Chocolate Gravy Is the Retro Southern Recipe You Need To Try

When I moved to the South about 20 years ago I’d only ever encountered classic turkey gravy and honestly didn’t know all that much about white gravy or red-eye gravy. So imagine my absolute confusion when my mother in-law offered to make chocolate gravy one Sunday for brunch.

In my limited gravy knowledge I assumed chocolate gravy would be savory, like a rich mole, but was delighted when a plate of biscuits topped with a sweet, rich, almost pudding-like sauce arrived in front of me.

Some time later, I’d get to test dozens of variations on chocolate gravy for an episode of Good Eats, where I worked as recipe project manager. The resulting recipe never made the big screen, but I keep coming back to my mother in-law’s version all these years later.

This gravy is a Southern comfort classic made from kitchen basics like sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter.

What Is Chocolate Gravy? 

Chocolate gravy is a sweet, chocolatey, pudding-like sauce most often served over biscuits as part of a breakfast spread. If you’ve grown up in the South you might also know cocoa gravy, chocolate mess, toppin’ chocolate, chocolate and biscuits, or chocolate mush.

The gravy is made from kitchen staples—sugar, cocoa powder, flour, milk, and butter. Salt and vanilla extract are often added. Serving it over savory breads like buttermilk biscuits or crumbled cornbread might sound weird to some, but it gives a similar sweet-savory bite to honey or sorghum syrup atop biscuits. I’ve seen it served over buttered toast, eaten straight up out of the pan, and offered as a topping for pancakes or ice cream. Chocolate gravy is incredibly versatile.

What Cocoa is Best for Chocolate Gravy? 

You can make chocolate gravy with any unsweetened cocoa powder—that’s what any good Southern mawmaw would do! Natural cocoa will give the gravy a richer chocolate flavor but a lighter color, while Dutch-process cocoa makes for a darker gravy with a slightly less bitter and more subtle chocolate flavor.

How To Make Chocolate Gravy 

Unlike other gravies that are thickened with a mixture of fat and flour, chocolate gravy starts by combining the dry ingredients (sugar, cocoa, and flour) in a dry pan and then whisking in milk. As the mixture comes to a simmer, stirring it regularly will minimize lumps, and the flour will eventually thicken the milk. I really love a saucier-style pan for making chocolate gravy, but a large cast iron skillet is traditional.

Once the mixture comes to a simmer it will begin to thicken. It won’t get quite as thick as pudding. Instead, it will be the consistency of turkey gravy. Adding a few pats of butter off the heat gives the sauce a rich flavor and glossy finish. A little vanilla extract added at the end amps up the sweet dessert flavors of this rich sauce. Serve the chocolate gravy right away as the warm temperature adds to the gravy’s appeal.