Healthy Biscuits and Gravy

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Enjoy your favorite comfort food in a macro-friendly way with this healthy biscuits and gravy recipe! This dish uses whole wheat biscuits and a low-fat gravy to create a healthier version of this classic Southern dish.

This is the basket of drop biscuits next to the skillet of gravy.

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

Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits

In this recipe, we are going to make low-fat, high protein drop biscuits instead of traditional biscuits made with lots of butter.

My healthy, high-fiber drop biscuit recipe is similar to my high-protein pizza dough and uses the following:

Whole wheat flour – Use whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter biscuit, but regular whole wheat flour works, too. I use whole white wheat. You can also use all-purpose flour if you wish.

Greek Yogurt – Nonfat or low fat both work well.

Baking Soda & Salt

Sausage Gravy

To make my healthy sausage gravy, you need:

Ground pork – Look for a lean brand if you can– see the “Choosing the Meat” section. Alternatively, you can easily use ground turkey or chicken.

Seasonings – Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, dried minced onion, pepper, fennel seed, salt, red pepper flakes.

Nonfat skim milk – We use Fairlife for lower calories and more protein.

All-purpose flour – A small amount is used to thicken the gravy. You can also use more whole wheat flour, too.

These are the ingredients for the healthy biscuits and gravy, including flour, yogurt, ground pork, baking powder, salt, spices, and milk.

Instructions:

This is someone stirring the biscuit ingredients together in a glass bowl.

1. Make the Biscuit Batter

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the Greek yogurt and stir until all of the flour is absorbed.

This is a cookie scoop portioning drop biscuits onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Scoop & Portion Biscuits

Using a large-sized cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the biscuit batter into 12 equal portions and place evenly spaced on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

This batter is sticky, so do not skip the parchment paper.

This is the pan of drop biscuits baking in the oven.

3. Bake the Drop Biscuits

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

This is ground pork cooking in a cast iron skillet with wooden spoon.

4. Cook Ground Pork

While the biscuits bake, cook the ground pork in a skillet over medium heat. Drain the fat.

This is a plate of seasonings about to be sprinkled on the skillet of pork.

5. Add Seasonings

Add the seasonings: Italian seasoning, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, dried onion, pepper, fennel seed, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the meat. Stir seasonings into the meat until they are evenly distributed.

This is all purpose flour being sprinkled on the pork in a cast iron skillet.

6. Add Flour

Sprinkle the all-purpose flour evenly over the ground pork, then stir to coat. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

This is skim milk pouring into the cast iron skillet of ground pork and seasonings.

7. Add Milk

Pour the skim milk into the skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

This is a spoon holding a scoop of the sausage gravy after it has thickened in the skillet.

8. Simmer & Thicken

Continue cooking & stirring the gravy mixture. The gravy will take about 8-10 minutes to completely thicken.

Choosing the Meat

To keep the calories controlled on this recipe, you need to make sure you purchase reduced-fat ground pork. If you can’t find reduced-fat ground pork, you can use many other kinds of ground meat! Lean beef, chicken, or turkey work great, too.

One brand of reduced-fat pork is Pedersen Meats. I have ordered this brand through Crowd Cow, but I’ve also seen it in other places, like natural grocery stores.

Hormel Foods also sells a couple reduced-fat pork options.

Butcher Box is another company I’ve ordered lots of pork from, and it’s always delicious! They exclusively sell pasture-raised pork, and the macros on its ground pork are excellent.

Butcher Box Tip

Don’t choose ground pork as one of your 6 subscription items–save the subscription selections for the expensive cuts. For cheaper meats, like ground pork, select it as an “add-on” item when it’s available. It’s a better value that way.

Nutritional Information

This recipe makes four servings consisting of 3 drop biscuits and 1/4 of the gravy. The macros are as follows:

Calories: 538
Protein: 43g
Carbs: 50g
Fat: 19g

Recipe Notes

The fat in this recipe is largely determined by the ground meat you choose. Pork is flavorful and more authentic for a sausage gravy, but generally, it is higher fat than other options like ground turkey.

Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Other Breakfast Favorites

If you want to try something sweet for breakfast, give the following breakfast 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!
Loco Mocos is a delicious traditional Hawaiian breakfast packed with protein, healthy fats, and carbs to fuel your day!
Blistered Cherry Tomatoes are a beautiful and healthy breakfast veggie dish dish.
My Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancakes are a delicious, high-protein Hawaiian-inspired pancake breakfast with bananas and chopped macadamia nuts!

Check out my Healthy Comfort Classics section for more healthier comfort food remakes.

FAQ

Are biscuits and gravy healthy?

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.

What is a healthy side for biscuits and gravy?

A healthy fruit salad would make an amazing side dish for this recipe. Combine some high-fiber fruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, or mandarin orange slices for a healthy and flavorful side.

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