classic sawmill gravy was based off béchamel but using cheap items with food shortages after the Revolutionary War – I think it should be relatively straight forward to adapt …
start with a roux from flour and oil (coconut oil, light olive oil, avocado oil)
thicken with plant milk (almond milk, oat milk)
flavor with black pepper (maybe a hint of liquid smoke)
season to taste with salt (or mushroom seasoning (Asian grocery, Trader Joe’s) or Vegemite)
Similar to what I do, but I made a jar of sausage seasoning. Basically a bunch of herbs and spices that would go into breakfast sausage. I add some of the seasoning to the gravy, a little brown sugar, and liquid smoke.
That stuff would be so delicious if they took the sugar or HFCS whichever out. Drives me crazy how everything has to taste sweet. I could go on a rant about this shit. Like I love ice cream and dark chocolate and Reese's cups and Skittles and all kinds of sugary stuff. But why must nearly anything savory be sweetened.
I didn't like ketchup until they came out with the no sugar added stuff. It's actually pretty damn good.