Chocolate Gravy
This morning I was making biscuits when my daughter announced that she wanted chocolate for breakfast. Hey, the gal is smart. Even at the tender age of three, she knows what she needs. As I mixed up my biscuit dough, I had one of those light bulb moments – chocolate gravy. Its one of those things that old people in the south expound about, recalling with wistful smiles normally reserved for Christmas morning. Still, having been a southerner all of my life, I had never actually tried it. I admit, it did sound a bit odd to me and always has.
Today, with biscuits going in the oven and Katy requesting chocolate, fate pointed me in the direction of the recipe and with all ingredients on hand, I had to give it a shot. 
In days of old, with flour in abundance and other resources scarce, biscuits made a great breakfast and filling snack any time of day. Sweets were not a regular occurrence and so waking up in the morning to find fresh biscuits and a boat of chocolate gravy was a wondrous treat. It was poured over the buttered biscuits, then the tender bread soaks it up and as I found out today – you are then on your way to heaven no matter what the day has in store for you.
Here is the recipe I used, Don’t try this unless you want the flavor to linger in your mind for the rest of your life. It was purely divine.
.
…and cocoa powder
Stir well.
Yes, those are homemade biscuits, too!
I hope you can smell this. If not, get into your kitchen and make up some quick! Chocolate Gravy is super easy, but such an indulgent taste!
Chocolate Gravy
(pour over biscuits – the scone-like bread, not a cookie)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 T flour
- 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
Combine everything except butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Once boiling, cut the heat down and stir for a minute more (it will get pretty thick rather suddenly). Take off eye and stir in butter. Pour over biscuits. I tear my biscuit up in a bowl first and then pour it over.
You can die happy now.
Posted by Christy Jordan
on May 11 2009. Filed under Breakfast, Chocolate, Dessert, Sauces/Other, Southern Classics.
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Hi Christy,
My grandmother (from Athens) made this all the time for us although we called it cocoa and I have a cousin who calls it “soppin’ chocolate”! Now that’s country! My grandmother made homemade biscuits but my mother mostly made it with canned biscuits. When I made some recently on a camping trip with homemade biscuits, my brothers all loved it but we agreed that it felt like it ought to be eaten with canned biscuits! LOL! My aunt recently showed me your articles in the News Courier (She showed me a recipe for peach fried pies that were made just like my grandmother’s YUM!) and we found the website through that article. I can see I’ll be checking it out regularly!
Thanks.
Ah-h-h-hh to bring back the old memories….when my husband and I got married we could barely afford the license, and as time and children came along things didn’t get nay better, but you could always depend on a good day when we had homemade biscuits and chocolate gravy! Good sausage gravy was fine for a solid work day breakfast (and some times supper!!) but chocolate gravy ment we were having a ‘special’ occassion! Thanks for the memories! I think for Saturday morning breakfast, I’ll make him a batch of homemade biscuits and chocolate gravy.
Just a little tweak to your recipe, this what I grew up eating in eastern Oklahoma for breakfast, so try this;
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients well and add
1 1/2 cup milk
Cook over medium heat in thick bottomed sause pan until it thickens, about 10 or 15 minutes, I use a wire wisk, it will get very thick. Remove from heat.
Then add 1/2 to 1 stick of butter or margarine and 1 tsp vanilla.
Them spoon it over drop biscuits made from boxed biscuit mix.
Christy, I am so glad I came across this. I know it’s an old post, but I’m happy to find it nonetheless.
This was a favorite of us grandkids at my Gramma’s house. She would fix breakfast for the adults, then would ask us what we wanted, and of course, it was chocolate ‘n biscuits–and she already had it done and waiting on the stove for us. We would eat it w/ fresh cow’s cream poured over top–yummmmm!
I wrote a cookbook author last year, as I had read her book that she had spent four years researching all over the south, and I was curious if she had come across this recipe in all her travels, and she said no! I sent her my recipe, and she asked on her website, as well as asked around, and she posted the recipe she liked best, (which wasn’t mine!
). I reckoned that maybe folks were a little embarrassed to admit that they like to pour chocolate gravy over a biscuit–some have asked me in shock–”You feed that to your children for breakfast?!” To me, it’s no different than a pop-tart.
Anyway, I’m thrilled to be a Southerner, and even more proud to be a Southern cook–chocolate ‘n biscuits and all! Love your blog, your recipes, and the Southern charm!!
Thanks!
♥Susan
PS–
I cook mine in the microwave–stir it every two minutes, and it’s done in 6-8 minutes. No standing over the stove stirring stirring…
[...] My original post on Chocolate Gravy, including step by step photos of how to make it, can be found here. [...]
I am just making my way thru your post and OMG Chocolate Gravy is one of my favorite things. growing up I had a friend whose mom always made this for us. Now that I am grown it is a special treat that I always request from hubs for my mother’s day breakfast!
My married daughter still begs for this…. my CHEATING secret?
Use 1 box instant & 1 box slow cook CHOCOLATE PUDDING with milk (amount on pudding box) warm on stove (stirring) and there’s virtually no measuring & no MESS!!
My Granny who is from Kentucky made this for us when we would go visit. When I started making this for my boys they turned their nose up because of the name “gravy”! My brother started calling it Chocolate Goodness so all the kids would eat! It worked!! Although to me..it will always be chocolate gravy! LOVE IT!! Along with all the memories of Granny standing at the stove cooking it!
Christy,
I am a new follower of your blog and I was SO excited to see this recipe up here! The first and only time I have ever had chocolate gravy was about 17 years ago. We were visiting my grandfather’s family in West Virginia and they made this for us kids. Can you say heaven on a plate? Until I found your blog, I had never been able to find a recipe for it. But, here it is!!! Also, I gathered from reading that you are from Alabama. I am an Alabamian myself, born in Birmingham and raised in Gadsden
Thanks again for your blog and keep up the good work!!
I was born and raised in GA and had never heard of chocolate gravy until a special friend in Cookeville, TN made it for breakfast during a visit with her. It was WONDERFUL! I’ve made it several times since and usually make it in the evening when I want a quick fix for a craving for something sweet or chocolate. It’s great poured over Nilla wafers too!
Hi Christy,
I’ve just recently found your website via Southern Savers and I feel like it’s Christmas!
My mother cooked all of these meals for us growing up. Unfortunately she passed at a young age and didn’t leave much in writing behind. I have scores of cookbooks and none of them are as good as this website!
I now have two daughters and I feel envigorated just by being here and seeing my mother’s (and Nanny’s & DeeDee’s – her mother and grandmother) food on your plates!!
Thank you so much for this great site, the time and care you put into it are obvious!
Okay, that all leads to my question – do you have a recipe for Peanut Butter gravy? My mom made it all the time for us when I was little and although I have tried to make one up or even find one, I have not been successful!
Thank you either way!
Jennifer
Peanut Butter Gravy
Sausage grease or bacon grease
Flour
Milk
Peanut butter
Salt and pepper
Brown flour in the sausage grease. Stir in 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter. Add milk as necessary to reach desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. This is great on toast, biscuits or hash browns.
Scrapbooking was one of my hobbies when i was in high school and college. it was quite fun.;”.
Chocolate ‘n Biscuits has been a hand-down recipe in my family for 4 generations, from my great-grandmother to my son. My Mother used to fix it almost every morning, but I now only fix it for special occasions, when the urge is calling.
In my families, one grandmother made chocolate gravy (with flour), while my other grandmother made it without flour like a syrup. Either way, I have always called it “chocolate ‘n biscuits”.
And, I want to say that fresh handmade biscuits are the only acceptable way to sop it up. Ummmm, so good!
I grew up in California but mama and family are from Oklahoma and we grew up eating chocolate gravy and I made it for my kids and now my oldest son makes it for his kids.Not too many people in Cali know what chocolate gravy is but when I moved to Texas 14 yrs ago I found out Lots of folks here know what it is.IF you ever have any left over(rare i know) put it in the fridge and it makes a great snack in the evening when you want chocolate pudding
HI Christy, I know this a old site but I saw it here today and this brought back alot of memories for me. My mom would make this for us on Sunday Mornings before going to Church with home made biscuits with the excellent lard and butter you know what I am talking about. My mom grew up Alabama and my daddy was from Tn. So all the cooking you do here and share is awesome Christy. Thanks for all the memories you have awaken me back to
Susan
Ohio