Biscuits and Gravy with Almond Milk

These biscuits and gravy with almond milk are the classic Southern dish, and you'll never know they are dairy free! Serve for breakfast for a traditional Southern experience.

These biscuits and gravy with almond milk tastes just like regular biscuits and gravy.

In fact, the roux does a pretty good job removing any almond flavor.

Biscuits and gravy are made with either sausage or ground beef. Personally, I always make it with ground beef because it is what I always have on hand, but you can use either.

History of Biscuits and Gravy

Early European settlers in the United States brought with them a simple, easy style of cooking.  It was usually based on ground wheat and warmed with gravy as a source of cheap nutrition.  This was the foundation for biscuits. 

The biscuit emerged as its own food in the early 1800s as a cheap addition to meals.  It had the benefit of not requiring yeast.

At this point in time, bread was made only once a week.  Also, yeast was a byproduct of making beer, commonly known as emptins.

So, if you lived in a city and close to a brewery you had relatively easy access to it.  However, if you were not so lucky, it was either difficult to attain or you had to try to make some version of it at home.

Even once panned yeast was created by the turn of the century, it was still not easy to acquire.  

Due to the lack of yeast, beaten biscuits, or sea biscuits as they are known in New England, were developed.  They were similar to hardtack.

These biscuits were beaten and folded to incorporate air into the dough which expanded when heated in the oven, causing the biscuit to rise.

They were beaten for anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes using a rolling pin, hammer, side of an ax, or handle of a musket. 

These biscuits were eaten with gravy, and it wasn't long before Biscuits and Gravy was created. The advantage of the biscuit over a slice of bread was that biscuits are firmer, and therefore better for wiping up gravy.

Then, after the Civil War, biscuits and gravy became an actual dish because food was in short supply.

Also, a lack of money meant it had to be cheap and nutritious.

This was not unlike the early European settlers in the United States who ate ground wheat and warmed it with gravy because it was a source of cheap nutrition.

Breakfast was literally the most important meal of the day in the South for anyone facing a day of work on the plantations.

Then, with commercial baking powder becoming available in the middle of the century, it made the fluffy biscuit we know today possible. This, in turn, changed the face of biscuits and gravy to the delicious dish eaten all over the country.

What is biscuits and gravy made of?

Biscuits and gravy are made of biscuits or buttermilk biscuits covered in sausage gravy.

There is also a lesser known version: a vegetarian biscuits and gravy made without sausages.

This version uses country gravy or pepper gravy instead of sausage gravy.

HOW TO STORE MEAT

Once cooled, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Store for 3 to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE MEAT

Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days.  Place in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. 

Freeze for up to 6 months.  After that, it is still safe to eat but the quality begins to degrade.

Other Recipes You May Like:

• Bechamel Sauce with Almond Milk
• Sausage Gravy with Oat Milk
• Dairy Free Crepes
• Dairy Free Cornbread
• Sweet Cornbread without Milk
• Instant Mashed Potatoes without Milk