My Chocolate Gravy recipe is the most surprisingly delicious thing you’ll ever put on a biscuit. It sounds unusual, but one bite of this rich, silky Southern classic and you’ll understand why families have made it for generations. It comes together in under 20 minutes with just five pantry staples.

Brown gravy is being poured from a white pitcher onto a stack of two biscuits on a white plate with a red and white cloth underneath.

Southern Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits

My coworker’s eyes lit up when she talked about this recipe. Her mother made it for special Saturday mornings, and it was something the whole family looked forward to. That kind of food memory stuck with me, so I set out to learn how to make it myself.

The first time I made it, my family looked at me a little sideways. Chocolate gravy? For breakfast? But the minute they tasted it spooned over a warm, buttery biscuit, my husband and both kids asked for seconds. It’s rich and fudgy with a silky texture that clings to the biscuit in the best way. It tastes like a cross between hot cocoa and chocolate pudding poured over bread, and once you have it, you get why Southern families have been making it forever.

For more easy Southern-inspired breakfast recipes, check out my sausage gravy, sausage fondue, cinnamon roll casserole, and apple butter.

What is Chocolate Gravy?

Chocolate gravy is just what it sounds like. It’s made in a skillet like gravy, starting with flour. It ends up being thick and smooth like regular gravy, except it’s made with chocolate.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Gravy

Made in one pan – Everything comes together in a single skillet, so cleanup is quick and easy.
Simple pantry ingredients – Butter, flour, cocoa, sugar, and milk. You almost certainly have everything you need right now.
Ready in under 20 minutes – From cold pan to table in less time than it takes to drive through for breakfast.

Chocolate Gravy Ingredients

Biscuits on parchment, a bowl of flour, butter, cocoa powder, sugar, a pitcher of milk, and a whisk on a red-striped towel are arranged on a marble surface next to a cast iron skillet.

Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.

butter – just regular, unsalted butter
flour – all-purpose flour is used in this recipe
cocoa powder – good quality cocoa is best, but use what you love. You can find a variety of cocoa powders at the grocery store.
sugar – just white granulated sugar. The head will melt it and combine with the cocoa to sweeten it into a great chocolate.
milk – use whole milk to get creamy gravy
biscuits – you can make your own from scratch, or just grab a can of pre-made biscuits and heat them up

Substitutions or Variations

No self-rising flour? Use all-purpose flour instead. The gravy will thicken up the same way.
Want a richer chocolate flavor? Add an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder or a splash of vanilla extract at the end.
Prefer it less sweet? Start with 3/4 cup of sugar and taste before adding more. The sweetness level is easy to adjust.
No whole milk? 2% milk works, though the gravy won’t be quite as creamy and rich.
Want to make it from scratch? Use homemade buttermilk biscuits instead of canned.

How to Make Chocolate Gravy

Here are my step-by-step instructions so you can make this recipe with ease. For the full, printable recipe with amounts and temperatures, scroll down to the recipe card below.

A skillet with cocoa powder, sugar, flour, and butter; a whisk rests on top. Nearby are biscuit dough pieces on parchment and a measuring cup of milk.

Bake your biscuits. Prepare the canned biscuits according to the package instructions and set them aside to stay warm.
Make the chocolate paste. In a medium cast iron skillet over low heat (or a regular saucepan over medium heat), add the butter, flour, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk everything together. The mixture will be very thick, almost like a paste. That’s exactly what you want.
Add the first cup of milk. Once the paste is smooth and fully incorporated, pour in 1 cup of milk and whisk vigorously to remove any lumps.

A metal whisk rests in a black skillet filled with a crumbly chocolate mixture, placed on a white surface with a red and white towel nearby.

A cast iron skillet with chocolate gravy beside a plate of biscuits, stacked plates with forks, a whisk, and a small pitcher on a white surface with a red-striped towel.

Add the remaining milk slowly. Gradually pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk while whisking continuously. Keep whisking as the gravy heats up. This step is important because it keeps the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Cook until thickened. Continue whisking over low heat for a few minutes until the gravy thickens to a pourable, spoonable consistency. It will coat the back of a spoon when it’s ready.
Serve immediately. Remove from heat and pour into a gravy boat or bowl. Spoon generously over warm biscuits and serve right away.

A biscuit stacked with another, covered in decadent chocolate gravy, sits on a plate with more biscuits and a pitcher of rich chocolate gravy in the background.

Use low heat in cast iron. Cast iron holds heat intensely, so low heat is key. If you use a regular saucepan, medium heat is fine, but watch it closely toward the end.
Don’t skip the paste step. Whisking the dry ingredients with the butter before adding milk is what prevents a lumpy gravy. Take your time here.
Add milk in stages. Dumping all the milk in at once is the most common mistake. Adding it gradually and whisking the whole time keeps everything smooth.
Keep whisking. Once the milk is in, don’t walk away. Continuous whisking is what keeps the bottom from scorching and the texture silky.
It thickens as it cools. If your gravy seems a little thin when it’s hot, give it another minute. It will thicken more as it sits.
Serve over warm biscuits. Cold biscuits are fine but warm biscuits are so much better. Keep them covered with a clean towel while the gravy finishes.

What Can You Serve With Chocolate Gravy?

It’s perfect to keep it simple and serve on hot biscuits, but it’s also good on anything you’d put chocolate syrup on!
Try it on pound cake, a bundt cake, or vanilla ice cream.
It’s also great to serve with fresh fruit. Imagine dipping a strawberry or banana slice into this warm, creamy chocolate sauce. What a treat!

Where Did Chocolate Gravy Come From?

Chocolate gravy originates in either Tennessee or around the Appalachian Mountains. The recipe varies depending on the region it comes from, but it generally include flour and chocolate. Here’s a great article, “Chocolate Gravy is the Pride of Appalachia.”

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze – This gravy does not freeze well. The milk causes the texture to break when thawed, so it’s best made fresh or kept in the refrigerator for a few days.
Reheat – Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of milk and whisking until smooth and warmed through.

More Southern Comfort Food Recipes

Chocolate Gravy

Author Alicia

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, Chinese

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Classic chocolate gravy to pour on biscuits!

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare biscuits per the package instructions and set aside.
1 can biscuits
In a medium-size cast iron skillet, over low heat (if using regular saucepan, use medium heat), add butter, flour, cocoa powder, and sugar and whisk together. Mixture will be very thick.
2 Tablespoons butter, 3 Tablespoons self rising flour, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 cup granulated sugar
Once it’s incorporated and like a paste, add 1 cup of milk and which to remove lumps. Slowly add remaining 1-1/2 cups milk and whisk continuously until thickened. It’s important to keep whisking so the milk won’t burn. Will take a few minutes to thicken.
2 1/2 cups whole milk
When thick, remove from heat and pour into gravy boat or similar bowl. Spoon over warm biscuits.