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This vegan mushroom gravy is rich, savory, and made in one pot with button mushrooms, onion, garlic, and a simple flour roux. It’s vegan, budget-friendly, and ready to pour over a big bowl of vegan mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any weeknight dinner.
It takes just 9 simple ingredients, and it stores and reheats well, so you can make it ahead and have one less thing to do on the big day. Planning your holiday menu? Find more ideas in my vegan Thanksgiving recipes.
Quick Glance
- Recipe Name: Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- Why You’ll Love It: One pot, 9 simple ingredients, and big savory flavor from mushrooms and onion.
- Time and Difficulty: Easy, about 35 minutes start to finish.
- Main Ingredients: Button mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic, flour, oil, and vegetable broth.
- Method: Sauté the vegetables, stir in flour to make a roux, then whisk in broth and simmer until thick.
- Texture and Flavor: Thick, savory, and chunky with little bits of mushroom and onion.
- Quick Tip: Brown the mushrooms first for even deeper flavor.
What Makes It So Good | Ingredients | How to Make It | Tips | Variations | What to Serve | Storage | FAQs
What Makes This Mushroom Gravy So Good
This rich, savory gravy may just steal the show at your holiday table, and there’s no reason to save it for Thanksgiving. Here’s why I love this vegan mushroom gravy recipe:
- One pot: The vegetables, the roux, and the finished gravy all cook in a single saucepan.
- Budget-friendly: Button mushrooms are affordable and easy to find, and everything else is a pantry staple.
- Better than store-bought: It’s so much more flavorful than the store-bought vegan gravy I’ve tried, and it costs less, too.
- Make-ahead friendly: It keeps well in the fridge and reheats in minutes, so it’s one less thing to worry about on the day.
- Easy to adapt: Make it gluten-free, use dried mushrooms, or blend it smooth.
Want a gravy without mushrooms, too? My easy vegan gravy made with vegetable broth comes together in about 10 minutes, so you can make both and give everyone options.
Mushroom Gravy Ingredients
You only need 9 simple ingredients for this homemade mushroom gravy. You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- Vegetable oil: Cooks the vegetables and combines with the flour to make the roux that thickens the gravy.
- Yellow onion: Adds a little sweetness and lots of savory flavor. Dice it small so it softens quickly.
- Button mushrooms: They’re affordable, easy to find, and full of umami. Cremini mushrooms work well, too. If you love mushrooms as much as I do, try my sauteed mushrooms with garlic and thyme.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the best flavor.
- Bay leaves and dried oregano: These give the gravy its classic holiday aroma. The bay leaves come out before you add the flour.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the gravy. Use a gluten-free flour blend to make it gluten-free.
- Vegetable broth: This is the base of the gravy, so use a broth you like the taste of. Vegetable bouillon mixed with water works, too, and I like no-chicken bouillon for a richer flavor.
- Ground pepper: Season to taste once the broth is in.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Before you start, dice the onion, finely chop the mushrooms, and mince the garlic. Clean the mushrooms with a lightly damp paper towel instead of washing them. Here’s a quick overview, and you’ll find the full instructions in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tender. Remove the bay leaves.
Step 2: Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to form a thick paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden.
PRO TIP: For deeper mushroom flavor, cook the mushrooms in a dry pan first, with no oil, until they release their liquid and start to brown. Don’t stir them too much. This takes 10 to 15 minutes. Then continue with step 1.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Using cornstarch: Whisk the cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of water until it’s smooth, then stir it into the gravy and cook, stirring, until it thickens. This only takes a few minutes.
- For a smooth gravy: I love this chunky mushroom gravy as is. If you prefer it smooth, blend it with an immersion blender and add a splash of extra broth if needed.
- The color will vary: It depends on the vegetable broth and the mushrooms you use.
- To save time: Pre-chopped mushrooms from the store make prep even faster.
- For a thinner gravy: Use a little less flour, or stir a few Tablespoons of water into the finished gravy.
Make This Recipe Your Own
- Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage all work well. Use one or all, to taste.
- Soy sauce: Adds a deeper color, a little saltiness, and more umami. Use tamari for a gluten-free gravy.
- A little heat: Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Nutritional yeast: A spoonful adds a nutty, cheesy layer of flavor.
- Miso: Stir in a teaspoon of white miso for even more umami.
- A deeper brown color: A little Kitchen Bouquet darkens the gravy. Some people use a spoonful of instant coffee powder instead, but I haven’t tested that.
- Oil-free: Sauté the vegetables in a splash of broth or water, skip the flour, and thicken the gravy with a cornstarch slurry instead. I haven’t tested this version.
What to Serve with Mushroom Gravy
I could pour this vegan mushroom sauce over almost anything savory! Here are my favorite ways to serve it:
- Holiday sides: Serve it with a homemade green bean casserole, vegan stuffing, easy mushroom stuffing, and roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries.
- Holiday mains: Pour it over slices of vegan lentil loaf, or serve it next to my roasted vegan cauliflower steaks.
- Potatoes: There’s no wrong way to have gravy and potatoes, from rosemary roasted potatoes to baked potatoes to crispy garlic baked potato wedges for a poutine-inspired plate.
- Biscuits: Switch up classic vegan biscuits and gravy by pouring this gravy over fluffy vegan buttermilk biscuits, sweet potato biscuits, or butternut squash sage biscuits.
- Weeknight mains: Enjoy it with vegan sausages or vegan lentil meatballs.
- Savory pies: Spoon it over mini vegan pot pies or a vegan lentil shepherd’s pie.
How to Store and Reheat
- Fridge: Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, following the USDA leftovers guidelines.
- Freezer: Freeze it in a freezer safe container or a Stasher bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave. It thickens as it sits, so stir in a splash of vegetable broth or water to bring it back to your favorite consistency.
Vegan Mushroom Gravy FAQs
This gravy gets most of its flavor from the broth, so I don’t recommend plain water. If you’re out of broth, dissolve vegetable bouillon in water and use the same amount of liquid the recipe calls for.
Yes! Use a gluten-free flour blend for the roux, or thicken the gravy with a cornstarch slurry instead. If you add soy sauce or miso, choose versions labeled gluten-free.
I like button mushrooms because they’re affordable and easy to find. Cremini mushrooms are my second favorite since they’re meaty and hold their shape. Baby bella, portobello, porcini, or shiitake mushrooms work, too.
Yes. Rehydrate them first, ideally in the warm vegetable broth, so even more mushroom flavor goes into the gravy. Dried mushrooms give the gravy a richer, more intense flavor.
First, let it simmer a little longer. If it’s still too thin, whisk a little flour or cornstarch with water until smooth, then whisk it into the gravy and cook until it thickens. Adding dry flour straight to the gravy can make it lumpy.
More Vegan Holiday Recipes
Vegan Dinners
Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash
Vegan Side Dishes
Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes
Vegan Side Dishes
Vegan Mashed Cauliflower
Vegan Side Dishes
Vegan Dinner Rolls (Soft and Fluffy)
If you tried this vegan mushroom gravy or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy
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Ingredients
- 3 ½ Tablespoons (52 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (80 g) yellow onion diced
- ¾ cup (53 g) button mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried oregano
- 3 ½ Tablespoons (27 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 ml) rich vegetable broth
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano.
- Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tender.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to form a thick paste.
- Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the paste is golden.
- Slowly pour in the vegetable broth, stirring as you go.
- Bring the gravy to a simmer over medium heat and season with pepper.
- Gently whisk and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the gravy thickens to your liking.
Notes
- To use cornstarch instead of flour, whisk the cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of water until smooth, then stir it into the gravy and cook, stirring, until it thickens.
- For deeper mushroom flavor, cook the mushrooms in a dry pan first until they release their liquid and start to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, then continue with step 1.
- For a smooth gravy, blend it with an immersion blender and add a splash of extra broth if needed.
- For a thinner gravy, stir in 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating.
- Thank you to Jake for developing this recipe!
I made this for dinner last night, and my husband loved it from the first bite. He gave it a 10/10. I enjoyed it very much, too.
That is so awesome! So glad you guys enjoyed this mushroom gravy 🙂