Low-Glycemic Keto Gravy Recipe

Some meals wouldn’t feel complete without warm, homemade gravy. Spooning this comfort food over mashed potatoes, meatloaf, or turkey might make your mouth water. As you watch the steam rise from your dinner, consider how your gravy might impact your blood sugar. A low-glycemic keto gravy recipe could be a better alternative for your health.

Here’s how to create a keto gravy recipe your family will love. No matter the meal or occasion, you can make gravy that stabilizes your blood sugar and completes the flavor profile of your meal.

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What Is Keto Gravy?

Keto gravy is made without flour. The traditional version uses flour to thicken the bone broth, but all-purpose flour has a glycemic index of 85.¹ It’s a high GI ingredient that could spike your blood sugar, leading to diabetes complications or weight gain.

Removing flour would leave your gravy with a broth consistency. People monitoring their blood sugar often replace it with keto-approved flours or xanthan gum. Even though those ingredients have individual GI ratings, they have less blood sugar impact than all-purpose flour.

Low-carb gravy is also different because it has little to no net carbs. Keto recipes help your body reach a ketosis state to burn stored fat instead of digested carbs for energy, whereas traditional gravy adds more carbs to your digestive system. Your body wouldn’t need to burn the stored fuel, which isn’t helpful for individuals working toward weight loss goals.

Keto Gravy Ingredients

Add these ingredients to your grocery list when you’re ready to try making a keto gravy recipe. They’re budget-friendly and widely available, so you won’t have to make an extra trip to a specialty store to complete your meal.

Ingredients

• 2 cups beef broth, chicken broth, or pan drippings
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make Keto Gravy Step-by-Step

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Follow these steps to make a low-carb, low-sugar gravy recipe your family will love. Once you get the basics down, you can learn how to make gravy thicker and even change the flavor with creative spice additions.

Prep time: 2 to 5 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 45 mins

1. Whisk All the Ingredients

Combine all your ingredients, except for xantham gum, in a saucepan. Place the pan over a burner set to medium heat and whisk the ingredients gently, making sure not to spill anything.

2. Bring to a Boil

Once the ingredients combine, bring your gravy to a boil. Set the burner temperature slightly lower once it reaches the boiling point to prevent it from bubbling.

3. Add the Xanthan Gum

Shake the xanthan gum over the gravy to avoid making clumps. Whisk while shaking the powdered food additive so it blends easily.

If clumps exist, pour the gravy into a blender and pulse until they’re gone. Return the mixture to your pan.

4. Let It Simmer

Reduce your burner temperature to medium-high heat and let your gravy simmer for at least 10 minutes. The xanthan gum will slowly thicken the consistency.

5. Reduce the Heat Again

Turn the burner to a low setting after 10 minutes. Let the thick gravy sit for another five to 10 minutes. It will thicken even more as it cools to a warm temperature. Serve when it’s warm but not hot enough to burn your tongue.

How to Thicken Your Keto Gravy

Sometimes, people have a more challenging time thickening keto gravy. These are a few other options you can try while perfecting your new recipe.

Remember, any flour substitute for gravy will work with your keto goals. Experts advise limiting yourself to 20 to 40 grams of carbs daily to achieve ketosis.² Your gravy and any food on your plate should stick within that limit if weight loss is your primary goal.

Use Almond Flour

Try making an almond flour gravy if xanthan gum produces a texture you don’t enjoy. It has a similar consistency to all-purpose flour but has a low glycemic index rating due to the lower carbohydrate content.³ It’s also gluten-free, which supports low-sugar diets by leaving blood sugar levels untouched.

Add one to two tablespoons to your gravy and let it simmer before adding more. As you learn how to make gravy thicker, note the amount of almond flour needed for family meals.

Try Glucomannan

Manufacturers derive glucomannan from the Konjac plant. It’s an all-natural dietary fiber that acts as a thickening agent and easily thickens low-carb gravy. The water-soluble nutrient thickens sauces when whisked in cold liquid. Another alternative to consider is traditional cornstarch.

Whisk it in a bowl with a splash of cold water before stirring it into your gravy. The healthy fiber will help it reach the right consistency while providing health benefits like lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.⁴

Experiment With Chickpea Flour

New research shows chickpeas can make an excellent flour substitute for gravy. Researchers found that legume-based flour significantly reduces glycemic impact responses compared to participants eating foods made with wheat flour.⁵ 

Consider trying it while learning how to make gravy without flour. Your body will enjoy the lower GI effect and greater appetite control since the low-carb gravy doesn’t lead to blood sugar spike cravings. Add one to two tablespoons at a time to find the best measurement for the amount you’re making.

How to Store Your Keto Gravy

Keto gravy stores like any other homemade gravy recipe. Keep it in an airtight container in your fridge for two to three days. Depending on your preferred thickener, it may have a different consistency than traditional gravy after a night in the refrigerator. Even if it retains a Jello-like consistency, you can reheat it in a saucepan over low heat.

Health Benefits of Keto Diets

There are many reasons to make a healthy gravy recipe besides losing weight. You could also experience these health benefits when eating keto foods for Thanksgiving or any other meal.

A Stronger Metabolism

People often associate their metabolism with their ability to lose weight. Although that’s a primary benefit, it’s not the only way your metabolism serves your body. It also fuels essential functions like circulating blood, managing hormone production, and digesting food.

Other diets, like intermittent fasting, can also strengthen your metabolism, but they aren’t right for everyone. A keto meal plan might work best for your lifestyle if you want to eat meals and snacks throughout the day. It could start with something as simple as learning how to make gravy without flour.

Reduced Cancer Risk

A healthy gravy recipe might not seem like a big way to support your health, but eating more keto foods could reduce your risk of developing cancer. Stronger metabolisms draw energy from stored fat. Without extra carbs in your digestive system, potentially cancerous cells and actively developing tumors don’t get energy from carbohydrates.⁶

All you need to do is understand which foods keep your glucose levels steady. Low-glycemic recipes will help, but tools like a glucose monitor would provide 15-minute updates throughout the day. You’d know what your most recent meal, snack, or beverage did for your body instead of hoping your diet was on track.

Less Risk of Brain Diseases

When your body breaks down stored fat, it produces ketones. Having more ketones in your blood system benefits your brain. It uses them to boost its metabolism, reducing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.⁷ Making almond flour gravy once won’t guarantee this outcome, but you can make other simple dietary changes to protect your brain functionality with keto recipes.

Fewer Seizures

A simple, low-carb gravy could benefit your health if your family history includes conditions triggering seizures. Ketones reduce cellular inflammation, minimizing seizure risk by eliminating inflammation in the brain.⁸

Keto recipes are easy to learn and help your body make more ketones. It’s something to consider if your doctor recommends it as a supplementary way to mitigate your seizure risk.

Are Keto Diets Right for Everyone?

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Unfortunately, keto diets may not be best for people on medications that lower their blood sugar. The low-sugar, low-carb nature of ketogenic recipes means you’ll get less energy from your diet. It makes hypoglycemia more likely if you already keep your blood sugar low.

Anyone recovering from an eating disorder should also talk with their doctor before trying a keto diet. Keto recipes require tracking nutrients like sugar and carbohydrates, which may be triggering.

Women also need extra energy from their diet to support their pregnancy. Keto recipes won’t provide that essential energy boost, so you may need to wait until after giving birth before relying on keto recipes for your whole diet.

If you want to experiment with a keto diet, try the above gravy recipe alongside this mashed cauliflower to create the ultimate side dish.

Learn More About Healthy Nutrition With Signos’s Expert Advice

Anyone can make keto gravy for a weekday meal or holiday party. Use these ideas to create a recipe your whole family loves. You’ll stay on track for your health goals no matter what changes you make to your new healthy gravy recipe.

If you’re ready to learn more about nutrition and healthy eating habits, Signos’s expert advice is available through its many blog posts. You’ll learn revolutionary dietary ideas to maintain your health, including lessons on glucose and its total impact on your well-being. You can also take a quiz to find out if the Signos approach to health is right for you.