Vegan Brown Gravy

This quick and easy homemade vegan brown gravy can be made in minutes with just a few simple ingredients!  All the savory comforting flavors of gravy made vegan!

Brown gravy is traditionally made from beef drippings.  That is what gives it the brown color and meaty flavor, however, it’s easy to make it vegan by replicating the flavors with a beef-flavored vegan broth and some soy sauce to give it an extra savory flavor.

Ingredients and Substitutions 

• Broth – beef-flavored vegan broth works best.  Not Beef brand makes a great one or you can just use standard vegetable broth if you can’t find the beef flavored variety. 
• Soy Sauce – for more of a savory beefy flavor.  You can also use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Tamari to make it gluten-free.
• Flour or starch – to thicken the gravy.  I prefer potato starch, but you can also use arrowroot or corn starch, or just plain white flour if you don’t need it to be gluten-free.
• Nutritional Yeast – to give it a rich umami flavor. (optional)
• Herbs – for flavor.  You can use fresh herbs like sage, oregano, and thyme if you would like.  Italian herb mix also works well if you don’t have the individual herbs.
• Onion Powder – for flavor.  You can also use garlic powder.
• Vegan Butter – (optional) for a richer gravy.  You can also use coconut oil or any other neutral-flavored oil or simply omit for oil-free gravy.

How to make vegan brown gravy:

1. Put all of the ingredients except for the vegan butter into a saucepan.  (The broth should be cold or add cold water and a bouillon cube).
2. Stir until the starch dissolves.
3. Turn on heat to medium and stir frequently until it starts to boil.
4. Stir constantly for 30 seconds then turn off the heat.
5. Add the vegan butter or oil if you choose and stir until it’s incorporated. 

How to thicken the gravy

You can use many things to thicken your gravy.  Flour, corn starch, potato starch, and arrowroot all work well.  White flour is easy if you don’t need it to be gluten-free. 

Personally, I prefer to use potato starch.  I feel that it gives it the best flavor and texture and it doesn’t get gloppy and thick when it begins to cool as other methods do.  I even prefer it over wheat flour for its great consistency and flavor!

For more gravy varieties, see my post on vegan gravy or try my vegan chicken a la king.

Serve your gravy over

• Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Stuffing
• Breaded Tofu 
• Lentil Loaf

Subscribe to my email list to get my free eBook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese, butter, yogurt, and more check out my cookbook, “The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples!”

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Vegan Brown Gravy

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

3 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

A quick easy way to make brown gravy without dairy or meat.

Course: condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegan brown gravy

Servings: 8

Calories: 37 kcal

Author: Monica Davis | The Hidden Veggies

Ingredients

• 2 cups Not beef broth or any other vegan broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Tamari)
• 2 tablespoons potato starch or 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional but recommended for flavor)
• 1 teaspoons herbs of choice like oregano, thyme, sage, or Italian herbs
• 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients except for the vegan butter into a saucepan.  (The broth should be cold or add cold water and a bouillon cube).

2. Stir until the starch dissolves.
3. Turn on heat to medium and stir frequently until it starts to boil.
4. Stir constantly for 30 seconds then turn off the heat.
5. Add the vegan butter or oil if you choose and stir until it's incorporated.

Recipe Notes

• You can also use corn starch, arrowroot in equal part in place of the potato starch.
• You can also thicken the gravy with 1/4 cup of flour instead of the 2 tablespoons of potato starch. 

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Brown Gravy

Amount Per Serving (0.25 cups)

Calories 37 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 149mg6%

Potassium 44mg1%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 134IU3%

Calcium 1mg0%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.