This super easy vegan gravy is great for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. But there’s no reason to wait for a special occasion in November or December!
It’s simple enough for any day of the week, any time of year, thanks to pantry-friendly ingredients. Ready in just 10 minutes!
Serve it over mashed potatoes, stuffing, or vegan holiday roast.
By its very nature, gravy is something that most people don’t eat all on its own. It’s a complement to other dishes.
So that means that whenever I’m making gravy, I’m also making a lot of other stuff to go with it.
That’s why I like it best when gravy is easy and fast. No chopping required. Just some stirring.
Ten minutes later, you’re there.
(A lot of vegan holiday roasts come with a pouch of frozen gravy. But this homemade variety is so much more delicious & full-flavored without much more effort.)
This no fuss vegan gravy recipe is ready in just 10 minutes. It’s perfect for holidays but effortless enough for a weeknight meal.
It’s a standard brown gravy that works well with a variety of dishes. And it’s always a crowd-pleaser!
And of course, even though it has “turkey” in the name, there are no animals in this recipe. However, this gravy has all of the flavors you’ve come to expect at the fall holidays.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Bouillon: Better Than Bouillon no chicken base does an amazing job at filling in those homey, full-bodied flavors.
It can be replaced with your preferred vegetable bouillon. Or replace water + bouillon with vegetable broth.
Non-dairy butter: Use any vegan butter you enjoy like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
Nutritional yeast flakes: This inactive yeast adds umami. Look for it at natural grocery stores or Trader Joe’s.
You can read more about it in this post, “What is nutritional yeast?“
Tamari: This Japanese soy sauce adds salt, richness, and umami.
It can be replaced with any soy sauce you enjoy, coconut aminos, or Bragg’s liquid aminos.
Non-dairy milk: Any non-dairy milk will work here like cashew milk, soy milk, or almond milk.
Pantry staples & seasonings: All-purpose flour, dried thyme, herbs de Provence, ground pepper, and salt.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Melt vegan butter in a skillet.
2. Add flour and combine. Let the flour soak up the butter and get a little toasty.
3. Add water + Better Than Bouillon no chicken base to the skillet. Whisk to combine & remove any lumps. (If your whisk isn’t doing the trick, try a fork.) Bring to a boil.
4. Once it’s smooth, add the following:
- Dried herbs de Provence
- Dried thyme
- Pepper
- Tamari soy sauce
- Nutritional yeast flakes
Reduce heat to a simmer. Keep stirring until it has thickened & reached a gravy consistency.
Taste for salt. If it needs more salt, add a pinch. If it’s too salty, add a splash of almond milk (or other non-dairy milk) & combine.
Make it your own
You can easily adjust this dressing to make it your own by varying the ingredients, making substitutions, or omissions.
- Instead of water + bouillon, use vegetable broth or vegetable stock.
- Replace herbs de Provence or thyme with a pinch of dried rosemary, marjoram, poultry seasoning, or rubbed sage.
- Add other seasonings like granulated onion, granulated garlic, vegan Worcestershire sauce, or a splash of wine.
- Nutritional yeast adds umami to the gravy. But if you don’t have it, you can easily omit it.
- Tamari adds umami and a lovely brown color to the gravy. But if you’d prefer to keep the gravy soy-free or want a white gravy, omit it. Add more salt, if necessary.
- For meaty texture, stir in a handful of chopped seitan chicken when the gravy is ready.
Ways to use it
This full-flavored gravy is a terrific addition to your vegan Thanksgiving spread.
Pour it over any of the following:
- Hot open faced sandwich (above)
- Vegan mashed potatoes
- Vegan fried chicken drumsticks
- Baked fries for vegan poutine
- Vegan stuffing
- Stuffing muffins
- Browned slices of seitan chicken
Use it as a dipping sauce for:
- Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich
- Thanksgiving kebabs
- Vegan chick’n strips
How to store and reheat
Keep any leftover gravy in a covered container in the refrigerator.
It will last up to five days.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, reheat the gravy in the microwave, stopping a couple of times to stir for even reheating. Or reheat the gravy in a small pot on the stove.
The gravy will thicken in the refrigerator. However, as it reheats, it should return to its previous viscosity.
If it’s too thick for you, simply add a splash of water, non-dairy milk, or broth until it’s just right.
Can I freeze it?
Yes!
This easy vegan gravy freezes beautifully. Put cooled gravy into a freezer proof container or freezer bag if you prefer to lay it flat.
Once frozen, it lasts 4 to 6 months.
When you’re ready to use it, move it to the refrigerator to thaw. Then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
In a hurry? If the frozen gravy is in a microwave-safe container like Pyrex, you can thaw it in the microwave using the defrost function.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Easy vegan turkey gravy
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons Better Than Bouillon no chicken base
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Generous pinch of dried thyme
- Generous pinch of herbs de Provence
- Generous dash of ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk optional
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine water with Better Than Bouillon no chicken base. Stir to incorporate. (It's okay if it doesn't dissolve completely.) Then set aside.
- Bring a skillet to a medium heat with non-dairy butter. Once the butter has melted, add flour to the skillet.
- Use a spatula to fully combine the melted butter with the flour and cook for a minute or so.
- Add the water bouillon mixture to the skillet. Whisk until smooth, and bring it to a boil.
- Add a generous pinch of dried thyme, herbs de Provence, ground pepper, nutritional yeast flakes, and tamari.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and keep whisking the gravy constantly while it thickens and condenses. This isn't an overly thick gravy. If you let it condense too much, it will be too salty. So keep an eye on it getting to your preferred viscosity.
- Once it has thickened, taste for salt. If it's too salty, add non-dairy milk and stir to combine. Cook for thirty seconds to a minute more. If it's not salty enough, add salt to taste.
- Remove from heat and set aside. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Deanna Marsh
Delicious and I was out of Better than Bouillon so had to use a powdered broth mixture. I tripled the recipe and used fresh rosemary, thyme and a bit of sage. I did need to add some poultry seasoning, (probably because I didn’t have the correct base). This smells so good as you’re cooking it. I did thicken it a bit with corn starch.
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad you enjoyed the gravy, Deanna! Thank you for sharing your tweaks. That’s what I love about cooking – you can make adjustments to suit your pantry and palate.
Tasha
Better than bouillon is very high in salt. How can I get that taste without all of the salt?
Cadry Nelson
No problem! I give alternatives in the notes section of the recipe card (see “substitution ideas”), as well as in the “make it your own” section of the blog post. Simply replace water + bouillon with vegetable broth or vegetable stock. I hope you enjoy the gravy!
Rachael
This is honestly the best gravy, and unbelievably easy. My partner asked if I would make it again the following day! Thank you
Cadry Nelson
I am so happy to hear that, Rachael! Thank you for letting me know that the gravy is a hit with you & your partner.
Earlene
Well I was lazy tonight, but wanted some mash with gravy. I threw all the ingredients except the butter which I omitted into the blender. Blended it up and then put in a sauce pot to boil…. It turned out great and I am sure even better had I followed the recipe exactly.
Cadry Nelson
That’s great, Earlene! I’m glad it all worked out. Sounds like a very cozy dinner!
Amanda
This is a GREAT recipe! I used it tonight and made my husband do a taste test of this recipe versus a vegan packet gravy that you add water to, that I picked up at the store. Well, let me tell you…it really wasn’t even a competition- this was hands down the winner! Saved and definitely making again!
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad that you & your husband enjoyed the gravy, Amanda! Thanks for the great feedback!
Daveigh Jones
The aroma, the appearance, and most of all, the FLAVOR were knocked out of the ballpark! Thank you, Cadry! This is definitely being added to my rotation!
Cadry Nelson
Thank you, Daveigh! I’m delighted you enjoyed it!
Shell
Such an easy way to make gravy for the holidays…..or anytime! Delicious, too!
Cadry Nelson
That’s great to hear. Thanks, Shell!
David
Yum – fantastic! This is so easy and delicious.
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!