Name: Low Carb Keto Gravy
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups pan drippings and water (or meat stock); 1/2 cup onion; 2 large egg yolks (in small bowl); 1/4 cup butter flavored coconut oil (or butter); salt and pepper (to taste)

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Here is a keto gravy recipe using alternative low carb thickeners. Although coconut flour and almond flour may work, there are much better choices for a flourless gravy.

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How To Thicken Gravy When On The Keto Diet
Frequently Asked Questions About Keto Gravy
How To Make Gravy Without Flour
What To Serve With Keto Brown Gravy
Low Carb Gravy For Thanksgiving Recipes
Other Recipes To Try
Low Carb Keto Gravy

As I was getting my holiday recipes ready this year, I noticed that I’ve never posted a gravy recipe. It’s not because I’ve never made low carb gravy. I just never shared a recipe for it.

How To Thicken Gravy When On The Keto Diet

Regular gravy is usually thickened with wheat flour or cornstarch. We all know wheat flour isn’t low in carbs.

But, is cornstarch keto?

At about 7 grams of carbs per tablespoon, cornstarch can be a low carb option if a small amount is used. However, most people on a keto diet avoid grains and excess carbs. So you’re better off not using it.

In the past, I’ve made xanthan gum gravy. And sometimes, I’d blend xanthan gum with guar gum but, I’m not a fan of using either of those “gum” thickeners these days.

Instead, I prefer using glucomannan!

However, all of these low carb thickeners can make your sauce turn into a thick pudding. So you need to add just the right amount to prevent the liquid from thickening too much, especially as it cools.

That’s why I decided to create an easy keto gravy that’s thickened with egg yolks, some puréed onions, and a little butter or coconut oil. Plus, the onion and butter not only thicken but adds flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Keto Gravy

The entire recipe for my delicious keto gravy is at the end of this post. First, I have a few questions I want to answer.

Can you Make Gravy with Coconut Flour?

I’ve thought of using coconut flour to make a keto-friendly gravy but, the taste of the flour isn’t completely neutral and it’s slightly sweet. It could be used as a thickener since it absorbs liquid creating a thicker sauce.

Therefore, you can add in a small amount of coconut flour in this low carb gravy recipe if desired. I would only add in a teaspoon at a time and give it some time to settle in before judging the consistency. You can even omit or reduce the onions in the recipe by adding a little bit of this low carb flour.

I’ve made a coconut flour gravy a few times but the texture is somewhat clumpy. And, if you aren’t careful with the amount added, you’ll end up with something that looks more like porridge.

Can You Make Gravy With Almond Flour?

You may be wondering if finely ground almonds could be used as a keto thickener. Personally, I wouldn’t use them.

Although almonds are fairly neutral in taste, they do give a slightly nutty flavor that wouldn’t taste right.

Plus, almond flour doesn’t mix in as smoothly into a liquid as coconut flour does. It tends to be more grainy.

But, if you don’t mind these issues, you can certainly experiment and give it a try. Personally, I’d go with the coconut flour instead!

step by step process for making low carb gravy without xanthan gum

How To Make Gravy Without Flour

I like to make my keto gravy with egg yolks as the main thickener along with some finely chopped onions which add in flavor. You could leave the onions out for a zero carb gravy, but there’s not a lot used and it’s worth adding them for a better taste.

The drippings from freshly roasted meat work best for the gravy! But, you can use a pre-made meat stock if you want gravy for mashed cauliflower or turnips without having to make a roast.

Step 1: Strain Roast Meat Stock

To start the gravy, take the strained pan drippings from a roast or meat stock and reduce the liquid by boiling it down for about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Add In Onions and Puree

Then, add in the onion and finely puree it with a blender.

Note: Of course, you’d skip this step if omitting the onion.

Step 2: Add Egg Yolks

Then, two egg yolks are tempered with the hot liquid and then slowly whisked into the pot with the rest of the hot gravy liquid.

Step 3: Add Butter or Coconut Oil

To help thicken things up, butter or coconut oil is whisked in next.

Cooking Tip

If the gravy is too thin when it’s removed from the heat, an additional low carb thickener can be added. My preference is to add a small amount of glucomannan.

However, a little cream cheese can also be used as a thickening agent!

sliced turkey with mashed potato and green served with low carb gravy

What To Serve With Keto Brown Gravy

Brown gravy is typically made by thickening roasted meat juices with wheat flour or cornstarch. So the key to make it keto friendly is to thicken the liquid with a low carb gravy thickener.

A keto beef gravy is perfect for serving over low carb roast beef and mashed turnips or cauliflower. You can also dress up the sauce by adding in things like mushrooms or onions.

Low Carb Gravy For Thanksgiving Recipes

Holidays like Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without a gravy boat on the table. Sure, you can eat your turkey and faux mashed potatoes plain when following a low carb diet but they taste so much better topped off with a keto gravy!

And, don’t forget the low carb buns when planning your holiday meal! Plus, you’ll want to have a traditional low carb pumpkin pie for dessert made with a flaky almond flour pie crust.

Be sure to check out the healthy Thanksgiving recipes collection I put together as well if you need more ideas for holiday dinners.

sliced turkey with mashed potato and green served with keto gravy

What do you use to thicken soups and sauces on a ketogenic diet? Is it just one thickener or do you a combination of them?

I’d love to know what you prefer to use when making homemade gluten-free gravy that’s low in carbs. Let me know in the comments!

Other Recipes To Try

If you are looking for more low-carb sauces and dressings, check out some of these favorites:

Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce also has blueberry in it for a really sweet sauce that is the perfect side dish to mashed cauliflower and Turkey.
Keto Cheese Sauce is perfect for dipping veggies or for drizzling on top of grilled chicken.
Homemade Keto Alfredo Sauce tastes amazing on top of zucchini noodles – tastes just like takeout.
Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce is a dessert sauce that you can drizzle on top of low-carb ice cream for a decadent treat.
Keto Ranch Dressing tastes ideal as a dip for your veggie platter – or you can also mix it in your favorite side salad.

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Low Carb Keto Gravy

Author: Lisa MarcAurele

4.34 from 9 votes

Are you looking for a low carb gravy recipe that doesn’t use xanthan gum? Here’s how to use egg yolks as a thickener.

Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe Save Recipe

Servings 8 people

Calories 79

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups pan drippings and water or meat stock
▢ ½ cup onion
▢ 2 large egg yolks in small bowl
▢ ¼ cup butter flavored coconut oil or butter
▢ salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Strain pan drippings and add enough water or stock to make 2 cups. Place in a pot and reduce the liquid to thicken a bit by boiling down for about ten minutes.
Add onion to liquid and finely puree with a stick blender or high speed blender. Cook the onion for a few minutes to further reduce the liquid.
(To prevent cooking the egg, the hot liquid needs to be incorporated into the egg yolk very slowly) Remove from heat and slowly pour about ¼ cup of the hot liquid into the egg yolks while whisking to temper them. Gently pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot liquid in the pot while whisking.
Continue to whisk and simmer the gravy liquid. Whisk in the coconut oil or butter and stir until smooth. You can continue to simmer. Butter tends to thicken the gravy better than coconut oil, but the gravy will thicken more as it cools with the coconut oil.

Notes

If the gravy is not as thick as you’d like, you can add in a little glucomannan, gelatin, coconut flour, or xanthan gum to get the right consistency.

For a lower carb gravy, the onion can be left out, but another thickener like gelatin will likely need to be used or the liquid may be too thin.

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 1 g | % Carbs: 6 % | % Protein: 0 % | % Fat: 94 % | SmartPoints: 4

Values

Array
(
    [serving_size] => 2
    [calories] => 79
    [carbohydrates] => 1
    [protein] => 0
    [fat] => 7
    [saturated_fat] => 6
    [cholesterol] => 46
    [sodium] => 237
    [potassium] => 19
    [fiber] => 0
    [sugar] => 0
    [vitamin_a] => 185
    [vitamin_c] => 0.7
    [calcium] => 8
    [iron] => 0.1
    [serving_unit] => tablespoons
)

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Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

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Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
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First Published: November 29, 2018… Last Updated: October 15, 2020, with additional recipe information.

Keto Gravy Recipe for Roasted Meats

How To Thicken Gravy When On The Keto Diet