Super Fast Vegan Brown Gravy Recipe

🧄 Vegan Brown Gravy Ingredients

The Fat 

A proper delicious gravy needs fat to not only make the roux perform nicely but also to carry the deep gravy flavors onto your anxiously awaiting tastebuds. I like making this recipe with vegan butter the most. Probably my top recommendations are Earth Balance buttery sticks (which are conveniently pre-measured), Melt, and the vegan butter from Trader Joe’s which is nice and cheap. You can also use the butter I teach in my vegan dairy crash course.

Otherwise, any other plant-based oil will work, but I’d recommend either olive oil or refined coconut oil as the best substitutes.

All-Purpose Flour (or Gluten-Free Flour)

Flour serves as the thickening agent in this gravy, forming the base for a silky consistency. All-purpose flour is common in gravies, but if you’re gluten-free, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works just as well. Just avoid using a GF flour blend that contains a lot of rice flour (or worse: brown rice flour) in it, as that will make the consistency a little less smooth.

Poultry Seasoning

Despite the name, poultry seasoning contains no animal products. If you can’t find it, just mix together equal parts sage, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground rosemary, and use that in the recipe instead.

Unsalted Vegetable Broth

I wrote this vegetarian gravy recipe with unsalted stock because it allows you to control the saltiness to your taste more easily. If you can’t find completely unsalted stock at your local grocery store, just cut back a little on the tamari, but beware that your gravy will have a slightly paler color. I like to make my own stock by just boiling carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and a couple of bay leaves and peppercorns until limp and lifeless, and then straining out and discarding the veggies.

Mushroom Powder (optional, but awesome)

Mushroom powder is made from finely ground dried shiitake mushrooms and sometimes porcini mushrooms too, and gives the gravy an extra layer of earthy, umami flavor. It’s a great addition if you want a richer, more robust taste. If you don’t have mushroom powder, you can substitute it with a dash of vegetarian oyster sauce, which I always keep on hand for making recipes like mie goreng and Lao papaya salad.

Another option is to add some sliced fresh mushrooms to the gravy once it's smoothly whisked together first.

📖 How to make this easy vegan gravy recipe

Nail this glorious brown goodness on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.

Step One

Kanga Roux Court:

In a medium saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. After 90 seconds, once the butter is melted, add the flour and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the mixture turns a golden brown, creating a smooth roux.

Step Two

Stock Options:

If you’re using mushroom powder, fresh rosemary, or minced garlic, add them now and stir to incorporate. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes over medium heat until the flavors are fully developed.

Step Three

Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels:

Gradually whisk in the vegetable stock to the roux. Keep stirring to avoid lumps, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to a gravy-like consistency.

Step Four

Mr. Whiskers:

Add the tamari, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stir well to blend in the seasonings, and let the gravy simmer for an additional 5 minutes over medium-low heat to get the consistency just right.

✅ If the gravy is too thin, simply continue to simmer, whisking occasionally until it’s to your liking. If the gravy is too thick, you can thin it by whisking in an extra splash of stock or plain water.

Step Five

The Niagara Falls of Gravy:

Once the gravy is at your desired thickness and flavor, remove it from heat and serve immediately over your favorite proteins (like the vegan corned beef pictured here, or some vegan schnitzel).