Enjoy this oil-free 20-minute Vegan Gluten-Free Mushroom Gravy with all your favorite comfort foods. It's perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday dinners.
While other meat-free gravy recipes often contain vegan butter, soy sauce, and all-purpose flour, this quick and simple version uses none of those ingredients. However, it's full of umami flavor from mushrooms. And it's nice and thick for pouring over mashed potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots or other vegetables.
Since mushrooms have a high water content, you can skip the oil when sauteing them. And there's no need to make a roux with flour and butter or oil either. Instead, tapioca flour is the perfect thickener for this gluten-free vegan mushroom gravy.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It only requires 4 ingredients (plus salt, pepper, and water).
- You can prepare it in 20 minutes and without making a roux.
- It's whole food plant-based, gluten-free, and oil-free.
Ingredients
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mushrooms: I like using cremini mushrooms, but you can use white button mushrooms if you prefer.
- Fresh garlic
- Dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- Tapioca flour: Alternatively you can use cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
- Water
Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour
- Non-GMO Project Verified
- Made in a 100% gluten-free facility
- Great for thickening soups, sauces, and fillings
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms.
- Saute them with garlic and seasonings.
- Then stir in a slur made from tapioca flour and water.
- Let the gravy simmer and thicken, and it's ready to enjoy.
Expert tip
Don't walk away from the stove for too long. Keep stirring as the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.
Serving suggestions
Try this mushroom gravy with comfort food favorites like the following:
Storing and freezing
This gravy can be made in advance and reheated. It will last up to 3 days covered and refrigerated.
To freeze the gravy, first let it cool to room temperature. Place it in a glass container leaving a little space at the top. Then place the lid on top and put it in the freezer.
Let the frozen gravy thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
FAQ
Yes, these brown mushrooms are one and the same and are young Portabella mushrooms. You may also see them labeled as crimini.
White mushrooms, also called button mushrooms, are a good substitute.
Tapioca flour is a gluten-free, allergy-friendly flour made from cassava root. It's used to thicken sauces and stews and can also be used in baking.
More mushroom recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
📋 Recipe
Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy (Gluten-Free & Oil-Free)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, (or white button mushrooms), sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour, (or 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a small pot, saute the mushrooms for several minutes, stirring frequently, until they are reduced in volume and all the excess water is evaporated. If the mushrooms stick, add a splash of water to the pan.
- Meanwhile, add the tapioca flour to the cup of water and stir well. Set aside.
- Add the garlic to the mushrooms and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the thyme and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Give the tapioca flour/water mixture a stir and slowly add it to the mushrooms. Stir until the gravy has thickened. If you prefer a thinner gravy, add a little more water and stir.
Notes
- This gravy can be made in advance and reheated. It will last up to 3 days covered and refrigerated.
- To freeze the gravy, first let it cool to room temperature. Place it in a glass container leaving a little space at the top. Then place the lid on top and put it in the freezer.
- Let the frozen gravy thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Alocasia
I understand this is 6 servings, but how much is a serving? Is it just a cup? I'm thinking of using it over 8 ounces of pasta, and not sure if I should double the recipe.
Amy Katz
I think you'll have enough for 8 ounces of pasta. It makes about a cup of gravy.
Audria Lindgrin
Great to find a delicious recipe for people eating fat free or low fat AND gluten free that is so tasty you can bring to share with other than vegan eaters too! Thank you very much!
Amy Katz
You're very welcome, Audria!
Jeannie
I made this gluten free mushroom gravy with a couple of adjustments. I sautéed chopped fresh white mushrooms with diced sweet onions in about 2 tablespoons of butter, added granulated garlic with parsley and a medley of no salt seasonings which includes tyme, rosemary, sage and more. I added a splash of Chardonnay and 1 cup of chicken broth. I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch as the thickener. It turned out excellent!! Thank you for the recipe.
James
So you made a completely different recipe that happens to have mushrooms in it?
marge201
She used the recipe and did nice tweaks.
Emily
How would sauteing without oil work in a cast iron pan?
Amy
That should work fine. If the pan appears too dry, you can add a little water.
Dillon
I blended it afterward in my nutrbullet and it was unbelievable!
Sheila
Great gravy! Made it as written and it was so good! Thank you!
Jole
Do you increase the amount of cornstarch if you are making more than for just 6 people
Amy
Hi Jole, Yes, if you double the recipe you should also double the cornstarch if you are using cornstarch instead of tapioca flour.
Sarah
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe prepared it for my husband, for he’s the only vegetarian in the family.
Amy
I'm so happy he enjoyed it, Sarah!
Tawana Spence
Thank you for the delicious recipe! It tastes superb! I made it as written with tapioca flour and had a hard time eating it due to the gelatinous texture. It reminds me of flax seed gel. Any suggestions for this? I was thinking about using less tapioca flour next time. I'm on a corn free diet and not sure if any other gluten free flours can be substituted? Thanks so much again!
Amy Katz
Hi Tawana, thank you! Give arrowroot powder a try. I think you'll like the texture better.
Deborah
I made this last night and was so pleasantly surprised! I have made other vegan mushroom gravies but none that tasted as great as this one! My search for a keeper recipe has ended. I used the arrowroot powder as that was what I had on hand, and substituted vegetable broth for the water. So yummy!
Amy
That's wonderful, Deborah! Thank you so much!
Dee Humbles
Yummy! Used tapioca flour for the first time-out of fresh mushrooms, used well rinsed canned ones and omitted the added salt.
Amy
Glad it turned out well, Dee!
Jenny
I used almond milk instead of water and added juice from the chicken I made. It was sooo good!!
Amy
Happy to hear it!
Brigitte L Guyton
Sounds so good. I was racking my brain and Google to use my go to almond milk.
Thank you for your reply to easy vegan website. Much needed. Any other suggestions where i can incorporate almond milk, I'm all EARS.