Easy vegan turkey gravy

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.

In this post:

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.

This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. 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.

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.

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

Keep any leftover gravy in an airtight 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.

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.

📖 Recipe

Easy vegan turkey gravy

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 10 votes

This pantry-friendly gravy is great for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. But it's simple enough, you can easily make it for a weekday dinner. It's delicious over a pile of mashed potatoes, or serve with vegan chick'n strips for dunking.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: christmas recipe, holidays, thanksgiving recipe

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.

Notes

Substitution ideas

If you’d prefer, you can use vegetable broth or stock instead of water + bouillon.

Herbs de Provence or thyme can be replaced with a pinch of dried rosemary, marjoram, poultry seasoning, or rubbed sage. (Don’t go too heavy on the sage. It can overwhelm.)

If you don’t have nutritional yeast, it can be omitted.

For a soy free gravy, omit the tamari. Note that the gravy won’t be as brown in color.

How to store and freeze leftovers

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.

To freeze, put cold gravy into a freezer-safe container or bag. It will keep in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.

When you’re ready to use it, thaw in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on the microwave. (If defrosting in the microwave, be sure to use a microwave-safe container.)

Stir frequently for even reheating. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water, broth, or non-dairy milk.

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Nutrition

Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg