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!
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 T flour
- 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- 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 heat 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.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
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!!
Thanks Beth! While I enjoy cooking from scratch, I was wondering if choc. pudding would work when you need extra quick and little mess!! I also enjoy experimenting with recipes, but if someone has already done there…Hey! That’s great. Thanks again for sharing!
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!
OOOOO…NILLA WAFERS!!!! Gotta try this!!!!
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
[...] Chocolate Gravy Made With Splenda [...]
Christy, I remember it as soppin chocolate as someone else has pointed out. My mother, who is 81 now, makes it from time to time for my kids. They love it. Thanks for the memories.
Steve
Round Rock, Texas
This really brought back memories. My granny made “breakfast chocolate” for me as a special treat, even though it about made Mom have a heart attack. I’ve never made it because she always said “well you just throw some sugar and flour and chocolate together in a pot with some milk and cook it ’til it’s done”. I think I’m going to cook some of this up for my son this weekend …..and maybe for me too!
my little daughter loves to do scrapbooking at her young age, she uses a lot of digital arts and photographs for her scrapbooks;~~
my grandmother made this for me and my sisters,we just called it cocoa and biscuits.she didn’t have a recipe she went by, so i just watched her make it. she didn’t use as much sugar, maybe half of what you use, and hers was thicker, we loved it. i still make it for my family….i love your website. i just found out about it while reading guidepost this morning. i will be buying your book as well. thanks for the memories.
My recipe is a little different.
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
stir together then add enough water to make a paste
Then add 2 cups water (not milk)
Stir until thickened to you’re liking.
Put in you’re bowl then add 1 or 2 teaspoons butter and stir and then pinch hot biscuts into gravy and enjoy.
Please try this was also it is great
My children and grandchildren always want this Christmas morning.
I grew up eating this and my grandma called it, “Cocoa Joe” and she said the same thing, “just add in some flour, sugar, chocolate and milk , then cook til it’s done”. I could never figure out how to make it. I ran into a recipe on a blog somewhere and promptly made it, but it wasn’t the same as I remembered. I will be trying this out though. I am from Oklahoma, born there and raised in San Diego, CA. People there thought we were real strange to be eating a sweet gravy over biscuits, lol. Thanks for the post as this is another one of those recipes about to be lost.
My mom made this for us growing up and I was just thinking the other day I think it is time to pull out the recipe and have it one day soon! I have twins that are 3 and a husband that has never heard of it so one day real soon this is on the list!! Thanks for the reminder and all the great memories that this recipe brought back!
Christy, Just had to comment on the chocolate gravy. I used to make this sll the time, but then I had Weight Loss Surgery and I thought I’d eaten my last bowl of this delicious warm gravy, But I’ve adapted it so I can now eat it. I make it with Splenda and fat free milk. To anyone else this might seem unholy, but to someone like me, it makes perfect sense. Thanks CHristy for bringing back great family memories with this one!!
Veronica
When I make it for me, I use splenda too
Great minds think alike! or in your case, your great mind thinks like my inferior one, lol!
how much splenda do you use. i am diabetic and would like to try with splenda.
thanks.
Wow, I didn’t know it could be made with Splenda. That would be great.
Christy, my ex’s grandmother, Mamaw Mangino, made Chocolate Gravy EVERY morning we visited her. Even though my husband left me to raise three little children alone (this was years ago) she stayed close to me and was a dear, dear friend. Mamaw lived in Russellville, AL. She was known all over the county for her generosity and she and her husband had money during the Depression when no one else did. So, she did what Mamaw did best…reached her arms out to her community and took care of it with food, clothing, whatever they needed. This is her legacy…love, compassion and generosity, not to mention she was an incredible Southern cook! Two of the greatest compliments she every paid me were that she thought I was “the best little mother she had ever seen” and she frequenlty wanted me to make “my” specialties for her (she LOVED my meatloaf and several casseroles I made and would have me make enough for her to freeze for future meals.) She introduced me to Chocolate Gravy and it was on her breakfast table EVERY morning! Thanks for your recipe and a sweet memory of a woman I love and miss with all my heart.
Hey Christy!
Thank you so much for posting this chocolate gravy recipe. It was just like Granny’s! I never knew it was so easy to make and I sure never thought I could make it myself, but I did and it was GREAT! My husband isn’t much of a chocolate fan (he’s weird) so I had the whole pot to myself (of course I halved it)! I made it yesterday morning and just finished it off as dessert tonight… and it was still just as amazing as yesterday! Thank you again!
~Heather~
We grew up on this stuff! That is why I’m too sweet and so fluffy! LOL! The recipe I use can be considered “chocolate syrup”. I use 2 cups sugar, 4.5 heaping tablespoons of unsweented cocoa. Stir unti thoroughly mixed. Start with 1/4 cup of milk and stir until well blended, adding milk as needed. BUT WAIT! You want your mixture to be a thick soup, not thin. Cook on medium heat stirring occassionally. I usually jut let it cook while the biscuits cook and the bacon fries on the stove. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy. But be careful because it you cook it too long, it will harden. Take those home made buttermilk biscuits out of th oven, add butter to the biscute and then spoon over the biscuit! Yummmy!
My Nani used to make this for us and we called it chocolate syrup and biscuit hoecake. I can’t believe other folks were eating this too. Thought we were the only ones.
Love your site….it truly southern unlike some other southern cooking sites I have visited. Being born and raised in south Georgia surrounded by women who know how to cook I can say this is the real thing!
Thank you
How long does chocolate gravy last in the fridge? I made it Sunday for my boyfriend and there was too much for just the two of us. Any other things you can do with it or put it on?
We always called it Cocoa Syrup, but holy cow! No matter what you call that concoction, it IS heavenly. Mama, where are ya? I need to slap ya!
I have NEVER heard of such a thing! Where has it been all of my life? I’m sure it’s quite yummy. Can’t wait to try it. You can eliminate those little lumps, if they bother you, by mixing the cocoa into the sugar before adding the milk. I do the same thing when making fudge. it comes out smoother, I think. Thanks for such a great website. I wish my grandmother and momma were still alive to see it!
Christy, I see that you use All Purpose Flour alot. Can you use self rising flour for your recipes, thinking of the Chocolate Gravy of course.
Pam my mom only uses self rising flour so you would be fine with that.. Balinda
When I vist my mom I still tell her this is what I want for breakfast… I like to have both the chocolate and milk gravy for the sweet and salty combo…. I always ask my mom how to make it but she said “There is not a receipe and is just some of this and some of that!” Now I have a receipe!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!
My Dad’s family always made chocolate gravy and he taught my Mom, now it is a favorite with our family. We make it for a group using 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa and 3/4 cup flour, pinch of salt and about 3/4 of a medium size sauce pan. We have never measured the milk. After it boils and starts to thicken remove from heat and add a cap of vanilla or like me who doesn’t measure it, a dash of vanilla. serve over hot buttered biscuits. If you put the butter on your biscuits, then the gravy it is so good. My mom even added a touch of cinnamon once but we didn’t like that. It is great with your sausage and bacon dipped in it also. You can increase or decrease the dry ingredients depending on the size of your group, adjust milk accordingly. I get texts from family members needing me to send them the recipe as the nieces and nephews grow up.
Oh yes, I love Chocolate Gravy. My mother got her recipe from a school mate in Tennessee. My brother and sister and I loved it and all the grandkids except perhaps one love it. And now the great grandchildren love it too. Before my mother passed away my sister measured all my mother put inthe bown or pan when she made this dish and we all got our own copy of our beloved chocolate gravy. The gravy part always throws people when they hear it but it is a slightly sweet and rich chocolate sauce that is put over biscuits in the morning and eaten with a spoon. We usually broke up our biscuits and put it over the pieces. One thing for sure, it took several biscuits per person. One package of biscuits for 4 is not enough. Mom, of course, made her biscuits from scratch and that was even better. Wish my sister had measured the biscuit recipe as well. I do know others who have a simialr recipe and some include vanilla but it isn’t the same and it is better with just butter on top of it. Oh delicious and I wish I had some now. You will remember it if you try it. I don’t know why I don’t make it more ofen as it is really easy. But it is one of those special things. When I go to my daughter’s and son’s homes, we sometimes have it there. My son told me he was in bed and heard the kids downstairs getting out cereals and milk and the youngest was sent up to see if they wanted them to bring them cereal in bed and he told them if they would wait just a little bit he would get up and make chocolate gravy if they would rather have that. She ran downstairs and they heard all the cupboards opening and closing again and the refrigerator being opened and closed as they wee sure waiting for Dad to fix chocolate gravy. Some of the spouses don’t like it like we do, but we have that southern heritage and a love for chocolate.
I think ours was a thicker sauce. i’ll have to check the flour in it but it sticks to the biscuits and is rather thick. Couldn’t pour out of a little teapot but scoup by large spoon or scoups and it is about as thick as gravy but is all pure chocolae and has that butter added at the last.
Thank you for a recipe that is just like my grandmother made on Christmas mornings when I was young and she was still cooking. This is more than a recipe, it’s a memory. I’m making it for breakfast in the morning.
As always, love your recipes.
I’m a Southern gal that had never heard of chocolate gravy until I married my husband (an Alabama fella.) He was telling me about his mother fixing this for breakfast and I I found a recipe in one of my old church cookbooks and made it for him. He was happier than a pig in slop. He was diagnosed with diabetes and I haven’t made it since – now I’ll be able to try your recipe with Splenda and he won’t have to miss out on it anymore.
we grew up eating chocolate gravy and i made it for my kids when they were growing up.mine calls for a little more flour and i add a little vanilla at the end. if you are lucky enough to have any left over( which was rare in my house lol) put it in the fridge and later you can eat it like pudding. you can add an egg to it at the end( mix an egg in a bowl and add gravy a little at a time so as not to coo the egg ,then add to gravy) and it makes a wonderful chocolate pie
I have grown up in South Central Oklahoma and I have eaten Chocolate “Gravy” all my life and I still make it for my family and grand children and they all love it. The reason I put “Gravy” in marks is that your recipe seems to be a thin pudding and made completely backward to mine. As in white pan gravy I start with a “Roux” made with flour, sugar, salt and cocoa powder mixed together in a bowl and poured into a stick of butter melted in a cast iron skillet. This mixture is cooked together for several minutes to cook the rawness out of the flour then the milk is whisked into it and stirred until the mixture is bubbling and tickened. Also I don’t use quite as much sugar. The salt really brings out the chocolate flavor and it isn’t flat tasting. A lot of folks say they never tasted chocolate gravy, but the ones who grew up on it love it no matter how old they are.
I’ve been called worse things than “backward”, but my mamas recipe for “gravy” sure is good! Glad you have a good one too!;)
Donna, yours is similar to the one I learned about 12 years ago. (Even though I have an AL mom, an NC dad,and grew up in Texas, I had never heard of this before a friend showed it to me.) The only difference was instead of the cocoa and sugar, he said his mama used chocolate drink mix. (it dissolves quicker). It does make me happy to know that I can use staples from my kitchen, though. I always wondered if they would work. Oh, and I make the roux by starting with melting the butter, cooking the flour, then milk, then drink mix. Either way, this is some good stuff, folks!
My grandparents lived in Greenhill, near Florence. Like Tissie’s family, we called it chocolate ‘n biscuits too. We sopped, no spoon LOL
I never learned this from her, as she never measured. I was able to replicate hers after a few trial and error sessions, but her (and now mine) ratio of cocoa to milk is quite a bit different than yours (ours is darker, with minimal milk). I’ve further tweaked it by adding 1/2 tsp instant coffee, per hubby’s mother’s chocolate pie secret. Oh and about 1/8 tsp of salt of course, so it won’t “taste empty”, haha my Yankee mother taught me that, and to always add a pinch of sugar to savories so they won’t taste empty either ROFL
My mother used to make chocolate syrup and I would pour it over my gravy and biscuits. We are from southeastern Kentucky.
Mmm chocolate and gravy…two of my favorite foods. Ha ha!
Dear Christy. I grew up eatting chocolate gravy, both my mama and my grandma made it for us, both done it a little different so I went with the way my grandma made it because her’s was a little sweeter. She also so would make it to pour on a box cake she would for sunday dinner we would have at her house. My kids Love it when I make for them.