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    Home > Recipes > Thanksgiving

    Easy Vegan Gravy

    Published: Nov 3, 2019 · Modified: Jan 20, 2023 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 89 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    A hand pouring some vegan gravy over a bowl of mashed potatoes.
    Top view of a bowl with mashed potatoes and vegan gravy garnished with parsley and also with a spoon inside of the bowl.

    The best quick and easy vegan gravy that is ready in less than 15 minutes. It’s rich, hearty, flavorful, and perfect for the holidays over mashed potatoes, and more! 

    This is the perfect sauce for any holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, but also for any special occasion. However, this stuff tastes so good I could eat it every single day!

    A hand pouring some vegan gravy over a bowl of mashed potatoes.

    I firmly believe this vegan gravy goes well with plenty of savory recipes (I'm a huge sauce and gravy person myself).

    I love to have it served over some mashed potatoes, meatloaf, or even make some biscuits and gravy.

    Jump to:
    • 🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is
    • 🧾 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 📋 Substitutions & variations
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • ❄️ Storage
    • 💭 Expert tips
    • ❓Recipe FAQs
    • 🥧 More vegan Holiday recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is

    • Made with just a few ingredients you probably already have on your refrigerator and pantry.
    • Ready in less than 15 minutes and so inexpensive.
    • An easier version that doesn’t require chopped veggies, just garlic, and onion powder.
    • A healthier and lighter alternative to the classic gravy, but also extremely creamy and full of flavor.
    • The perfect complement to comfort food favorites like mashed potatoes and vegan turkey.

    🧾 Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make vegan gravy.
    • Vegan butter or olive oil.
    • All-purpose flour: some recipes call for cornstarch (or any other starch), but I prefer to use flour as it's less processed and still turns out spectacular.
    • Garlic powder: you could also use fresh garlic and sautée previously with a little bit of vegan butter or oil. If you don’t like garlic, use more onion powder instead.
    • Onion powder: same as above. Fresh onion also works really well, and if you don’t like onions, add more garlic powder.
    • Dried rosemary.
    • Dried thyme.
    • Ground black pepper.
    • Soy sauce: use dark soy sauce if you want your vegan gravy to have a darker color.
    • Vegetable stock: homemade or store-bought. 
    • Non-dairy milk: any type of unsweetened milk will do. Soy milk is my favorite one, but feel free to use what you have on hand (almond milk and oat milk are also delicious).

    See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    🔪 Instructions

    Saucepan with melted vegan butter and all-purpose flour.

    Step 1: add the vegan butter (or olive oil) to a saucepan and when it's hot and melted, whisk in the flour.

    Sauce pan with a cooked roux made with vegan butter and all-purpose flour.

    Step 2: cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown, whisking frequently. 

    Saucepan with the cooked roux with spices and herbs.

    Step 3: incorporate the spices (garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, thyme, and pepper) and whisk again.

    Saucepan with the cooked roux with spices, herbs, and soy sauce.

    Step 4: add the soy sauce and whisk one more time.

    Saucepan with vegan gravy before thickening.

    Step 5: slowly whisk in the vegetable stock and the milk until no clumps remain.

    Saucepan with vegan gravy.

    Step 6: bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until thickens, whisking frequently.

    📋 Substitutions & variations

    • Fat: including some kind of fat to make your vegan gravy is always a good idea, and vegan butter is my favorite choice.
    • Extra virgin olive oil also works amazingly well, but you could also use pretty much any type of oil you like. 
    • For an oil-free version, omit the vegan butter or oil, add all the ingredients to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and whisk over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until thickens.
    • All-purpose flour: you could also use other types of flour, like brown rice, buckwheat, or a gluten-free flour blend if you’re gluten-free.
    • Spices and herbs: feel free to omit any spice or herb I've used if you don’t like it or add any other ones you like.
    • Soy sauce: this gives the umami flavor to this vegan gravy, but you could omit it and add some salt to taste instead.
    • Use tamari for a gluten-free version of this recipe, or with coconut aminos if you’re soy-free, instead of the soy sauce.
    • If you’re a mushroom lover, you really need to try my mushroom gravy, it’s thick, creamy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious.

    🍽 Equipment

    This recipe doesn’t require any special equipment, just a saucepan, and a whisk, in addition to the measuring tablespoons, and the measuring cups or the scale you need to weigh your ingredients. That's all!

    Top view of a bowl with mashed potatoes and vegan gravy garnished with parsley and also with a spoon inside of the bowl.

    ❄️ Storage

    • Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
    • Freezer: store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
    • Reheat on the stovetop: ​​reheat it over medium-low heat, whisking frequently to prevent lumps until it's hot. Add some water or vegetable stock if needed.
    • Reheat in the microwave: transfer it into a microwave-safe container and use short 30-second bursts of heat, whisking or stirring in between, until your gravy is liquid and steaming.

    💭 Expert tips

    • Make sure your spices and herbs are fresh or they may have lost their flavor. Open up the jars and check if they smell like they should, or if they have a musty smell. 
    • Add more or less liquid depending on how thick you like your gravy. You can also can let it simmer for a longer or a shorter time. 
    • If your gravy is already too thick, just whisk in a little more stock until it’s thinned to the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
    • Keep in mind that the longer you simmer it, the thicker it will become.
    • If your gravy is already too thin or runny, make a new roux (one tablespoon of vegan butter cooked with one tablespoon of flour) in a skillet.
    • The roux can be whisked into the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency. You shouldn’t have this problem if you follow my recipe, though.
    • I prefer to use vegetable stock because is healthier, inexpensive, and easy to get, but there are many vegan stock options out there that replicates chicken or beef flavor.

    ❓Recipe FAQs

    Can I make this vegan gravy in advance?

    Although it’s a super quick and easy recipe, you can make it in advance if you want.

    Simply store it in the refrigerator, then heat it back up on the stovetop or in the microwave and add more liquid if needed.

    Why does my vegan gravy get lumpy?

    It’s easy to make lumpy gravy. It can be because you added the flour too quickly, or didn’t whisk continuously as you add it.

    If you do end up with lumps, strain them out with a fine-mesh strainer or pulse with an immersion blender to smooth things out.

    Why does my vegan gravy taste like flour?

    It might taste doughy or chalky if you didn't cook the flour enough when making the roux. You need to cook the flour for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown.

    If you notice when you've already added your stock, bring the gravy to a simmer and cook it, stirring constantly for a few minutes to try to cook out that chalky flavor. Add additional liquid if needed.

    🥧 More vegan Holiday recipes

    • The BEST Vegan Mashed Potatoes
    • Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
    • Vegan Green Bean Casserole
    • Vegan Pumpkin Pie

    ⭐️ Did you like this vegan gravy recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!

    📖 Recipe

    A bowl with mashed potatoes and vegan gravy topped with parsley and also with a spoon inside of the bowl.

    Easy Vegan Gravy

    The best vegan gravy, perfect for the holidays over mashed potatoes, and more! It’s rich, hearty, flavorful, and ready in 15 minutes.
    4.91 from 42 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: How to, Side Dish, Vegan Thanksgiving
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric
    • ¼ cup vegan butter, or extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 cups vegetable stock
    • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, I used soy milk
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the vegan butter (or olive oil) to a saucepan and when it's hot and melted, whisk in the flour.
    • Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown, whisking frequently.
    • Incorporate the spices (garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, thyme, and pepper) and whisk again.
    • Add the soy sauce and whisk one more time.
    • Slowly whisk in the vegetable stock and the milk until no clumps remain.
    • Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until thickens, whisking frequently.
    • Serve your vegan gravy immediately with vegan mashed potatoes, or vegan meatloaf, or make some vegan biscuits and gravy with it.

    Notes

    Substitutions
    • In addition to vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil, you could also use pretty much any type of oil you like. 
    • Oil-free version: omit the vegan butter or oil, add all the ingredients to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and whisk over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickens.
    • You could also use other types of flour, like brown rice, buckwheat, or a gluten-free flour blend if you’re gluten-free.
    • Feel free to omit any spice or herb I've used if you don’t like it or add any other ones you like.
    • Soy sauce gives the umami flavor to this vegan gravy, but you could omit it and add some salt to taste instead.
    • Use tamari for a gluten-free version of this recipe, or with coconut aminos if you’re soy-free, instead of the soy sauce.
    Storage
    • Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
    • Freezer: store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
    • Reheat on the stovetop: ​​reheat it over medium-low heat, whisking frequently to prevent lumps until it's hot. Add some water or vegetable stock if needed.
    • Reheat in the microwave: transfer it into a microwave-safe container and use short 30-second bursts of heat, whisking in between, until it's liquid and steaming.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 541mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 0.5mg

    More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

    • BEST Vegan Mac and Cheese (Baked or Stovetop)
    • The BEST Vegan Meatloaf
    • Vegan Stuffed Shells
    • Lentil Loaf
    3.9K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy says

      November 25, 2022 at 5:15 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was phenomenal! I didn’t have garlic powder so I left it out. But it got raves all around!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        November 28, 2022 at 1:23 pm

        Hi Nancy! Thank you so much 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Marie says

      November 24, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      5 stars
      By far the best gravy I have ever had vegan or not! We made the recipe as is using Miyoko butter and Unsweetened almond milk. My 10 year old made this is accidentally doubled the milk so we made a second batch sans milk and added them together. The second half of the batch we ran out of vegetable brought so made broth using not chick'n bouillon cubes we had on hand. This gravy was so good I could eat it with a spoon and my vegan husband agrees!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        November 28, 2022 at 1:22 pm

        Hi Marie! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂 So glad you and your family enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Jasper Valery says

      October 06, 2022 at 3:28 am

      4 stars
      Badly needed a thickening agent, so I looked into corn starch, but didn't have any. I did have vegetarian Jiffy corn muffin mix, added about 1/6th cup. Absolutely superb.

      Reply
      • Adriana @ Simple Vegan Blog says

        October 17, 2022 at 11:08 am

        Hi Jasper! So glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Louise says

      August 25, 2022 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      Finally a veg gravy without msg! Actually tastes really good too and not complicated

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        November 11, 2022 at 8:45 am

        Hi Louise! SO glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
      • Esiuol says

        November 14, 2022 at 3:20 pm

        This recipe has soy sauce which has msg, and msg is unjustly maligned, anyway.

        Reply
        • Iosune says

          November 15, 2022 at 9:22 pm

          Hi Esioul! The soy sauce I used hasn't msg 🙂

    5. Markell says

      July 07, 2022 at 2:15 am

      5 stars
      Amazing and so easy! I am shocked to find a recipe that only required basic ingredients that I already had.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        July 15, 2022 at 5:26 pm

        Hi Markell! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    6. Lisa says

      January 29, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      I also used homemade almond milk...

      Reply
    7. Lisa says

      January 29, 2022 at 8:23 pm

      Delish!
      I used slightly caramelized onions instead of onion powder, and finished it with about a tablespoon and a half of nutritional yeast at the end. It was slightly less thick than I like my gravy, so I added one more tablespoon of AP flour too. While I made this to put over my vegan Shepard's Pie that needed a little added moisture, having this much yummy gravy hanging around inspired me to make some biscuits! 😉
      Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 31, 2022 at 10:18 am

        Hi Lisa! So glad you liked it Lisa 🙂

        Reply
    8. Gabriele Powell says

      December 26, 2021 at 7:23 am

      5 stars
      Delish with our prime rib and German noodles for Christmas dinner.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 04, 2022 at 11:06 am

        So glad you liked it Gabriele 🙂

        Reply
    9. Cathie says

      November 27, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      OMG this is one of the best gravies I’ve ever had I stayed true to the recipe and it was perfect for me. I made French Toast and Hash Browns this morning and the gravy went so well with both of them.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 29, 2021 at 10:40 am

        Hi Cathie! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    10. Joyce says

      November 14, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      5 stars
      This gravy was great. Was skeptical about using coconut milk due to expected taste, but I didn’t detect any coconut. This is a keeper.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 15, 2021 at 11:07 am

        Hi Joyce! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    11. Bridey Parker says

      September 11, 2021 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      I made this vegan gravy after realising the store bought one I had contained milk! Silly me for not reading properly. Given this was the first time I'd ever made a gravy from scratch I was well impressed. Easy to make and delicious!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        September 13, 2021 at 11:30 am

        Hi! I'm so glad you liked our recipe 🙂

        Reply
    12. Chris says

      August 22, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic tasting gravy. Almost meaty. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        August 24, 2021 at 3:36 pm

        Thank you so much Chris! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Thea says

      June 06, 2021 at 7:09 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious and so very easy. I used vegan butter instead of oil, and just ran out of soy sauce, so I used 1 1/2 tsp vegan Worchestershire sauce instead. It came out just perfectly and wasn't too salty at all, like many other recipes I've tried.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        June 09, 2021 at 10:10 am

        Hi! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 I'm glad you liked it!

        Reply
    14. Naomi Jensen says

      December 17, 2020 at 2:05 am

      This recipe is so darn good and EASY!!!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        December 17, 2020 at 2:34 pm

        Hi Naomi! Thank you so much 🙂

        Reply
    15. Jared W. says

      October 31, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      5 stars
      This was very good. A lil too thin for my taste, if you like it super thick, add extra flour while you're making the roux at the beginning (heating the butter).

      Btw, mine never turned into a roux (it stayed clumpy until I added the milk), I would also suggest adding more butter.

      Better than Bouillon made it just a lil too salty, use a lil less than you normally would or omit the soy sauce.

      If you struggle with sweetness from the milk, slowly incorporate apple cider vinegar to taste. We used almond milk and it was fine though!

      I'm saving this recipe! A brown gravy go to!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 05, 2020 at 7:30 am

        Thanks for the advice 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
      • Shayla says

        December 23, 2020 at 6:08 am

        I was super thrilled to find a vegan recipe that didn't require me to go get yeast! I used the better than bullion too, so I left out the salt and seasoned afterwards cause my flavor of bullion was just very flavorful, and I wanted a thicker gravy so I just omitted the soy milk. It was a great texture and consistency! I'll be using the recipe many times in the future.

        Reply
        • Iosune Robles says

          December 24, 2020 at 10:46 am

          Thanks for your kind comment, Shayla 🙂 Have a nice day!

    16. Anna Daniels says

      October 31, 2020 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      other than it being a lil too salty, this was wonderful! I'll just use less soy sauce next time.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 05, 2020 at 7:29 am

        Hi Anna! That's good 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    17. Natalie Aspden says

      October 23, 2020 at 2:10 am

      5 stars
      So easy and delicious. I used coconut milk and added a tsp of mustard. Even my husband who is not vegan said it was absolutely one of the best gravies he has ever had. Winner!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 04, 2020 at 1:29 pm

        Sounds so good Natalie 🙂 I'm glad you and your husband liked it!

        Reply
    18. Christina says

      October 11, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best vegan gravy I've made! It is smooth and delicous. Thank you Iosune!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        October 13, 2020 at 11:21 am

        Hi Christina! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    19. Isabelle says

      August 24, 2020 at 2:22 am

      5 stars
      I've been craving gravy and this hit the spot! My boyfriend is also vegan and he told me that he never used to like non vegan gravy all that much. But I made this recipe and he LOVED IT! It always warms my heart when I find vegan recipes that beat the original 😉 Its good being vegan!

      Reply
      • Isabelle says

        August 24, 2020 at 2:25 am

        P.S. LOVE the font you used for your blog title!!

        Reply
        • Iosune Robles says

          August 24, 2020 at 10:41 am

          Thank you so much Isabelle! Have a nice day 🙂

      • Iosune Robles says

        August 24, 2020 at 10:40 am

        Hi Isabelle! Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 I'm so glad you and your boyfriend loved our vegan gravy!

        Reply
    20. dahlia says

      June 26, 2020 at 5:54 am

      i went to make some gardein turk’y cutlets but realized my gravy has been thrown out. this was a great quick recipe and totally saved my meal. will definitely be making this again. best vegan gravy i’ve tried

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        June 26, 2020 at 10:43 am

        Hi! So glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for your comment!

        Reply
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