VEGAN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS & COUNTRY GRAVY
Vegan Biscuits & Gravy made from scratch with pantry staples are the ultimate morning comfort food! This classic, hearty breakfast recipe is super easy and ready in 35 minutes.
Warm, flaky buttermilk biscuits and good old-fashioned country gravy, it’s a delicious combination that takes me on a journey to my younger days, before becoming vegan.
Those were the days of doughboy biscuits and packaged country gravy. Yes, I’ll admit it was just so easy and I know many of you have been there too!
Vegan biscuits and gravy are made from scratch with cashew milk (almond, oat or your favorite plant milk works too), flour and fat, making them a pantry staple recipe and perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Nothing really compares to homemade biscuits and gravy, so roll up your sleeves and get your hands a little doughy because although it may take a little longer – it’s well worth the effort and 100 times more delicious!
Top Tips
I’ve researched and adapted my vegan biscuits and gravy recipe from a few well-known sources: Simply Recipes & The New York Times. I’ve read the reviews, done the testing and bring to you my final results.
- Adding optional seasoning. Traditionally you won’t find spices other than black pepper in the country gravy, but the addition of a little poultry seasoning and nutmeg are delicious so I’ve added them as an option. If you don’t have poultry seasoning on hand sub in 1/4 teaspoon both sage & marjoram. The spices add a subtle flavor without overpowering. Give it a try!
- Gravy first. I would tend to start with the gravy first. This will give it time to cool off a bit and thicken, plus you can always warm the gravy on low just before the biscuits are done. This will ensure piping hot biscuits and warm gravy.
- Read recipe instructions before starting. The vegan biscuits come together fairly fast, just be sure to read the instructions before beginning. One thing you’ll want to keep in mind in not working the dough too much, the less handling the better your end result will be.
- Making good use of time. While your biscuits are baking, you can do the kitchen clean up. Happy cooking!
- Change up the gravy. For variation, try this delicious Vegan Mushroom Gravy in place of the country gravy.
How To Make Biscuits and Gravy Without Milk
Once added to the roux, milk makes homemade gravy light in color and creamy. We’ll be using unsweetened cashew milk (almond milk is great too) instead of dairy milk, making this a non-dairy recipe without losing flavor or creaminess. You can also use a combo of vegetable broth and milk/water, making your gravy even more flavorful, but the color may be a little darker.
How To Store Leftovers
- Countertop: The biscuits can be kept covered on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Both the gravy and biscuits can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days, in covered containers.
- Freezer: Both the gravy and biscuits can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months using freezer safe containers. Let thaw before reheating.
How To Reheat
- Gravy: To reheat the gravy, simply warm it on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Add a little milk or water as needed too thin.
- Biscuits: Biscuits can be warmed in the oven set at 300, wrapped in foil, for 6 – 8 minutes. Once ready, slice biscuits in half and top with warm vegan gravy.
Serving Suggestions
Easy vegan biscuits and gravy is a classic breakfast food and best served with other hearty vegan breakfast foods. Here are a few of my favorite serving options:
- Pancakes: Serve with a stack of these everyday Classic Vegan Pancakes or Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes.
- Waffles: Serve with these easy Vegan Waffles or Applesauce Waffles.
- Tofu Scrambles: Serve with this everyday Simple Tofu Scramble or Veggie filled Tofu Scramble.
- Potatoes: They are especially great with a side of Breakfast Potatoes, Yukon & Sweet Potato Home Fries or this delicious Chickpea & Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.
- Frittatas: Serve with this Vegetable Vegan Frittata or veggie filled Mini Chickpea Flour Frittatas.
- Fruit: For a lighter pairing, this fresh and simple Cherry- Berry Fruit Salad or Cucumber Cantaloupe Salad works nicely!
Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas? Take a look at all Vegan Breakfast Recipes on TSV!
If you try this biscuits and gravy recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintVEGAN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS & COUNTRY GRAVY
Craving a little comfort food, these vegan biscuits and gravy are sure to hit the spot and will be ready in about 35 minutes!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 - 6 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 4 rounded tablespoons of vegan butter (I used smart balance w/olive oil)
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- juice of 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
Country Gravy
- 5 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
- 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 vegan sausage, minced (Tofurky or Field Roast), optional
- pinch of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- 4 cups unsweetened cashew milk, at room temperature
- mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
Gravy: In a medium sized pot heat oil over medium-high heat, add flour and stir for 2 – 3 minutes, until it turns light golden brown. Add the garlic powder, poultry seasoning and nutmeg, mix well, add in the sausage and stir another minute or so. Mixture will form a ball of sorts. Slowly add the milk and continue to stir, bring just to a boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until gravy has thickened to desired consistency, about 10 minutes. Use the back of the spoon/fork to help break up the sausage if needed. Gravy will thicken a bit more as it cools. Season with plenty of pepper and salt to taste. Set aside with lid on, or slightly askew stirring every now and then until ready to serve. If gravy cools too much, heat over low until warmed.
Biscuits: Make your buttermilk by combining the milk with the lemon juice. Let set for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly flour a flat surface (use a cutting board, marble slab, etc). Leave a little extra flour on the side for your fingers and the biscuit cutter. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or lightly grease with oil.
In a medium size mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well to combine. Add the chilled butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry blender or the back of a fork. You’ll know it’s ready when the butter is about pea sized and the mixture is crumbly looking. Add in the milk and mix until just combined, making sure there are no flour patches. The dough should form into a rough ball, it should be tacky not sticky. If mixture is too wet & sticky, add a little extra flour and mix just a needed.
Place dough on the prepared floured surface, pat it down into a rough circle or rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold dough onto itself. Repeat 2 more times (this will make for flaky biscuits). Add extra flour to your fingers or dough as needed. Gently flatten the dough to about 3/4 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, place cutter in the reserved flour, tap the cutter on the flat surface to remove any excess and press the cutter into the dough, repeat. As much as you feel you want to, do not twist the cutter in the dough as it crimps the edges and will interfere with proper rising. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet, brush with a little olive oil or cashew milk over top if you like. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 15 -18 minutes.
Makes approx. 10 biscuits. You can get 12 if you rework the dough scraps. They won’t be the prettiest biscuits but they’ll still taste great.
Serve: Split the biscuits open face and serve gravy over top. Enjoy often!
Serves 4 – 6
Notes
If gravy thickens too much, add a splash of milk to thin.
If you don’t have baking soda on hand, use an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Swap 1 cup of the flour for spelt or whole wheat flour. Biscuits will be a little darker.
You can also try placing the biscuits in a 9 inch round or 9 x 11 rectangular baking dish (be sure to lightly grease it first). Biscuits will be closer together making the edges nice and soft!
The vegan sausage will add a nice dose of protein to the overall recipe. Each Tofurkey kielbasa sausage (this is what I used) contains 26 grams of protein. Add two sausages if you like!
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Would this work do you think with almond milk? Have all the other ingredients on hand. Thanks! Excited to try this!
Absolutely! Use your favorite plant milk, preferably unsweetened since this is a savory dish. Enjoy!
I made this without the sausage and it was just kind of bland for me. I would say the sausage is not really optional.
This is seriously the best gravy I’ve ever had, vegan or not. I used Field Roast mini apple and maple breakfast sausages in it plus vanilla unsweetened almond milk as that’s all I had. I added some Sage and Creole seasoning as well. We will be making this for Thanksgiving as well to go with stuffing! Yum! Thank you for a great, simple recipe!
So glad you loved it and your additions sound delicious! Thanks you so much for sharing and happy holidays to you and yours! Cheers :)
Enjoyed making this recipe as it’s a much healthier version than traditional biscuits & gravy. I added creole seasoning & chimichurri seasoning to the gravy mix. Also added diced crimini mushrooms to the gravy recipe. I’m awaiting the biscuits to finish in the oven, but they look great! Lastly, I did add some whole wheat Italian flour to the biscuit mix as mine was still pretty wet, possibly from using buttermilk & soy milk as that’s what I had onhand. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Has anyone tried freezing the gravy? I want to make it for camping!
Great question Ana! I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but it should be fine. Just let it thaw, heat over low, adding a little extra water or plant milk to thin as needed.
My 2 and a half month old has a milk protein intolerance, so I’m new to this whole dairy free eating lifestyle. I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was, I had honestly set the bar pretty low lol. My kiddos really liked it too, which was a pretty big win. I would still prefer my regular milk and butter/bacon grease gravy, but as a healthier alternative, this is certainly a must try.
Hi, I would like to know if I wanted to use a combination of vegetable broth and almond milk, what measurements for each would I need? Thanks
You can as much of each as you like! Since the gravy is made with a roux, flour and oil, the liquids can be all vegetable broth or all almond milk. I would go with 1/2 and 1/2 to start, or use any amount you think would be good. The veggie broth will really add some nice flavor, the color may be a little darker, but still delicious! Would love to know how it goes for you. Enjoy :)
These were amazing! Biscuits and Gravy has always been a breakfast favorite of mine, but I have only had them vegan once at a local vegan restaurant! These were so easy to make and so delicious. I would definitely recommend adding two sausages! Cant wait to make these again!
Sounds great. Do you have substitution for the vegan butter ?
You can use coconut oil, in its solid state, if you don’t mind a slight coconut flavor. Margarine is another, something like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (olive oil version). Hope that helps!
I made this recipe today for my husband. It was unbelievably good! I followed the recipe exactly except for using Oat Milk. And, I also used seassoned white mushrooms chopped up tiny and spiced-up with sausage spices that I sauteed in butter in place of actual vegan sausage. I added them in when it said to add in the sausage.
Everything turned out perfect and way better than I expected! The buiscuits were flaky, soft and pillowy on the inside, yet crispy on the edges. The gravy was so deliciously yummy. I usually eat pretty simply but this was such a treat! I’m definitely going to try the gravy again on some potatoes soon.
Thank you so much for all your lovely recipes and vegan inspiration. You are my favorite food blogger by far! Xo