Homemade White Gravy

Name: Homemade White Gravy
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: ½ stick salted butter; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 cup milk; ½ teaspoon black pepper

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Make my vegetarian 4-ingredient Homemade White Gravy recipe in about 10 minutes time. This white gravy recipes is perfect to pour on top of biscuits, mashed potatoes, or even chicken fried steak. This gravy recipe is perfect for an easy breakfast, brunch, or even breakfast for dinner.

Green bowl filled with white gravy and a tray of biscuits next to the gravy bowl.

My husband LOVES biscuits and gravy. I created my Homemade White Gravy recipe back in 2010 when I learned on the Food Network how easy it was to make your own white gravy. Back then I didn’t know how to make homemade buttermilk biscuits. Instead, I opted for the refrigerated canned Pillsbury biscuits. The first time I made my husband the white gravy for biscuits he was so happy. A lot has changed since then, and I’ve significantly upped my biscuits and gravy game. Since then, I also perfected my sausage gravy recipe, too!

I love that my kids now ask for biscuits and gravy on the weekend. You will find me making them at least once a month. And when I’m not making white gravy for biscuits I’m making this same white country gravy to slather on mashed potatoes and chicken!

Ingredients
How to Make White Gravy
FAQs
Tips & Tricks
Breakfast Recipes

Ingredients

Butter – I like to use salted, but you can also use unsalted butter. Whatever you have on hand!
Flour – I use plain old All Purpose Flour for my white gravy.
Milk – 2% or Whole Milk works best. I’ve never tried using 1% or Skim milk or other milk alternatives.
Black Pepper – I like to use a mix of ground black pepper and cracked black pepper corns.

How to Make White Gravy

Melt butter in sauce pan on medium-low. Add half of the pepper to the butter. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until butter is melted.

Once butter is melted create a roux whisking in the flour to the butter. Making sure there are no clumps. It will look like paste and no butter should be present.

Once roux has been created slowly whisk in milk. Keep your flame on medium-low.

Two photos of stirring white gravy on the stove top in a sauce pan.

Slowly, you’ll notice that the mix will start to thicken up as you whisk the sauce. Continue the whisking mixing process for about 5 minutes until thick. The gravy should stick to your whisk or wooden spoon.

Before the gravy is done add in the remaining black pepper to taste and a little salt if desired. Serve immediately.

Wooden spoon drizzling white gravy on top of a biscuit.

Drizzle the white pepper gravy on top of fluffy homemade (or store bought) biscuits, and enjoy!

FAQs

Wooden spoon drizzling white gravy into a green bowl full of white gravy.

Here are all the frequently asked questions readers have asked when making my white gravy for biscuits.

How many people will this white gravy feed?

This white pepper gravy makes a little over a cup of gravy. So depending on how hungry or how you are serving this gravy will depend on how many it can feed. I have calculated the recipe to feed 4 adults a single ¼ cup serving. Because let’s get real, who only uses 1 tablespoon of gravy?

What is white gravy made of?

My white gravy recipe consists of just four ingredients. White gravy is made of a roux of butter and flour mixed together to form a paste. Then, you whisk in the milk, and season with black pepper.

What are the different names of white gravy?

Depending on the area you live will depend on what people call white gravy. Some may call it cream or sawmill gravy, other popular and common names include country gravy, white gravy, milk gravy, white pepper or simply pepper gravy, and sausage gravy.

Tips & Tricks

Top view of a green bowl filled with white gravy, and a tray of biscuits and a plate of biscuits and gravy next to it.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve learned when making this easy white gravy recipe.

Spicy – If you like your white gravy on the spicier side you can add in a whole teaspoon of black pepper. I also like to add additional freshly cracked black pepper on top.
Gluten Free – You can make this gluten free by using either a gluten free flour or making a cornstarch slurry using 3-4 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed into the cold milk. Instead of making a roux with the butter and flour, you would simply melt the butter then pour in the cornstarch slurry milk into the sauce pan and whisk until thick.
Vegan – You can adapt this recipe to make it vegan. However, I have never tried to switch out the dairy products for non-dairy alternatives. I would like to guess that it would come out similar but with a slightly different not as rich and creamy taste. If you are vegan and try my white gravy recipe with substitutes, please feel free to leave a comment and tell me exactly what you did and of course, how it turned out!
Leftover Storage – Store any leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat leftover white gravy – To reheat the leftover gravy you can either microwave in 30 second increments until hot or reheat on the stove top in a sauce pan until hot.

Breakfast Recipes

Top view of a white plate filled with biscuits and gravy with gravy and a tray of biscuits next to it.

If you make this white gravy recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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