Chocolate Gravy Recipe - Serious Eats

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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. Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process Updated March 14, 2025 Save WRITE A REVIEW Print Close

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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

Prep 5 mins Cook 10 mins Active 10 mins Total 15 mins Makes 2 cups Save Print Keep Screen Awake

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

Whisk together sugar, cocoa, and flour in a medium saucepan until completely smooth.
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.
Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1513	Calories
65g	Fat
213g	Carbs
24g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories	1513
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 65g	83%
Saturated Fat 38g	192%
Cholesterol 171mg	57%
Sodium 892mg	39%
Total Carbohydrate 213g	78%
Dietary Fiber 6g	22%
Total Sugars 175g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 572mg	44%
Iron 11mg	62%
Potassium 697mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.