Creamy Peppered White Gravy

If you’ve only ever had white gravy or pepper gravy from a packet, then you’re in for a treat! It’s so easy to make at home, you get to control the salt content and quality of ingredients, and I know you’ll love the down-home flavor!

This recipe has been on the site for quite a long time… since January of 2015 to be exact. It was a part of a double recipe post, but you all love it so much I thought it deserved it’s very own post.

I’ve added a few tweaks to the recipe after years of tinkering, but don’t worry, the original recipe will be right below in the “Chef’s tips” section.

We love to have a little dish of this white gravy on the side to dip our fried chicken or chicken tenders in, but it’s also great with a classic comfort food recipe that’s coming up soon here on the site… country fried steak!

How to make peppered white gravy?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

These photos were taken after making country fried steak, and I opted to leave the browned bits/drippings in the pan for extra flavor. You do not have to do this; it can be made with just a clean pan and still taste amazing!

1. Add butter. Heat the pan over medium heat and melt the butter.
2. Add flour and seasonings. Whisk the flour and spices into the melted butter, until no flour streaks remain.
3. Cook. It’s important to cook the flour/butter for 1-2 minutes, otherwise your gravy could taste like uncooked flour. Whisk occasionally as it cooks.
4. Add milk. I like to add my milk about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking really well during and after each addition. This helps give you a lump-free gravy.
5. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the gravy is smooth and thickened to your liking.

Variations of this recipe

• Pan drippings – I wrote this recipe for when you DON’T have any pan drippings, but by all means, if you have some, use them!
• Garlic – sometimes I like to add a little bit of garlic powder (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) to this recipe.
• Simple – for a simple, pared down version of this recipe, omit the thyme and cayenne pepper.
• Evaporated milk – You can use an equal amount of evaporated milk for this recipe if you don’t have whole milk. You’ll want approximately 16 oz.
• Non dairy milks – I haven’t specifically tested this gravy with alternative milks like almond, soy, oat, etc, so I can’t say exactly how they’ll turn out. I would think they’d work just fine though.

Making peppered white gravy ahead of time

This gravy recipe can be made completely ahead of time if you’d like!

When gravy is refrigerated, it tends to be super thick. I suggest reheating it in a saucepan with an extra splash of milk to loosen it back up.

Freezing

You can technically freeze white gravy, however since it contains dairy, the freezing/thawing process can change the consistency and texture.

I recommend using evaporated milk if you plan to freeze this gravy, since it tends to hold up to the freezing process a bit better.

Make sure the gravy has cooled completely, then transfer to freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop, adding a bit more milk or water as needed.

Storage

White gravy should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3-4 days.