Vegan Biscuits and Gravy
Nothing says breakfast like some delicious homemade vegan biscuits and gravy. With gravy made of tasty mushrooms, this can become the comfort food you have every week.
This vegan biscuits and gravy recipe is made from scratch with basic pantry ingredients. This southern-style breakfast recipe may be enjoyed by both vegans and vegetarians alike.
This is a small-batch recipe that serves two. But it’s easy to scale up to make as many as you’d like. I’ve made an even larger batch before so they can be even thicker.
The vegan biscuit gravy is rich, creamy and made in minutes from mushrooms, spices and soy milk. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to make one of the best vegan comfort foods.
Key tips to follow
Important tips for making vegan biscuits
1. Use frozen butter. To get those flaky layers in your biscuits, it’s crucial to keep the butter as cold as possible. If you live in a humid environment, then you could place the flour in the freezer for a few minutes too.
2. Choose a vegan stick butter or margarine NOT the spreadable kind that are sold in tubs. The soft spread doesn’t get hard enough when frozen and melts quicker at room temperature.
3. Be quick but gentle. Overworking the dough could make it tough.
Touching the dough too much with your hands could soften the butter. Use a pastry blender or two butter knives to quickly cut the butter into pea-sized chunks.
4. Press straight down when using a cutter. Do NOT twist. Twisting the cutter could mess up the layers and result in uneven biscuits.
5. Gradually add the liquid. Add as much liquid as the flour needs. You may not use all the vegan buttermilk in this recipe or you may use a bit more. Use just enough to bring the dough together without making it sticky.
Important tips when making country-style gravy with mushrooms
1. Cook the flour until lightly browned before adding the soy milk. This will reduce the starchy or flour taste in the gravy.
2. Gradually add the soy milk while stirring quickly to reduce lumps.
Ingredients you’ll need
All-purpose flour – Used for making the biscuits and to thicken the gravy.
Baking powder – Helps the biscuits to rise.
Dairy-free butter or margarine – Use vegan butter sticks for the biscuits. A soft spread is ok to use for the gravy.
Soy milk – Used in both the biscuits for moisture and to make the gravy
Vinegar – When combined with soy milk, it makes vegan buttermilk. The acidity of the vinegar with the baking powder also helps the biscuits rise.
Mushrooms – Adds flavor to the gravy when browned in a pan. Use canned or fresh brown mushrooms.
Vegetable bouillon seasoning – Adds extra flavor to the mushrooms and sauce.
Thyme – Fresh is better but dried also works.
Black pepper to taste – Country-style gravy usually has a lot of black pepper but use as much as you desire.
How to make Vegan Biscuits and Gravy
First, make the biscuits:
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl (detailed recipe and video below)
- Cut the vegan butter into the flour.
- Combine the soy milk and vinegar then gradually add to the flour until a dough forms.
- Turn out the dough on a surface, roll then cut out the biscuits.
- Bake in a preheated oven until browned.
Make the mushroom gravy:
- Brown the mushrooms in a hot pan with butter.
- Gradually stir in the flour and cook until browned.
- Gradually stir in the milk and add the seasonings.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally.
Recipe Variations or Substitutions
No soy milk – Use cashew, almond or coconut milk instead.
Vegan sausage gravy – Try Beyond Meat or Lightlife vegan sausages instead of mushrooms.
Gluten-free
Biscuits – You could make gluten-free biscuits instead. I haven’t tried this recipe using gluten-free flour as yet but here’s one by Minimalist Baker that you can try.
Gravy – You can use gluten-free flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce in this recipe instead. Mix a smaller amount of cornstarch with water and gradually stir into the milk.
Can the biscuits and gravy be made in advance?
Sure they can! The mushroom gravy can be made as the recipe suggests, cooled down, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Thaw the gravy in the fridge overnight. To reheat, add to a pan with a few splashes of soy milk or water and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
The vegan biscuit dough can be prepared ahead of time, rolled, cut out and placed on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover the unbaked biscuits with plastic wrap then place in the freezer for about an hour or until they are solid.
Place the unbaked biscuits in a freezer bag or airtight container. Store them frozen for up to a month.
To bake the biscuit dough from frozen, place them on a baking sheet. Thaw slightly for about 10 minutes or just enough time to preheat the oven. The butter should remain as solid as possible. Bake at 425℉ for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- Tofu scramble
- Vegan sausages
- Instant Pot Collard Greens
Instead of biscuits, the vegan gravy could be served with potatoes, savory pancakes or waffles.
Serve leftover biscuits as a side for vegetable soups.
More breakfast recipes
- High Protein Vegan Breakfast
- Savory Vegan Breakfast
- Vegan Protein Pancakes
- Steel Cut Oatmeal Toppings
Vegan Biscuits and Gravy
Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.
Ingredients
Vegan Biscuits
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted), stick or block form, frozen
- 6 tbsps (88 ml) soy milk
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar
Mushroom Gravy
- 8 oz (227 g) can of mushroom, drained (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (236 ml) soy milk
- ½ teaspoon Low Sodium Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base, (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
Vegan Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 425℉/218℃.
- Combine the soy milk with the vinegar. The milk should curdle, creating dairy-free buttermilk. Set aside.6 tbsps (88 ml) soy milk ,1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the frozen butter and using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut it into small pea-sized chunks.1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour ,1 ½ teaspoon (5 g) baking powder ,4 tablespoon (60 g) vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted)
- Gradually add the vegan buttermilk and stir until the dough starts to come together. Try not to overmix or knead.
- Lightly flour a board or clean surface and turn out the dough. Using a bench scraper or knife to shape into a rectangle. Make two envelop folds with the dough to create layers.
- Cover and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes if the butter starts to soften.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly, floured surface to 1-inch thick. Lightly flour a 2-inch cutter or rim of a glass cup. Cut out the biscuits by pressing straight down, without twisting.
- Place the biscuits close together on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or in a seasoned cast iron skillet. Brush with extra soy milk.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until browned.
Mushroom Gravy
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the mushrooms. Cook until browned.1 tablespoon vegan butter ,8 oz (227 g) can of mushroom
- Reduce the heat to low and gradually stir in the flour. Cook until lightly browned.1 tablespoon (9 g) all-purpose flour
- Gradually stir in the soy milk and add the seasonings. Cook on low heat until it thickens.1 cup (236 ml) soy milk ,½ teaspoon Low Sodium Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base ,1 teaspoon thyme ,Black pepper to taste
- Remove from the heat and serve warm with the biscuits.
Full Recipe Video
Notes
- You can also use any small brown mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake or crimini.
- Use a vegan stick butter or margarine NOT the spreadable kind that comes in a tub.
- Bouillon seasonings can be salty so additional salt might not be necessary.
- You can also use an all-purpose spice blend.
While I haven’t made the biscuits, the gravy recipe is amazing. It is savory, flavorful, and is quick to whip up. I’ve used Pillsbury Grand biscuits (if I recall it’s the Southern style that is accidentally vegan). Today I used it for filling stuffed waffles. I used 4 oz of mushrooms and included two Field Roast Breakfast Sausage patties. I broke the patties and mushrooms up together in the pan to get a dense filling. I also only used 1/2 cup of soy milk as I was afraid the waffle wouldn’t set if it was too “liquidy”. Worked perfectly and didn’t lose any flavor. This is one of our top three favorite breakfast meals! Thank you!
Wow Michele! It all looks and sounds so good! I’ve never heard of stuffed waffles but now I really want to try it. Such a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing.
I doubled the biscuit recipe and they turned out great!
Thanks Subi! Glad you liked them!