Chocolate Gravy & Biscuits

I grew up on chocolate gravy & homemade biscuits.  I’ve asked friends & workmates if they ever had chocolate gravy over a hot biscuit & they look at me like I’m crazy.

Apparently, chocolate gravy was a “regional” breakfast staple.   If you haven’t had a hot biscuit covered in chocolate gravy & topped with freshly churned butter, you have been missing out.  I’m surprised that Cracker Barrel doesn’t offer it on its breakfast menu since this restaurant chain’s roots started in middle Tennessee.

I’ve tried to find the origin of chocolate gravy.  In some research, I found that it was introduced to Appalachia by the Spanish.  Chocolate gravy could be a simpler version of Mole, a Mexican sauce, or gravy.  There are many different recipes for Mole, but one does contain cocoa & sugar, which gives the gravy a darker, richer taste.  

Are any households still serving up hot chocolate gravy with biscuits for breakfast? Modern breakfast now is yogurt, granola, or reduced sugar foods & I haven’t cooked a natural “homemade” biscuit since leaving the farm.  

If you’d like to try it, Southern Living has this recipe which mirrors how we made it at home:

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Dash of salt

2 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons butter

Sift the dry ingredients together & add to the melted butter in your cast iron skillet.  Add the milk in a slow, steady stream stirring until smooth.  Cook over medium heat until gravy thickens. 

And here’s the important part, the chocolate gravy has to be served over hot, flaky, homemade biscuits!

Enjoy!