Southern Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

This is an old fashioned - vintage chocolate gravy that taste just like a warm chocolate sauce. This delicious chocolate gravy is served over homemade buttermilk biscuits. 
This recipe really brings me back to my childhood. Anytime I mention Southern Chocolate Gravy to people they don't know what the heck I'm talking about. Mom always made SOS gravy (browned hamburger mixed with a cream gravy similar to sausage gravy) and biscuits for my dad. I didn't like it, but my dad is a military man so I can understand his love for it.  

Mom always told us kids that we couldn't leave the table until we cleaned our plates. Ugh when we had SOS it never happened for me. I just couldn't eat that stuff. There were many of mornings that I sat at the breakfast table with my plate un touched. Mom finally gave in and let me up, but she was not happy about it one bit. 

To my surprise one morning my mom prepared Chocolate Gravy with Buttermilk Biscuits and it was love at first site!!!! from that day on my mother made SOS for my dad and her delicious chocolaty gravy for us kids. 

Every weekend my eyes would light up when I would see hot biscuits and a big pot of Chocolate Gravy gracing our breakfast table. I could never get to the table fast enough to dig in. 

I told my husband about my moms famous Chocolate Gravy only for him to turn his nose up to it along with my children. They thought I was crazy and I thought to myself what's wrong with these people don't they know a good thing when they hear it.

Oh well I prepared it for them whether they liked it or not. The thought that crossed my mind was "if they don't eat then I know I will" I made the chocolaty gravy and had my daughter help me in the kitchen.

I baked up some homemade biscuits and said who wants some??????? what did I hear? silence!!! It was at that moment that I truly thought they were all nuts. I made myself a bowl and gave my husband a taste and he said that's pretty good. To my surprise there stood my daughter with a cute little smile on her face asking if she could have a taste.  

I gave her a bite and a bit of a grin popped up on her face... hmmm does she like it???? Do you like it? That's good mom and so chocolaty. Off to the kitchen she she went breaking up biscuits and dumping chocolate gravy all over the top.

Mackenzie ran upstairs to tell her older brother to go and get some of this chocolaty stuff mom made for breakfast. My oldest son Travis said yuck!!! Mackenzie said just taste it.

Who do you think came running down the stairs to get a bowl? If they would of just listened to me in the first place. I yelled hey I thought you said this stuff was gross. All I heard from the top of the stairs was this is good mom can you make it again? My heart smiled!!!! 

Now let's get started and I will show you how to make this delicious chocolate gravy. I hope y our family loves it as much as mine. 

These are the ingredients you'll need: all purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder (baking cocoa), butter (not margarine), vanilla extract and milk (not pictured)


Start by adding all the dry ingredients to a medium sized pot.


add the milk

and whisk the dry ingredients together with the milk. Bring bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and stir constantly to prevent the mixture from scorching. The mixture will start to thicken up. 

Once the mixture thickens, remove from heat and add the butter and the vanilla extract. Mix until the butter is melted and well blended. Serve over hot buttermilk biscuits.


Split the biscuits in half and pour that delicious chocolate gravy on top or break the biscuits into pieces. If you need a great Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe Click Here for my favorite Buttermilk Biscuits every time. If you're in a hurry these homemade Skillet Buttermilk Biscuits are just as good.



Southern Chocolate Gravy
(mommyskitchen.net}

Ingredients:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 - heaping tablespoons flour (I use white lily)
1 - heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 - cups milk
1 - tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 - teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Add all the dry ingredients to a medium sized pot.

Add the milk, using a whisk combine the dry ingredients with the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low and stir constantly to prevent the mixture from scorching.

The mixture will start to thicken up. When it thickens remove from heat, add the butter and the vanilla extract. Mix well until the butter is melted and everything is blended together. 

Pour the hot chocolate gravy over split homemade buttermilk biscuits. I like tear my biscuits into pieces first and then add them to a bowl and pour the chocolate gravy all over the biscuits.

If you want to be really evil, butter your biscuits first and then pour on the gravy. Lordy it's sinful, but so good.

Cooks Note: If by chance your gravy is not at the consistency that you want. You can mix a bit of flour and milk together and add it to the boiling chocolate mixture to thicken it as much as you like. Some people like their chocolate gravy a bit thin and some a bit thicker.

Servings: 4

39 comments

Starwoodgal said…
Folks! If you've never experienced Chocolate Gravy, you MUST try it. Like, um, now.

Thanks to Mommy's Kitchen for the recipe. :) I love this stuff.
JUSWUNDOG AND Q CAFE' said…
Seeing this brings a very warm feeling to my heart. I am the middle child of three boys. We all enjoyed the Chocolate biscuits our mother made for us from small children up until she passed away this past March. I am now 55. I have had a wonderful life of chocolate biscuits. Even after reaching adulthood we would go to her house every Saturday and she would make them. We called it the C&B Club. My wife and I are reopening our Gourmet Footlong-bbq Cafe and will have Chocolate biscuits as a dessert option. This being done to keep a part of mom with me and to share with others. Love your site..and will visit again!!......
Tina Butler said…
That is such a wonderful story. I remember my mother to making biscuits and chocolate gravy. I now make it for my children. That is what it is all about, passing on wonderful traditions from out parents to our children. I am so happy to hear you will be serving it as a menu item at your cafe. You mom would be proud.
Anonymous said…
My mom made this, my grandmother made this and my great grand mother made this. Now my brother sister and I all make it for our families !!!!!!

4 generations loving it. We take the left over gravy and refridgerate it and put whipped cream on top for a delicious dessert.

It's a French dish. One of these days I'll remember the French name.

DWarter@q.com
Aleksss said…
I just made a batch of homemade biscuits with this chocolate gravy today for breakfast... and seriously, I can't believe how I had a life WITHOUT knowing this.
This was truly divine and I will be definitely making it again!!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
AikoArt said…
I made some chocolate gravy for Valentine's day & it was fantastic. It tastes like warm chocolate pudding over my biscuits. I had to resist eating it by the bowlful by itself. Thanks for another great recipe!
Anonymous said…
I'm so surprised to see a receipe for chocolate gravy. My husband and his father's side of the family was raised on it and has been making it for years. Now since his dad has passed on he is passing on the tradition to our kids. Renae
Anonymous said…
Today is the first day of school for my kids and I always try to make something fun and special for breakfast. When I first read this recipe I was a bit turned off by the thought of it, but figured that my kids would love it.

It was a HUGE hit and I have to say that even as a grown-up I think it's pretty good! We definetly had a special breakfast.

Thanks for sharing.
Anonymous said…
I made this for my daughter and niece the morning after their first slumber party together at our house (they're 3 and 2). They gobbled it down, and my daughter thought it was so neat I gave her chocolate for breakfast!
Lana Chiasson said…
I made this dish this morning. Since my mom and granny died, I have to make all of my comfort foods. I am so glad that you posted this recipe and Sun Tea! OMG, I haven't had that since I was a little girl. We live in South Louisiana and my mom was from Texas, so if I want my favorites, I have to make them. Thanks!
Tina Butler said…
Your welcome Lana. Isn't it great how comfort food makes you feel. I love all the memories it brings back. Not alot of folks like or agree with sun tea, but I am still standing so I will still make it. Can't wait for summer to roll around.
Tina Butler said…
You must not be from the south cause it aint no disgrace to eat chocolate gravy over buttermilk biscuits. Just ask my grandmother or ask any Southerner. They will tell ya the same thing. The biscuit itself is not sweet, it is a buttermilk buscuit. And they are a staple of every meal in the south not just pot roast.
Wendy said…
I was beginning to think my mom was the only one who made this stuff. I grew up in the south as did my mom and her mom, etc and none of my southern friends had chocolate gravy until they came to my house. My mom always used water instead of milk and it was always made in an iron skillet. I still do it that way. I think it just ends up a little darker but still delish.
I have never heard of this before!! I'm not from the south, but did spend a couple of childhood years there. I think I will have to give this a try. My husband LOVES Sausage Biscuits and Gravy so I wonder if he will like this for a change.... Thanks for sharing!
Southern Sunshine said…
We too grew up with chocolate gravy and biscuits. My great nieces and nephews insist I make it everytime they visit and believe me, since they've grown, I've had to double up my batch. . Even the adults want to know when I am making it so they can get a bite or two. We never have any left overs. I use boiling water instead of milk and it gives it a rich, dark chocolate flavor. I also add a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients. They prefer the darker chocolate to milk chocolate. What a great Saturday morning breakfast along with some smokey links or bacon. They love it!
Great post! My mama and grandmama used to make this too. We call it "chocolate sop." Their gravy was basically a boiled fudge icing that never set - rich and chocolatey. So good, I think I want to go make some now! Thanks for sharing.
PlanetGirlie said…
Have you tried using Nestle (the powder kids use for their chocolate milk)?? It's alot sweeter!!!!
Anonymous said…
I called it "Chocolate Pudding" and left it thicker - for some reason the kids liked it better. It's all in the name ! :)
Priscilla said…
Chocolate Gravy!!!

I never had chocolate gravy until I was married, my husband's grandparents living in West Virigina all their lives & it was one of the foods they made. Our family now makes chocolate gravy as a special treat for a birthday breakfast or whenever else we want it. We make our gravy with water. I'm not sure we put vanilla in our recipe. I'll have to get it out & compare :)
tonya said…
When I first saw this recipe a while back it certainly interested me, but I was also a little skeptical. Just wasn't sure about chocolate on my biscuits. Well, I just didn't know what I was missing!! I took the plunge & made this for my family w/ your buttermilk biscuit recipe. To say we were pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Yummy!!! Sending recipe to MIL & SIL right now!
Tonya isn't it such a delicious surprise? My kids love that stuff just as much as I did as a child. I'm glad you liked it enough to pass on the recipe. Thanks :)
Shannon CM said…
I would like to make this in a LARGE batch for my co workers.And tips on pot stove reheating? We don't have access to a microwave at work.
missysuelou said…
Oh my goodness, my husband grew up on this. The family friend's that had the recipe had given me a copy and I had somehow lost it over the years. Thank you so much. I stumbled across your site through a few other sites. Sure Glad I did!!!! :)
Anonymous said…
Shannon, what about a crockpot?
southern girl said…
My grandmother made chocolate and biscuits for her 7 children when they were growing up. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with her during the summers and she would make it for me, except I had toast instead of biscuits. You were instructed to put a small pat of butter on your plate, pour the chocolate over, mix and sop with toast. If I got lucky, there would be link sausage which is divine when dipped in chocolate! No matter how many times I watched her make it, I could never get it to taste the same. Of course she was a cook who never measured anything! I have a couple of aunts who "claim" to know how to cook it like Mema, but it's not the same. I am thrilled to get your recipe which looks the most like what I remember and plan on cooking it tomorrow. Hopefully, my family will love it just as much as I do. If not, that's ok. I'm sure I'll be able to finish it. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Beverly
Anonymous said…
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jerrie said…
O my how i remember the days when my momma made this for us kids,i thought no one ever made it anymore.I loved it one of my favorites.I will say your receipes remind me alot of my mommas :)
Anonymous said…
You brought a smile to my face... remembering helping Mama in the kitchen, making Chocolate. (We didn't refer to it as gravy... just Chocolate.) Try butter over that hot biscuit before pouring on the Chocolate Gravy!!!!
Jamie Lee said…
This has been a recipe in my family for years from my great grandma, and its amazing!!!! Might have to make this for breakfast!!!
Anonymous said…
I remember having this as a child with homemade bisquits, sooooo good, my mom and grandmom made it, I make it now but doesn't taste like it did when they made it!!
Tina Butler said…
Anonymous,
everything taste better when mom and grandma make it. It's a true fact. :)
Anonymous said…
Thank you for this, I used to think I had just dreamt that my grandma used to make biscuits and chocolate gravy for me when I was a little girl. None of my cousins could remember her doing that, and said I must have imagined it, they never heard of chocolate gravy. Well, now I know those mornings in Mobile Al, weren't imaginary, Grandma did make biscuits and chocolate gravy for me, humm, maybe just for me, haha. Can't wait to make this. Thanks again!
Unknown said…
I can not tell you how exciting I am to see this recipe! My dad, soon to be 71, has been asking everyone he knows for YEARS if they know how to make chocolate gravy. I guess his mom or grandma made it when he was a kid and he's never found anyone else that did it! I'm calling him right now! Thanks TONS!
http://OTasteAndSeeBlog.com
36duck said…
Miss Tina hit it on the head with this one. This is southern chocolate gravy. You go to the hills of Alabama and surrounding area and most will know this gravy we grew up with it. Note, if you use water instead of milk its not chocolate gravy. most use the butter at the end but it's hit or miss on the vanilla, my daddy and mau mau always used the vanilla. Most don't look up the nutritional value this gravy actually has and is overlooked. Good eats people love this web site.
Unknown said…
Oh My Goodness!!! We've had this as far back as I remember. It's not too often I find someone who know what I'm talking about. I'm not sure who introduced it to my dad's side of the family, but on my mom's side it went back for numerous generations. Did you know it used to be made with water, milk was very hard to come by unless you had your own cow. We always called it Cocoa but my dad's side called it Chocolate gravy. And not everyone could make it. It seemed like they would watch or write it down cause none of us used written amts
. We just added till it looked right. But some would never quite have the right taste. If you could make the cocoa like grandma then you were elevated in stature, lol
Anonymous said…
This makes me miss my mom, and smile. It feels like yesterday that I was begging her to make her famous chocolate gravy and biscuits. She made it on special occasions, it was my favorite. Thank you for the recipe!
Millie said…
Millie

This recipe sounds like what my mom used to make a deep dish pie(like a cobbler but usually 4-5 layers thick in a round pan similar to a cake pan with no tube in the middle.

She mixed these ingredients (except we had Pet Milk mixed with water, instead of whole milk)
and cooked as this recipe describes.

Then she used this 'gravy' and layered it with a a homemade pie dough. Baked in the oven until that layer had risen, cooked and browned. She would then remove it from the oven, Add another layer of 'gravy' and some butter
before adding another layer of the dough.

She'd repeat this at least 4 maybe 5 times until we had what she called A Chocolate Pie that was about 3 to 3 1/2 inch tall when completed.

Mom was a great cook but this was by far my most favorite dessert when I was growing up. Better than German chocolate cake, better than pound cake, better than anything was mom's chocolate pie.

Mom died at 77 2 years ago and I have been so unhappy because I never learned how to make this and nobody in my whole family knew how.

I will be buying ingredients tomorrow to make one of these.

I am so excited.

from Andalusia, Al
food recipe said…
I remember when I was a child I found biscuit making so fascinating.lol to see some dough turn into lovely baked biscuits. Nice Recipe

Regard’s
Amy Winchester @foodrecipe.org