Evaporated Milk Gravy

This evaporated milk gravy is rich, smooth, and ultra-creamy. The recipe is easy to make with a handful of ingredients and tastes delicious with sausage and biscuits, roasted turkey, steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and more!

Creamy gravy with evaporated milk

Can you make gravy with evaporated milk? Yes!

Evaporated milk may seem a strange addition to gravy. But if you enjoy Southern cuisine, you may know biscuits and sausage gravy.

This delicious dish uses evaporated milk to create a rich and thick gravy with a velvety mouthfeel and creamy texture.

My version is essentially a sausage gravy without sausage.

I’ve seen this type of gravy also called country gravy, white gravy, or sawmill gravy.

Either way, it’s delicious with biscuits, sausage, fried chicken, any roast, and mashed potatoes.

It’s so easy to make, and I just know you’ll love the down-home flavor!

Ingredients

Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient measurements in this evaporated milk gravy recipe.

• Butter adds richness and a velvety texture to the gravy. Butter is also essential to form the roux, which thickens the sauce. Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
• Fat drippings from any type of roasted meat (optional): If you have a roast going on, save some of the pan drippings and add them to the gravy for extra flavor. But don’t worry if you don’t have any pan drippings – the sauce will still taste amazing!
• All-purpose flour makes the base of the roux combined with the butter.
• Broth: Prepare this easy gravy recipe with turkey broth, chicken broth, or beef broth. Alternatively, you can also use water and bouillon cubes.
• Evaporated milk makes the sauce super creamy and velvety. You need a regular 12 oz can.
• Onion powder adds extra flavor to the gravy and incorporates smoothly into the sauce.
• Salt + pepper are the seasoning for this recipe and enhance the taste of the gravy.

How to make gravy with evaporated milk

1. Add butter

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter and pan drippings (if using).

2. Add flour and spices

Stir the flour and salt, pepper, and onion powder into the melted butter until no flour streaks remain.

3. Cook roux

Cook the flour-butter mixture for 1-2 minutes to remove the taste of uncooked flour. Whisk occasionally as it cooks.

4. Add liquids

Slowly add the evaporated milk and broth. Whisk well.

5. Simmer gravy

Whisking frequently, bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the gravy is creamy, smooth, and thickened to your liking.

Cooking tips

• Add cold liquids: As I explain in my roux tutorial, you want to add the broth and evaporated milk cold. The sauce will turn out smoother if the liquids have time to heat up slowly as opposed to adding hot liquids onto the roux.
• Adjust salt and pepper: Season the gravy with salt and pepper according to your taste. Especially when using roast dripping, you want to taste the gravy first because the flavor will depend on the seasoning used for roasting the meat.
• Thin out the gravy: If your gravy turns out too thick for your liking, stir in a few extra tablespoons of broth or evaporated milk to thin it out.
• Remove lumps: If you notice lumps of undissolved flour, strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

Variations

• Broth: The recipe works with any broth, so you can customize it to any meal.
• Bouillon cubes: To make the gravy with bouillon cubes, add 1 bouillon cube per cup of hot water and stir until dissolved.
• Cayenne pepper: For a little extra heat, add a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• Garlic: Sometimes, I like to add 1/2 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Herbs: You can season this homemade gravy recipe with fresh or dried herbs. Thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary are tasty. Add 1 tsp finely minced fresh herbs or 1/4 teaspoon of dried herbs.
• Whole milk: You can use an equal amount of whole milk if you don’t have evaporated milk.
• Vegetarian gravy: Use vegetable broth or stock and omit the pan drippings.
• Gluten-free: You can swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour or cornstarch. If using cornstarch, don’t stir into the butter. Instead, dissolve in the broth first. Then add it when the mixture is hot and cook for 1 minute.

Serving suggestion

Peppered gravy with evaporated milk is the perfect addition to all of your favorite comfort dishes! Think country-fried steak, browned sausage, pork chops, and roasted poultry.

The gravy makes a welcome addition to any holiday table. It tastes delicious with a side of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, roasted asparagus, Parisian carrots, and scalloped potatoes.

And let’s not forget biscuits and gravy with evaporated milk! So good!

My husband also loves a little dish of this gravy on the side to dunk fried chicken and chicken tenders.

Storage instructions

How to store evaporated milk gravy

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 3 to 4 days.

Reheat the gravy in a saucepan at medium heat and add additional broth or milk to adjust the consistency.

Can you freeze gravy with evaporated milk?

Yes, you can freeze this recipe. Dairy can change consistency when freezing and thawing, but evaporated milk holds up pretty well.

Make sure your gravy has completely cooled, then pour it into a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge. Gently reheat on the stovetop and add more evaporated milk or water as needed.

More evaporated milk recipes

• Evaporated Milk Mac and Cheese
• Evaporated Milk Scalloped Potatoes
• Evaporated Milk Mashed Potatoes
• Evaporated Milk Cornbread
• Evaporated Milk Alfredo Sauce
• Evaporated Milk Potato Soup