How to Make a Traditional Chocolate Soufflé

On the morning of my 40th birthday (lol, yes I’ve been sitting on this recipe a while), I decided I wanted to do something that felt ridiculously decadent.

It was the first time I’d ever taken the day off work for my birthday, and so after some waffling (of the mental variety), I decided that a fancy chocolate soufflé for breakfast was the answer.

Chocolate Souffle Recipe | A traditional chocolate soufflé is a thing of beauty and simplicity---it only takes a handful of ingredients and isn't difficult, but it can feel intimidating if you don't understand the techniques. Here's a straightforward recipe with step-by-step instructions so you can make this fancy French dessert for yourself! It's also naturally gluten-free.

Soufflés had been on my radar for a while as a bake I wanted to try, because they only take a few ingredients and the rest is mostly about technique.

This turned out amazingly, though was a bit too sweet for me (I don’t prefer things that are too rich or sweet) so next time I will try a more dark or bittersweet chocolate rather than the semi-sweet.

If you’re looking for a special date night or dinner party dessert idea, this chocolate souffle recipe is a perfect option that will WOW. (I also have the most amazing, easy dark chocolate lava cakes if you need something *even* easier than this.)

How to make a traditional chocolate soufflé...it isn't difficult, but it can feel intimidating if you don't understand the techniques. Here's a straightforward recipe with step-by-step instructions so you can make this fancy French dessert for yourself! It's also naturally gluten-free.

What kind of chocolate should I use to make a chocolate soufflé?

As with many simple recipes, this is only as good as the chocolate you use. I love Guittard brand myself and it’s pretty easy to find, but Ghiradelli and Bakers brand are both mass versions that are decent as well.

Make sure you’re using the baking bars, not chocolate chips or wafers, as those have extra ingredients that will affect the end result.

How to make a traditional chocolate soufflé

The total prep for this will take probably around a half hour, and then the baking time is quite short. One really important thing to note is that you always want to serve your souffle IMMEDIATELY. So even if you prep the mixture ahead and get the ramekins prepped, you can keep them in the fridge with the batter until you’re ready to pop them in the oven and serve right away (this is what restaurants do).

To make the batter, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and the chopped chocolate together in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave (or a double boiler, if you have one). Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted and combined. Slightly cool for 3-5 minutes.

Then whisk your egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt into chocolate mixture. Set aside.

chopped bar chocolate is critical to making a chocolate souffle (no chocolate chips)

glossy melted chocolate and butter forms the base of a chocolate souffle

The egg whites are what makes or breaks any souffle recipe. In a completely CLEAN residue-free medium glass or metal mixing bowl (wipe down with a bit of vinegar to be sure), use a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until soft peaks form. This should take about 2 minutes.

Then with the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar in three separate additions, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 5 seconds before adding the next tablespoon.

After all 3 tablespoons of sugar have been added, beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Do not over-beat and make it really stiff and solid or it will mess with your souffle’s texture.

whipped egg whites are the most critical part of a chocolate souffle recipe

Slowly and GENTLY fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture a bit at a time. The goal here is to not lose the air out of your whipped egg whites, because that’s where the souffle’s rise will come from.

It’s best to do this in 3 separate additions…start with a small one where you can be a little rougher and kind of “slacken” the mixture (i.e. kind of waters it down/breaks it down) to make it easier to stir in. Then much more gently, fold and stir the other two portions in. You can see that my egg whites are just a *bit* overwhipped and too stiff.

Refrigerate the batter for 5-10 minutes as you preheat the oven and prepare the ramekins. (If leaving in the fridge longer in than an hour, cover it; you can make this up to two days ahead of time).

it's important to incorporate the whipped egg whites gently when making a chocolate souffle

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 400°F (204°C).

Prepare the ramekins: Brush a generous coating of the softened butter all over the inside of four 6-ounce oven-safe straight sided ramekins. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar, then shake/rotate each to ensure every spot of the ramekin has a sugar coating (discard the excess). Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Spoon your batter evenly into the ramekins. It should come right to the top, then using a knife or icing spatula, smooth the surface flat. Run the knife/icing spatula (or even your thumb) around the rim at the top to create a little “channel” between the batter and the rim of your pan (see pics).

In hindsight I realized that I didn’t put enough mixture into each of my ramekins, I should have filled them to the top to get the best rise. Mine DID rise well but you can’t tell because I didn’t start the batter high enough.

chocolate souffles ready to bake - I didn't use enough batter, make sure it comes up to the rim

Bake: Place the baking sheet with your ramekins in the oven. Close the door and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F (191°C). Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles when you give the pan a light tap.

Don’t open the door at all until at least after 10 minutes, but avoid opening much at all..

baked chocolate souffles - they didn't rise over the rim because I didn't use enough batter

Remove from the oven and serve immediately (plain or with optional toppings). Whipped cream never goes amiss. Soufflés begin to fall within minutes so you want to serve them fresh.

While they seem fancy, hopefully this shows that a chocolate souffle recipe is not all that intimidating and any home baker can tackle it!

Adapted slightly from Sally’s Baking Addiction

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How to Make a Traditional Chocolate Soufflé

Yield: ~4 individual 6 oz souffles

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Total Time: 44 minutes

A traditional chocolate soufflé is a thing of beauty and simplicity---it only takes a handful of ingredients and isn't difficult, but it can feel intimidating if you don't understand the techniques. Here's a straightforward recipe with step-by-step instructions so you can make this fancy French dessert for yourself!

Ingredients

FOR THE MIXTURE
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup; 56g) of unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
4 ounce (113g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar
3 tablespoons (38g) of granulated sugar
FOR PREPPING RAMEKINS
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, EXTRA SOFT
4 teaspoons of granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the batter: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and the chopped chocolate together in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave (or a double boiler, if you have one). Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted and combined. Slightly cool for 3-5 minutes.
Then whisk your egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt into chocolate mixture. Set aside.
In a completely CLEAN residue-free medium glass or metal mixing bowl (wipe down with a bit of vinegar to be sure), use a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until soft peaks form. This should take about 2 minutes.
Then with the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar in three separate additions, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 5 seconds before adding the next tablespoon.
After all 3 tablespoons of sugar have been added, beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Do not over-beat.
Slowly and GENTLY fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture a bit at a time. The goal here is to not lose the air out of your whipped egg whites, because that's where the souffle's rise will come from. It’s best to do this in 3 separate additions (starting with a small one where you can be a little rougher and kind of "slacken" the mixture to make it easier to stir in), combining each addition completely before folding in more.
Refrigerate the batter for 5-10 minutes as you preheat the oven and prepare the ramekins. (If leaving in the fridge longer in than an hour, cover it; you can make this up to two days ahead of time).
Prepare the ramekins: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 400°F (204°C).
Brush a generous coating of the softened butter all over the inside of four 6-ounce oven-safe straight sided ramekins. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar, then shake/rotate each to ensure every spot of the ramekin has a sugar coating (discard the excess). Place ramekins on a baking sheet.
Spoon your batter evenly into the ramekins. It should come right to the top, then using a knife or icing spatula, smooth the surface flat. Run the knife/icing spatula (or even your thumb) around the rim at the top to create a little “channel” between the batter and the rim of your pan (see pics).
Bake: Place the baking sheet with your ramekins in the oven. Close the door and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F (191°C). Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles when you give the pan a light tap. Don't open the door at all until at least after 10 minutes, but avoid opening much at all.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately (plain or with optional toppings). Soufflés begin to fall within minutes so you want to serve them fresh.

Notes

Personally, the semi-sweet was a bit too sweet for me, so I'd use something like the Guittard 60% bar linked below next time.
As with many simple recipes, this is only as good as the chocolate you use. I love Guittard brand myself and it’s pretty easy to find, but Ghiradelli and Bakers brand are both mass versions that are decent as well. Make sure you’re using the baking bars, not chocolate chips or wafers, as those have extra ingredients that will affect the end result.
Don't over-whip your egg whites. You want stiff peaks, but if you take them further than that it will mess with your texture and also make it hard to gently fold them into the chocolate mixture.