This bacon onion gravy gets its creamy texture from softened onions, coconut milk, and homemade meat stock. There is no flour to whisk in and no starch slurry to measure. You cook the bacon and onions together, simmer them with the liquids, then blend the whole mixture into a smooth gravy.
The flavor is savory and gently herby, with sage and thyme rather than a packet of gravy seasoning. Coconut milk adds richness without dairy. The bacon goes into the puree with the onions, so you get its flavor throughout the sauce instead of a few crisp pieces scattered on top. Serve it warm over roast meat, cooked vegetables, or grain-free stuffing.
Use The Stock You Already Have
My go-to meal when I am exhausted is chicken in meat stock with cilantro and lemon. Having that stock ready makes a simple meal possible without starting over. That is also what I look for in a sauce recipe: a practical use for an ingredient already doing work in our kitchen.
This gravy uses one cup of stock. If you have cooked chicken or a roast to serve, you can make the gravy separately and warm it when the meat is ready. You do not need pan drippings, a whole roast in the oven, or a second pot of stock just for the sauce. That gives you some room to plan around the day you actually have.
Choose The Bacon, Milk, And Stock
Use three slices of unsmoked bacon made with pork and salt only. Check the actual ingredients rather than relying on the word “uncured” on the front of a package. Sugar, starch, chemical curing agents, and flavorings are not part of this GAPS version. A butcher who prepares bacon with only pork and salt can help you find that specific form.
The bacon starts in the pan whole and releases its fat as it warms. That fat is what the onions cook in. Keep the bacon with the vegetables through the simmer and blending steps; this is not a recipe where you remove the meat and use just the grease.
For the milk, make the richer hot-water batch of homemade coconut milk. Stir it thoroughly before measuring one cup, especially if it has been chilled and the coconut fat has separated. The linked recipe gives you the coconut-to-water ratio and straining method. Adding extra water to that milk gives you a thinner gravy base.
Homemade chicken meat stock works with poultry dinners and has a mild flavor. Homemade beef meat stock works when you want a beef-based gravy. Measure one cup of either. Keep the cup of stock and the cup of coconut milk as separate measurements, then both go into the pan.
The Onions Give It Body
You need about two pounds of onions, roughly three large or five small. The weight is useful because “large onion” can mean something quite different from one bag to another. Slice them thinly so they soften evenly with the bacon rather than leaving thick pieces firm in the middle.
Three garlic cloves are optional. If you use them, slice or chop them before they go into the pan with ¾ teaspoon dried sage and ¾ teaspoon dried thyme. Those herbs give the gravy a familiar roast-dinner flavor. The recipe also measures one teaspoon sea salt.
The dried mushrooms are optional too. For the mushroom version, soak ½ ounce in hot water for 15 minutes before adding them with the liquids. They give the gravy a deeper mushroom flavor. The pictured version leaves them out, which keeps the flavor centered on bacon, onion, and herbs. You can choose either without changing the rest of the measured ingredients.
Render The Bacon And Soften The Onions
Put the three whole bacon slices into a large sauté pan over low heat. Let them begin rendering while you slice the onions. Look for a little fat collecting in the pan. You are starting the bacon gently, not cooking it into crisp garnish.
Add the sliced onions and sea salt. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for about eight minutes, until the onions begin to soften and wilt. The pile will settle as they cook. Stir so the slices at the bottom do not stay in one place against the hot pan.
Add the optional garlic, sage, and thyme. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for another ten minutes. The onions should be soft and fragrant. Their edges will look more translucent, and the slices should bend easily rather than hold a stiff raw shape. The herbs will smell noticeable when you lift the lid. If the edges are scorching, turn down the heat.
This softening stage is what helps the gravy blend smooth later. A quick pass through the pan is not the same as giving the onions those covered minutes. Let the vegetables soften before adding the coconut milk and stock.
Simmer, Blend, And Warm Through
Pour in one cup coconut milk and one cup meat stock. Add the soaked mushrooms if you are using them. Raise the heat to medium to bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover, and maintain a gentle simmer for five minutes.
At this point, you will still see onion slices and whole bacon in the pale, creamy liquid. The gravy is not supposed to look smooth yet. Let it cool slightly before transferring it to the blender, following the blender’s instructions for warm ingredients and its fill limit.
Puree at medium to medium-high speed for about 35 seconds, until smooth. Check for onion pieces or bits caught against the jug wall. Stop the machine before scraping them down, then blend again if needed. The finished texture should look even and creamy, with small herb flecks rather than distinct vegetable pieces.
Return the gravy to the pan and reheat, stirring occasionally, until steamy hot. Warm it gently so the bottom does not catch while the rest heats through. The sauce should coat a spoon and move as a creamy puree, not look like the stock you started with.
Full GAPS Without A Flour Substitute
This recipe is for Full GAPS. It uses salt-only bacon, onions, garlic, additive-free herbs, homemade coconut milk, and homemade meat stock. Dr. Natasha’s GAPS guidance distinguishes bacon made with salt only from commercially preserved meats with added ingredients. That ingredient choice is part of making this version.
Homemade coconut milk replaces the canned milk used in many gravy recipes. It gives you a milk made from coconut and water without gums or starches. The linked hot-water recipe is useful here because it makes a richer batch. The gravy contains no dairy or eggs.
The onions and the blended mixture provide the body, so there is no need to replace wheat flour with almond flour, coconut flour, or another powder. Adding a flour changes the sauce rather than completing a missing step. Keep the vegetables, milk, and stock in their measured proportions and let the blender do the final work.
This is not an early Intro gravy. For an earlier-stage option, the two-ingredient onion gravy uses its own stock-and-soft-onion method. This version also contains onions, so it is not a No-Plant recipe.
What To Serve With It
Spoon the warm gravy over roast chicken or beef, or serve it beside the meat so everyone can choose an amount. It also works over soft cooked vegetables. Drain their cooking water first so it does not collect under the sauce.
For a roast-dinner side, the sausage stuffing with cauliflower and pecans gives you a separate Full GAPS recipe to serve with the gravy. Follow that recipe’s own stock measurement, then add gravy at the table. You do not need to pour this whole batch into the stuffing.
The recipe makes six servings. The amount you want on each plate will depend on whether it is a small spoonful beside meat or a more generous sauce over vegetables. Make the gravy first, then divide it for the meals you have planned.
Make-Ahead And Storage
You can make the gravy ahead of the meal. Cool the portion you are saving, cover it, and refrigerate it, or freeze portions for later dinners. A few smaller containers are easier to use than one large block if you want sauce for different meals.
Use freezer-suitable glass containers with the expansion space their instructions require. Label the gravy and date. Thaw in the refrigerator, stir it well, and reheat gently until steamy hot. The cold sauce may feel thicker than it did in the warm pan, so let it warm before deciding whether its texture has changed.
If a little liquid separates after freezing, stir it back through as you warm the gravy. Coconut milk can separate because it is homemade and has no stabilizer. That is a reason to mix the sauce well, not automatically add another thickener.
A Pan And Blender That Fit The Batch
Choose a sauté pan with a lid and enough room for the onions before they wilt. A crowded pan makes stirring difficult. I use Le Creuset cookware; a pan with a steady base and room to stir is useful for this sauce.
You will also need a knife, measuring tools, and a blender suitable for warm ingredients. Have a container ready if you want to save part of the finished gravy. If you double the recipe with the card’s 2× control, check both the pan and blender capacity and work in batches where needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will The Gravy Taste Like Coconut?
The milk brings richness, while the bacon, onions, stock, sage, and thyme supply the savory flavor. Coconut milk still has its own flavor. Use the plain homemade milk in the recipe rather than a sweetened or flavored product.
Can I Leave Out The Mushrooms?
Yes. The pictured version omits them. The bacon, onions, milk, and stock still make the gravy. If you include mushrooms, use the measured ½ ounce dried and soak them before adding.
Can I Leave Out The Garlic?
Yes. The three cloves are optional. Keep the sage, thyme, and other measured ingredients as written.
Do I Take The Bacon Out Before Blending?
No. It stays with the cooked onions and liquids and goes into the blender. Removing it would change the gravy’s flavor and texture.
Why Is The Gravy Still Lumpy?
Check whether the onions were fully softened before the liquids went in. Also check for pieces left high on the blender wall. Stop the machine before scraping, then blend until the texture is even.
Bacon Onion Gravy Recipe
Bacon Onion Gravy with Coconut Milk for Full GAPS
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the whole bacon slices in a large sauté pan over low heat and let them begin rendering while you slice the onions.
- Add the thinly sliced onions and sea salt. Cook over medium-high heat about 8 minutes, stirring, until the onions begin to soften and wilt.
- Add the optional garlic, dried sage, and dried thyme. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes more, until the onions are fragrant and softened.
- Pour in the homemade coconut milk and meat stock. Add the soaked mushrooms if using. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Let cool slightly, then transfer the whole mixture, including the bacon, to a blender. Follow the blender instructions for warm ingredients and fill limits. Puree at medium to medium-high speed until smooth, about 35 seconds.
- Return the gravy to the pan and reheat gently, stirring occasionally, until steamy hot. Serve warm.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Plan The Gravy Alongside The Roast
For a larger shared meal, put the gravy on the plan before the roast is ready to serve. You can make this part ahead, then warm it while the rest of dinner comes together. Our upcoming Holiday Menu & Prep Timeline is one of the kitchen resources for organizing a menu and its preparation. Find our guides and updates in the WFLI shop.
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