This super simple vegan gravy recipe is rich, flavorful, and tastes like the real thing! It’s the perfect accompaniment to your mashed potatoes, and a must on your holiday table!

The weather has begun to cool, and the feel of autumn is in the air. This time of year I start craving comfort food, like vegan mashed potatoes and gravy!
My family is all too happy to oblige my obsession, especially my husband!
I’m getting an early start on my holiday meal planning, and this recipe is definitely making the cut for our Vegan Thanksgiving Meal Plan! I’ll also include my vegan cornbread dressing and vegan sweet potato casserole! This gravy is also delicious to serve with my vegan dairy-free biscuits for a special comfort food breakfast!
Honestly, I don’t think it could be Thanksgiving without a side of vegan gravy!
I can envision my mom leaning over the stove top whisking together a gravy using the juices from the turkey by adding a little cornstarch.
This recipe is authentic, super simple, and plant-based! While it includes a good number of ingredients, I guarantee, if you’re a vegan, you likely have all of these ingredients in your fridge and pantry already.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Easy Vegan Gravy
- Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas
- Smooth and flavorful
- Tastes authentic
- Omnivore approved!
- Savory comfort food at its best!
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
- Shallots have a more delicate flavor than onion, but both will work.
- Garlic adds loads of flavor.
- Vegan Butter is used to sauté the onion and garlic and gives this recipe a luscious creaminess. If you want to skip the butter, sauté the onion and garlic in vegetable broth.
- Tahini is often used in hummus, but it’s also perfect for this recipe. It is made from ground sesame seeds. It has an ultra-creamy texture that gives this sauce what it needs to thicken up without the need for all-purpose flour or cornstarch.
- Soy Sauce is used for a touch of saltiness. You can also use tamari as a gluten-free option. No additional salt is needed.
- Maple Syrup adds a touch of sweetness.
- Vegetable Broth helps thin out the gravy.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce gives it that savory authentic flavor. You only need 2 tablespoons.
- Thyme is a seasonal herb perfect for the holidays. It has a subtle flavor and originates from the mint family. I used dried thyme in this recipe.
- Rosemary is another seasonal herb, that brings out the flavors of the gravy.
- Nutmeg is used in its ground form, and rounds out the seasoning.
For complete directions and quantities scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card.
📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Finely chop scallion and garlic. Add vegan butter to a saucepan on medium heat. Allow butter to melt. Add scallions and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until soft.
Step 2: Add tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, vegetable broth, and spices. Stir together to combine.
Step 3: Bring to a boil, whisking consistently so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat. If the gravy is too thick add a touch more vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached. Serve warm!
💭 Expert Tips
- Whisk your ingredients together, and remove from heat when it starts to bubble.
- Gravy will thicken as it sits. If you like a thinner consistency, whisk in a touch more vegetable broth until you reach your desired consistency.
- If you have fresh herbs, you can use those in place of the dried herbs, but you will want to double the amount you use. Instead of ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, use 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme. Fresh herbs are less fragrant than dried herbs.
- Make in advance and freeze. If your Thanksgiving day is packed with making other recipes, you can make this recipe in advance and either freeze or refrigerate it. Then reheat when you’re ready to serve dinner!
❓ Recipe FAQS
Depending on the recipe, it can be made with a variety of ingredients. However, it is never made with animal ingredients. Instead, substitutes are used such as tahini for thickness and richness, soy sauce for saltiness and to thin it out, and vegan Worcestershire sauce to give it a savory gravy-like flavor. Some gravies use mushrooms to give the gravy a meaty flavor.
The only gravy that vegans eat are those that are labeled vegan. All regular gravies are made with some sort of animal stock as a starter, whether that’s chicken, turkey, or beef. None of these are vegan compliant. So, if you’re buying gravy from the store, look at the label, and be sure that is labeled vegan.
If you don’t want to make your own vegan or vegetarian gravy, there are substitutes you can use instead. I suggest vegan butter or using plain non-dairy yogurt. Add some spices, and seasoning to give it a savory flavor to add to your favorite dishes.
Yes, you can freeze this recipe! Transfer to an airtight container. Label with the date and contents. When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to defrost, then follow reheating instructions above. If you don’t have time to defrost, no worries! Simply transfer the contents to the stovetop and allow it to defrost and reheat. This will just take a little extra time. Keep it in the freezer for 2-3 months.
👩🏻🍳 How to Serve Vegan Gravy
There are so many ways to serve your vegan gravy! As mentioned above, mashed potatoes are a classic. You could also serve this recipe with my chickpea meatballs, meatless meatloaf, or as a dip for air fryer potato wedges!
❄️ How to Store, Keep and Reheat
Store and Keep: Transfer the gravy to an airtight container, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: When you’re ready to reheat your gravy, transfer it to a saucepan. If the gravy is too thick, whisk in some vegetable stock. It will thicken as it cools in the fridge but will melt back down when reheated.
😋 More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes!
Please comment below if you found this article helpful or have any additional questions. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Gravy
Ingredients
- ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon rosemary dried
- ⅔ cups tahini
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Finely chop scallion and garlic. Add vegan butter to saucepan on medium heat. Allow butter to melt. Add scallions and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until soft.Top Tips for Making the Best Vegan Gravy
- Add tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, vegetable broth, and spices. Whisk together to combine.
- Bring to a boil, whisking consistently so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat. If gravy is too thick add a touch more vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached. Serve warm!
Video
Notes
- Whisk your ingredients together, and remove from heat when it starts to bubble.
- Gravy will thicken as it sits. If you like a thinner consistency, whisk in a touch more vegetable broth until you reach your desired consistency.
- If you have fresh herbs, you can use those in place of the dried herbs, but you will want to double the amount you use. Instead of ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, use 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme. Fresh herbs are less fragrant than dried herbs.
- Make in advance and freeze. If your Thanksgiving day is packed with making other recipes, you can make this recipe in advance and either freeze or refrigerate it. Then reheat when you’re ready to serve dinner!
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Michelle
Delicious! I love the shallots and rosemary in this recipe. They really take it to the next level.
Jess
This is such a great alternative to have on our Thanksgiving table for some of my family members to enjoy. Love that it uses Tahini.
Angela
A great recipe! The tahini was a surprise.
Nathan
My roommates are all vegan, so this gravy recipe could DEFINITELY come in handy for catering to all of our diets!
Shanna
Everything you added to this is so yummy! I can’t wait until I can whip up some mashed potatoes and try it again.