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This Vegan Gravy is the best rich and savory gravy to pour on all of your favorite vegan Thanksgiving side dishes and vegan roast. It’s made with just 8 ingredients in less than 10 minutes and includes a simple make-ahead option!
I don’t know about you, but gravy is a MUST during our holiday celebrations. It’s the perfect complement to mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, and more. Once you taste this umami-packed goodness, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything.
So without further ado, let’s get cooking!
Ingredients and Substitutions for Vegan Gravy
- Broth: Either vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth will work well in homemade gravy. If you prefer a saltier, savory gravy, opt for vegan chicken broth.
- Vegan butter: This gravy starts with a simple roux using vegan butter and flour. We highly recommend using vegan butter, but a neutral oil like vegetable oil would work fine if necessary.
- All-purpose flour: The second essential ingredient in making a simple roux. If you are gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Soy sauce: Adds a rich, umami flavor that mimics the flavors in traditional gravy. If gluten-free, opt for tamari or even coconut aminos for a less salty gravy.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce: Another source of deep umami flavor that adds depth to the gravy. We used Annie’s, but we also like the version by Edward & Sons. When purchasing a Worcestershire sauce, check the ingredients label for anchovies!
- Spices: We used a blend of poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to taste. Despite its name, poultry seasoning is 100% vegan-friendly. It’s made primarily of ingredients like sage, marjoram, and rosemary. If needed or preferred, make your own homemade poultry seasoning.
Equipment Needed
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
How to Make Vegan Gravy
- Make a roux. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add in the vegan butter and melt. Once it has melted, add in the all-purpose flour and whisk it into the butter. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Slowly whisk in the vegan chicken or vegetable broth, as well as the soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk together until smooth.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer. Bring up the heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and allow the gravy to cook down, stirring often, until it reaches the thickness of your choice. We typically simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
- Serve warm. Season the gravy with black pepper to taste, and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
We have not found a substitute for the oil or vegan butter when making a roux, but if you are looking for a whole food plant-based, oil-free gravy, you’ll love our oil-free mushroom gravy!
Yes. To make this gravy gluten-free, we recommend substituting the ¼ cup all-purpose flour with 2 or 2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch. Less cornstarch is needed because it absorbs more liquid than flour. We would not recommend using arrowroot flour – it loses its thickening powers when cooked at high temperatures.
If you are planning ahead for your Thanksgiving meal, this vegan gravy can be made up to 2 days in advance to make the day easier! To reheat, simply warm through again in a medium saucepan or in a microwave-safe container in the microwave.
f you’d like a thinner gravy, add broth or water 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is achieved.
Serving Suggestions
The best part of vegan gravy is that it goes with just about anything. Pair it with our Vegan Holiday Roast, Veggie Meatloaf, or our Vegan Vegetable Wellington and a big serving of Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
It also makes great leftovers to serve with our Herbed Biscuits, Vegan Thanksgiving Leftover Poutine, Thanksgiving Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes or Thanksgiving Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls.
Find even more holiday side dishes to serve gravy in this collection of our 50+ Favorite Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes.
Storage Instructions
Leftover gravy stores best in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. To store, allow the gravy to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer to a Tupperware or jar.
If freezing, leave enough space in the container for expansion. If using a jar, most have a freezer line. Keep the gravy below this line to prevent the glass from breaking.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You May Enjoy:
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta
- Everything Bagel Vegan Stuffing
- Vegan Holiday Roast
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Easy Cranberry Sauce
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
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Quick & Easy Vegan Gravy (Gluten-free Option)
- Total Time: 9 minutes
- Yield: 14 (2 tablespoon) servings
Description
Who knew making your own vegan gravy at home could be so simple? With minimal ingredients and just 10 minutes of your time, you’ll have a rich and savory gravy to top all of your favorite foods with this Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed (see notes for gluten-free)
- 2 cups vegan chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
- 1/2 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire (we used Annie’s)
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add in the vegan butter and melt. Once it has melted, add in the all-purpose flour and whisk it into the butter. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Slowly whisk in the vegan chicken or vegetable broth, as well as the soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk together until smooth.
- Bring up the heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and allow the gravy to cook down, stirring often, until it reaches the thickness of your choice, about 5-7 minutes. You may be tempted to add more flour but I recommend not doing so until the very end, it will thicken more than you expect!
- You can add broth or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if you’d like a thinner gravy.
- Season with black pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes
- In order to make this, you can use cornstarch to thicken your gravy. Keep in mind that cornstarch thickens much faster than flour, so we suggest you only use 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. We have not tested this substitution but based on our experience, it should work!
- This gravy may thicken as it cools, especially if you place it in the refrigerator. Fear not! Simply add it into a pot and warm it up. If necessary, you can add broth or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it loosens up.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Sauce, Thanksgiving, Holiday
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Great recipe! The best vegan gravy I’ve ever had. I didn’t have poultry seasoning, so used Trader Joe’s chickenless seasoning salt, rosemary, and thyme as a sub. Reheats well, too!
I love this gravy recipe! It’s amazing, so delicious and I’m not even a gravy person.