Healthy Biscuits and Gravy
Enjoy your favorite comfort food without the guilt! This healthy biscuits and gravy recipe uses whole wheat biscuits and a low-fat gravy to create a healthier version of this classic Southern dish.
In the realm of comfort food, few dishes hold as much nostalgia and satisfaction as biscuits and gravy. Just mentioning it can transport you to cozy family breakfasts and cherished moments around the dining table. While traditionally regarded as a guilty pleasure, I’m about to unveil a healthy biscuits and gravy recipe that not only preserves that unmistakable Southern charm but also takes a health-conscious approach, increasing the protein and lowering the calories.
This healthy biscuits and gravy recipe will show you how you can enjoy this classic breakfast without feeling sluggish and heavy the rest of the day. Get ready to redefine comfort food!
Ingredients for Healthy Biscuits and Gravy
In this recipe, we are going to make drop biscuits instead of traditional biscuits made with lots of butter. Our healthy, high-fiber drop biscuit recipe is similar to our high-protein pizza dough and uses the following:
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour (about 180 grams)
- 1.5 cups of nonfat Greek Yogurt (330 grams)
- 2 tsps Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For our healthy sausage gravy, we are going to use:
- 1 lb ground pork (look for a lean brand if you can–alternatively, you can easily use ground turkey or chicken)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp fennel seed, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like spice)
- 3 cups nonfat skim milk (we use Fairlife)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
Instructions:
To make the drop biscuits:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Measure your flour into a mixing bowl.
- Add your baking soda and salt.
- Add your Greek yogurt and stir to combine.
- Using a large cookie scoop or just your hands, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Arrange them on a baking sheet.
- Bake them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Now it’s time to make the healthy sausage gravy!
- Brown 1 lb of lean ground pork.
- Add your seasonings. Start with just half the amounts for the garlic powder, salt, and pepper and taste before adding the rest. I love a flavorful gravy with the extra seasonings, but if you’re sensitive to salt, you may want to add it in small amounts and taste along the way.
- Add 1/3 cup all purpose flour to the meat and stir it in.
- Add 3 cups of skim milk and bring it to a simmer.
- Add the rest of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you wish, or hold off until the end to taste it first.
- Bring it to a simmer and allow it to cook for several minutes until thickened, stirring frequently.
Tips & Variations
Try this recipe with all kinds of ground meat! Turkey works great, too, for an even lower fat option.
Nutritional Information
For 3 drop biscuits, the nutritional info is:
- Calories: 206
- Protein: 14.6 grams
- Fat: 1.1 grams (.2 gram saturated)
- Carbs: 36.8 grams
- Fiber: 4.9 grams
For 1/4 of the healthy sausage gravy, the nutritional info is:
- Calories: 295
- Protein: 26.5 grams
- Fat: 24.4 grams (6.2 grams saturated)
- Carbs: 17.9 grams
- Fiber: .5 gram
Combined, the full meal is 501 calories, 41 grams of protein, 25.5 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbs, and 5 grams fiber.
Recipe Notes
The fat in this recipe is largely determined by the ground meat you choose. Pork is flavorful and more authentic to the dish, but generally, it is higher fat than other options like ground turkey. We make this dish with both pork and turkey depending on how many calories we are trying to shave off. You can also find reduced fat packages of ground pork. The nutritional info above is for Pedersen’s pasture raised ground pork, which is lower calorie than other ground pork.
Other Breakfast Favorites
If you want to try something sweet for breakfast, give the following recipes a try instead:
- High Protein Overnight Oats – This is a great make-ahead breakfast for busy weekday mornings.
- High Protein French Toast Casserole – A fun twist on an old classic, this casserole is low sugar, high-protein, and full of fiber.
- Kodiak Cakes Waffle Mix Recipe – Check out this recipe for making your Kodiak cakes even higher in protein!
FAQ
Traditionally, biscuits and gravy is a meal loaded with lots of calories and saturated fat, making it something you may not want to eat on a regular basis. However, this version significantly improves the macros, making it a realistic treat to incorporate more often. While it still may not be something you want to eat every single day (it doesn’t include any veggies, for example) it can certainly be part of a holistically healthy diet.
A healthy fruit salad would make an amazing side dish for this recipe. Combine some lower sugar, high-fiber fruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, or mandarin orange slices for a healthy and flavorful side.
Healthy Biscuits and Gravy
Ingredients
Healthy Drop Biscuits
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 180 grams
- 1 1/2 cups Nonfat Greek Yogurt, plain 330 grams
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Healthy Sausage Gravy
- 1 lb Lean ground pork
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder divided
- 1/2 tsp Dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 tsp Pepper divided
- 1/4 tsp Fennel Seed crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt divided
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes optional–omit if you don't like spice
- 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 cups Skim Milk
Instructions
Biscuit Instructions
- To make the healthy drop biscuits, combine your flour, baking powder, salt, and greek yogurt in a bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
- Scoop your drop biscuits onto a baking sheet into 12 equal balls.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Sausage Gravy Instructions
- Brown your ground pork in a large skillet. Drain any fat.
- Stir in your sausage seasonings: Italian seasoning, parsley, paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, dried onion, 1/2 tsp pepper, fennel seed, 1 tsp salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the meat.
- Add the all purpose flour to the pork and stir it in evenly.
- Add your skim milk to the seasoned pork. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.
- Taste your gravy mixture and add the additional salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you like a stronger flavor. See note.
Yum! Thank you!
This is very delicious!
Thank you! It’s also a hearty favorite here. I think I’m going to make it this weekend!