This healthy biscuits and gravy recipe starts with a creamy low-fat sausage gravy that’s quick and easy to make with turkey sausage. Pair it with almost zero-fat yogurt biscuits for the comfort food you crave — with fewer calories and 90% less fat than the traditional version.
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Featured Comment by Karen:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is an awesome recipe! My overweight husband loves biscuits and gravy, and when I make this for him, he doesn't even realize that it's a low-fat, lower-calorie recipe."
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthier comfort food: All the flavor of biscuits and gravy with fewer calories and less fat.
- Quick and simple: Turkey sausage gravy and drop biscuits are ready in about 30 minutes.
- Easy ingredients: Turkey breakfast sausage, non-fat yogurt, and skim milk — all simple, everyday staples.
- Flexible: Works for low-fat or low-calorie diets, or just when you want a lighter breakfast.
- Beginner-friendly: No roux needed — the gravy thickens with a simple slurry.
📋 Nutrition Snapshot
Traditional biscuits and gravy usually run 600–900+ calories and about 30 grams of fat per serving. This lighter version comes in at about 216 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 477 mg of sodium—over 60% fewer calories and 90% less fat than the traditional version.
🥣 Ingredients
- Turkey breakfast sausage – key to the flavor of a healthy, low-fat sausage gravy.
- Non-fat yogurt – provides moisture for the low-fat biscuits. Use regular non-fat, or Greek non-fat with a splash of milk since it’s thicker.
- Skim milk – zero-fat milk that works well for the gravy base.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – standard pantry items for the biscuits.
- Seasoning salt and black pepper – simple, classic flavoring for the gravy.
✅ Pro Tip: You can use self-rising flour in place of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Just skip those extra ingredients.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Healthy Biscuits and Gravy
Make low-fat biscuits
Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; fold in non-fat yogurt until just combined.
Form drop biscuits on a baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 425°F until golden brown – about 12 minutes.
Make the healthy low-fat sausage gravy
Brown turkey breakfast sausage in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet.
Whisk together flour with skim milk. Slowly add the milk-flour slurry to the sausage over medium heat while whisking or mixing continuously for a few minutes until thickening.
Add seasoning salt and pepper. Simmer another 5–10 minutes.
Split biscuits and ladle the gravy over the top.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions, or keep reading for tips and discussion.
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🖊️ Low-Fat Biscuits
This is my Low-Fat Biscuits method, adapted here for biscuits and gravy.
These low-fat biscuits taste and feel very close to the classic version. If you pay close attention, you might notice a slight yogurt flavor, but it’s barely noticeable once the gravy is on top. They’re fluffy rather than flaky, which works perfectly for a lighter biscuits-and-gravy breakfast.
Use non-fat regular yogurt for best results. Non-fat Greek yogurt also works, but it’s thicker and may need a splash of milk to loosen the dough.
While I sometimes called these “zero-fat,” technically each biscuit has about 0.4 grams of fat from the flour. And watch the yogurt labels — “non-fat” can still vary quite a bit in fat content. So let’s call them “almost zero-fat biscuits,” or simply low-fat biscuits.
🖊️ Healthy Low-Fat Sausage Gravy
The secret to this healthy low-fat sausage gravy is using turkey breakfast sausage and a quick milk-and-flour slurry instead of a butter-and-flour roux. This method thickens the gravy nicely without the added fat. (See How To Make Gravy at Home for more about the slurry method.)
This gravy is slightly less creamy than a traditional roux-based version, but still flavorful and satisfying. The fat has been cut wherever possible, without sacrificing taste.
Turkey breakfast sausage browns well in a non-stick or seasoned cast-iron pan without added oil. The fat content varies between brands — some use only breast meat while others blend in dark meat — but all of them keep the gravy light.
The seasoning in the sausage is also key to the overall flavor. For best results, avoid plain ground turkey or unseasoned turkey sausage; the flavor won’t be right.
📚 More Low-Fat Recipes
Some of my other favorite low-fat recipes include Healthier Carrot Cake, Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Healthy Blueberry Scones, and Healthy White Chicken Chili.
❄️ Storage of Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the gravy in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Keep the biscuits at room temperature in a bag with the air squeezed out.
- Freeze: Freeze biscuits and gravy separately. Seal airtight, and they’ll keep for up to 3 months.
❓FAQs
With this low-fat recipe, a serving of two biscuit halves with ⅓ cup of gravy is about 216 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 477 mg sodium. That’s more than 60% fewer calories and 90% less fat than the traditional version.
Yes. By swapping in low-fat turkey breakfast sausage, skim milk, and low-fat biscuits made with non-fat yogurt, you cut most of the fat while keeping the classic flavor.
Turkey breakfast sausage is the best option because it browns well, has the right seasoning blend, and keeps the fat content low. Avoid plain ground turkey or unseasoned sausage — the flavor won’t be right.
Yes. Greek yogurt also works, but it’s thicker and has more of a tang. It may need a splash of milk to loosen the dough.
Yes. You can make this gravy without meat if you prefer, but it will be lighter in flavor. Season well to make up for the missing sausage.
📖The Recipe Card
Healthy Biscuits and Gravy (Low-Fat Sausage Gravy)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder - (aluminum-free preferred)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups non-fat yogurt
- ½ pound turkey breakfast sausage
- 2 cups skim milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt - I used Lawry's
- ½ teaspoon pepper - or to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
- In a bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Fold in 1¼ cups non-fat yogurt until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- Make eight drop biscuits on a PAM-sprayed baking pan.
- Bake until golden brown—about 12 minutes.
- While the biscuits are baking, brown ½ pound of turkey breakfast sausage in a non-stick skillet.
- Whisk together ¼ cup flour and 2 cups skim milk. Slowly add the milk-flour slurry to the sausage over medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Continue stirring; the mixture will start thickening in a few minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of seasoning salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper (or to taste). Simmer another 5-10 minutes.
- Split the biscuits and ladle the gravy over the top.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use non-fat milk and yogurt. And the leanest turkey breakfast sausage possible.
- Exact nutrition varies by the brands used.
- Greek yogurt works but gives more tang and may need a splash of milk since it’s thicker.
- The serving is calculated with one biscuit cut in half and about ⅓ cup of gravy. If you want to use a more generous ½ cup, then the calories increase by only 45 calories.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder to prevent a metallic aftertaste.
- Store biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days (freeze up to 3 months).
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published March 1, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Rosy says
I use cornstarch mixed with water to thicken this. It works well most of the time. Im going to play around with okra in this recipe as i think it may thicken and give a creamier savory flavor to it.
DrDan says
Hi Rosy,
Welcome to the blog.
Cornstarch can be used here at a ratio of 1 tablespoon corn starch replacing 2 tablespoons flour. The trouble with corn starch is the texture is "shiny", not very creamy, and it will not heat up well for leftovers.
If you are trying to avoid the flour, look at arrowroot. The volume would be the same as the cornstarch or a bit more. It will act more like the flour.I take that back. The arrowroot does not play nice with dairy products. I was just thinking of gravy. Sorry.
Dan
denise says
I really enjoyed this recipe. I used Mrs Dash table seasoning instead of Lawreys, to cut back on the salt. I just found this site yesterday and I'm hoping all the recipes are as tasty as this one.
Judy says
There are only 2 of us...how long does it keep?
Do your biscuits freeze well & can I freeze the gravy or will that cause the gravey texture to be "off"?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Judy,
Welcome to the blog. The biscuits freeze well for about 2 months. The gravy will freeze well for 3-4 months. The gravy texture holds up well since it is thickened with flour, not corn starch. The gravy may come out of freezing separating a bit but will come together with heating. It may be too thick then and need a touch of milk.
The biscuits do well sealed at room temperature for 2-3 days and the gravy refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Dan
Kali P says
This recipe is so delicious! I accidentally used Greek yogurt and ended up adding about 1/4 cup more in order to make sure the dry ingredients were fully incorporated. The biscuits still baked up perfectly well and are very tasty if a bit sticky. It wasn’t until after the fact that I realized what my mistake was. I don’t have seasoned salt so I used salt plus some extra seasonings - I used cayenne, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. The gravy turned out absolutely delicious. I am so excited to know I can whip this up for breakfast when I get the hankering for a (formerly) guilty pleasure.
Kim M says
Tried this recipe with my significant other and we were both incredibly satisfied. Hands down a 10/10! Will use again.
DrDan says
Hi Kim,
Sorry for the delayed reply. This is amazingly good for what it is. Even in its low-fat state, it is better than lots of restaurants.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Marie says
Hello,
Does this recipe use standard nonfat yogurt or do I need to use Greek?
DrDan says
Hi Marie,
I'm sure it would "work" but Greek Yogurt has more of a "twang" to it and I was trying to avoid that. Also, it is thicker so it would need a bit of milk or water added.
Sheri says
The biscuit recipe was great but as someone who really never adds salt to anything I found the biscuits themselves rather salty. After topping with the gravy it balanced out but I think I will cut the salt in half or eliminate altogether. I used fresh ground sausage that we make ourselves after butchering which we keep as lean as possible so I can't comment on your gravy. Sausage gravy is a staple in the south & finding a low cal/low fat biscuit this good is amazing!
Thank you for your efforts!
DrDan says
Hi Sheri,
Thanks for the note. I haven't looked at this recipe for a while. My current practice is 1/2 teaspoon on salt and I just changed the recipe to reflect that.
Dan
Renee says
Thank you!!
SusieHmMkr says
My understanding of alternative flours is that Sprouted Spelt Flour is the only alternative that can be used in place of All Purpose flour in an equal exchange (1 c flour in a recipe can be exchanged for 1 c spelt flour).
Ken says
Great recipe. A couple of people have asked about Whole Wheat versus All Purpose. I have found for my personal use that replacing 1/3 - 1/2 of the called for All Purpose with Whole Wheat from hard white wheat works well including for gravy. I grind my own and try and get it real fine for baking. I do this in my own baking mixes and the family does not notice or care. When my grandfather was up in years he was on a strict low sodium diet but loved his biscuits and gravy. I found that if I chopped up onions real fine and sauté' them with the flour and a little fat that it was a good substitute for a need for salt for taste. I do not see why adding some onion or onion powder to your fine recipe in place of the salt wouldn't work. I love this site and your recipes. Simple and good tasting, what else is there.
DrDan says
Hi Ken,
You are right to focus on the sodium here which is higher than I like. As you know sodium many times is needed to bring out flavor but subbing in some onion powder for taste may do it. The seasoning salt is more of a problem but other seasoning could be used.
The whole wheat can usually be used for about 1/4 to 1/3 of the AP flour. If you get above that, you may need a bit more liquid or in this case, yogurt.
Thanks for the note and enjoy the site.
Dan
Karen Coles says
This is an awesome recipe! My overweight husband loves biscuits and gravy, and when I make this for him, he doesn't even realize that it's a low fat, lower calorie recipe. I sauté some chopped bell peppers and onions with the sausage for a little extra flavor.
gail victoria says
Finally found a recipe I, being single, can easily replicate without any ingredients I have to buy in volume which, once making one dish, then go stale if I don't use them soon. Most recipes I see are either for more than two people, or requiring ingredients which will spoil or must be bought in volumes if not planning to cook from scratch using same ingredients any time soon. And I am neither vegan, nor vegetarian, but moderate weight conscientious. So thanks with this particular gravy recipe. However, I rarely use bleached white flour, always unbleached version. Can other types of flour from wheat or other grains be used. Other flours from other grains have more fiber, and breaks down faster than finely processed bleached wheat flour. Would love to know. And I see you may have other recipes which may be compatible with what I want.
DrDan says
I never use bleached flour since I don't care if it is off white a little. So when you see AP flour on this site, it is unbleached all purpose flour (Usually Gold Medal or King Auther.) Whole wheat can be used but requires a bit more yogurt as the "liquid" in the biscuits. I have never used whole wheat for gravy but expect it would be fine. I don't use alternative flours, so no comment on them. Years ago I did some things with soy and almond flour and the cooking characteristics of each seem to vary even from brand to brand. That was many years so modern alternative flours probably don't have the issues I had then. But I see no need to use any of them outside of a true allergy or celiac disease which fortunately we don't have.
Dan
Gabe Dinsmore says
Amazing. I used Italian sausage instead for the gravy. I was just looking for a great gravy recipe and I found one! My whole family loved it.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note, I need to do this more often but I never have the yogurt when I want it.
Dan
Louise says
Jjust a hint.being limited on sodium I have made this using bisquick heart smart baking mix in place of flour also not adding salt or by powder or bk soda.i make them in drop biscut form and the difference in sodium is amazing.sodium is only about 350 instead of over 1000. I appreciate your recipe a sit gave me the inspiration to use it as a guide for something I haven't been able to eat in years.thank you!!!
Jerry says
Thank you for this recipe. I was out of all purpose flour so I used wheat flour instead. It worked just fine. I suffered a heart attack last May and had to change my eating habits drastically. Sausage and gravy biscuits was one of the things I missed most. This gravy was just as good and even better than some that I used to eat. All things in moderation.
Pat says
Aha....now I can fix this for my husband and not feel guilty! Thanks!
DrDan says
Use this one if you want him to live.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Note: Pat is from Savor The Best. Check out the Tooth cake ...
TC Moore says
Thanks for the biscuit recipe, definitely going to give it a try. I like to add my flour directly to the cooked meat and cook it for a few minutes to get rid of the 'flour taste' just a bit. Then I just whisk in the milk. I think it tastes just a bit better and one less dish to clean.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I'll try that next time. The simmering of the gravy seems to take the raw flour taste out for me.
DrDan