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Light and fluffy, rich and decadent, this easy Chocolate Souffle Recipe is the perfect special occasion dessert made in 30 minutes. Ultra chocolaty with a creamy milk chocolate center, this fancy dessert is a lot less difficult than you think....
Just don't tell people that it's actually pretty darn easy to make. If you're looking for something special to do for Valentines Day, this easy chocolate souffle recipe is it!
And it's definitely not reserved for Valentines Day. Think birthdays, anniversaries, getting out of trouble, getting into trouble, or my personal favorite...wait for it...Netflix binges. You guys knew I would go there.
Plus it's super awesome that you can make them in advance, freeze them and then cook them straight from the freezer when ready! That's my favorite part.
If you're a chocolate lover or know someone who is, try these easy Homemade Dark Chocolate Truffles or these Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.
Jump to:
- What Exactly is a Souffle?
- What is The Difference Between a Souffle and a Lava Cake?
- Why This Recipe Works
- The Ingredients
- Step By Step Instructions
- Cook's Tips
- How Do You Know When Souffle is Done?
- Why Did My Souffle Fall?
- Can This Souffle be Prepared in Advance?
- Tools Used
- More Souffles From Went Here 8 This:
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What Exactly is a Souffle?
A souffle is a dish made with eggs that puffs up when you cook it to become light and airy. They can be either sweet or savory. For a fun savory souffle, check out this Roasted Asparagus and Gruyere Souffle recipe.
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What is The Difference Between a Souffle and a Lava Cake?
It's all based on consistency. A chocolate souffle is light and fluffy in the middle due to the whipped egg whites, while a lava cake has a molten chocolate center. The cake in a lava cake tends to have a richer, denser texture than a souffle.
Why This Recipe Works
Using a high quality chocolate results in a rich, decadent flavor.
Whipping the egg whites to the proper consistency results in a light, airy souffle when baked.
Gently folding the egg whites into the chocolate batter helps keep the souffle light and fluffy when baked.
Placing a little piece of milk chocolate in the center of the souffle makes for an extra decadent and delicious souffle.
The Ingredients
You really want to use the best, richest chocolate you can find for the best results. Always use dark, unsweetened chocolate. The egg whites will lighten up the chocolate flavor, and the sugar adds the perfect sweetness.
To enable the egg whites to whip properly, use room temperature whites. The cream of tartar also help the egg whites get the right consistency.
Step By Step Instructions
Start by pre-heating the oven to 400F degrees. Generously butter 6 ramekins and sprinkle with granulated sugar. This prevents the batter from sticking to the ramekins to allow the souffle to rise up above the edges.
Add milk and cornstarch in a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until brought to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 1 minute. Pour over chocolate pieces.
Whisk it until the chocolate has all melted.
Whisk the egg yolks, whipping cream and vanilla extract into the chocolate mixture.
Using a hand or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they become frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Add the sugar, a little at a time while beating, until stiff glossy peaks form.
It is important your egg whites reach the right consistency for your soufflé to come out fluffy. The key to this light, airy souffle is ensuring your egg whites are beaten to glossy peaks. If your egg whites are not peaking, your souffle will not have the right consistency.
Gently fold in the egg whites - be careful not to overmix or your souffle will not rise properly. The batter should be light and fluffy and still full of the air bubbles from the egg whites.
Fill each ramekin halfway full with the batter. Add a piece of the milk chocolate in the center of each (this step is optional but I love it). Top them off with the remaining batter.
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the souffle rises. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to account for any uneven oven temperatures.
Insert a toothpick to determine doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean it is done. If not, bake another couple minutes and test again.
Dust with a little powdered sugar and serve immediately. The souffle will start to fall after about 5 minutes.
Cook's Tips
Always generously grease the ramekins before adding your batter. If the ramekins are not greased, the batter may stick to the edges and not rise as intended when baking.
It is important your egg whites reach the right consistency for your soufflé to come out fluffy. The key to this light, airy souffle is ensuring your egg whites are beaten to glossy peaks.
For a super clean look, run a knife edge across the top of the ramekin to smooth the batter. I like my souffle to have a slightly messier "rustic" look, so I skip this part.
Be sure to fold in the egg whites very gently. Over mixing can cause your souffle to deflate quickly or not rise at all.
Always bake souffles on the bottom rack of the oven.
How Do You Know When Souffle is Done?
The easiest way to check doneness is to stick a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean it is done. If there is still batter on it, it needs to be cooked longer.
If it still has batter on it, you may need to cook it another 2-3 minutes. In addition, typically a souffle will have risen about 1-2" above the edges of the souffle dish/ramekin when it's done.
Why Did My Souffle Fall?
The air bubbles in the souffle are what cause it to rise in a hot oven. Think like a hot air balloon. Once the souffle starts to cool, it will inevitably fall. Souffles are best served immediately.
Not getting the right consistency for your egg whites can also cause your souffle to not rise correctly, as well as over-mixing the souffle batter. See recipe notes for suggestions on making the best souffle.
Can This Souffle be Prepared in Advance?
To make recipe in advance, make the batter and pour into the greased ramekins per the recipe instructions. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one day.
Let the souffles sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking if possible. Bake according to the recipe instructions.
You can also freeze the chocolate souffles for up to one month. Make the batter and pour into the greased ramekins. Wrap tight with plastic wrap then foil and place directly in the freezer.
Can be baked directly from frozen. Bake the frozen souffles in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Tools Used
- 6 Ramekins
- Hand mixer - this is my favorite hand mixer! I got it as a gift and just love it.
- Silicon spatula
- Glass mixing bowls
More Souffles From Went Here 8 This:
Meyer Lemon Souffle with Raspberry Sauce
Pumpkin Spice Souffle
Roasted Asparagus and Gruyere Souffle
Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!
Did you make this Chocolate Souffle? Follow me on Instagram, post a photo and tag @wenthere8this or #wenthere8this. I love to see what you’re making!
Recipe
Easy Chocolate Souffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, plus additional for ramekins
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- ⅛ tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 5 ½ oz. unsweetened dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream,
- 6 small pieces of milk chocolate
- Powdered sugar (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the chocolate pieces in a medium to large sized bowl.
- Add milk and cornstarch in a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until brought to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 1 minute. Pour over chocolate pieces and stir until chocolate is fully melted.
- Combine the egg yolks, whipping cream and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk. Slowly mix the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture and set aside.
- Using a hand or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they become frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Add the sugar, a little at a time while beating, until stiff glossy peaks form. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Gently fold in the egg whites, being sure not to over mix. The batter should be light and fluffy and still full of the air bubbles from the egg whites.
- Fill each ramekin halfway full with the batter. Add a piece of the milk chocolate in the center of each (this step is optional but I love it). Top them off with the remaining batter.
- Place the ramekins on a baking sheet on the bottom rack and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the souffle rises and a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to account for any uneven oven temperatures.
- Dust with a little powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Expert Tips:
- Use the best, richest chocolate you can find for the best results. Always use dark, unsweetened (baking) chocolate. I never recommend cocoa powder.
- To enable the egg whites to whip properly, use room temperature whites. The cream of tartar also help the egg whites get the right consistency.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter when folding in the egg whites. The batter shold be fully mixed, but should have a light and airy texture. Over mixing will impact how well the souffles rise.
- Always generously grease the ramekins before adding your batter. If the ramekins are not greased, the batter may stick to the edges and not rise as intended when baking.
- For a super clean look, run a knife edge across the top of the ramekin to smooth the batter.
- Always bake a souffle on the bottom rack for the best results.
- To test for doneness, stick a toothpick in the center of the souffle. If it comes out clean, souffle is done. If not, bake another 2-3 minutes and test again.
- Souffles should have risen about 1-3" above the edge of the ramekin when done. Note if egg whites were not beaten enough, cold egg whites were used, or batter was overmixed the souffle may not rise as high as expected.
- Souffles are meant to serve immediately. They will start to fall after about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Maura W
This was delicious! Fairly easy to make. Really need to stay on the beating of the egg whites! It took a good 25 minutes or so and I ended up adding a couple shakes more of cream of tarter to get it to match your helpful picture. I didn't have any milk chocolate so put in a couple dark chocolate chips. I can imagine the milk chocolate would be extra special! Thanks for sharing!
Danielle
So glad you enjoyed it! The egg whites sometimes depend on heat, humidity, elevation, etc, so sometimes take a little longer 🙂