCalories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.03gPotassium: 68mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.4mg
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This is the best brown gravy recipe I have ever had! Including those made from meat. I did not use the oil and prefer cornstarch to flour. The flavor of this gravy is so amazing. I adore it and have been making it nearly weekly. Thank you so much for such a tasty gravy! ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you Laney!