This post is heavily detailed to teach beginner bakers how to make fluffy, yet rich 7 ingredient chocolate soufflĂ©. If you’re already a pro, you can scroll right down to the recipe. But for best success, I recommend reading all of my tips and explanations, as well as reviewing the video tutorial and step-by-step photos.
Along with creme brĂ»lĂ©e, chocolate souffle is one of the most raved about, luxurious French desserts. But here’s the thing that most beginner bakers don’t realize: it sounds a lot more intimidating than it actually is. Trust me, I was a ball of nerves when I first attempted soufflĂ© in a French dessert class 3 years ago. It’s where I learned to bake choux pastry, too. Once I got started on both, I realized I was perfectly capable—and you are too. In fact, many are surprised to learn that you only need 7 basic ingredients for chocolate soufflĂ© and the entire process is about 45 minutes start to finish. (If that!)
And for those in need of gluten free dessert recipes, chocolate souffle fits the bill!
I’m going to walk you through each step so you feel confident when it’s your turn.
Chocolate Soufflé Details
- Texture: I applied some techniques I learned in class and adapted this recipe from Saveur‘s flourless soufflĂ© as well as the bittersweet soufflĂ© recipe found on New York Times. (Their recipe has deep, dark chocolate flavor and I found it a little heavy on the cream of tartar—just my opinion though.) The soufflĂ© I make at home is semi-sweet. Each spoonful is perfectly balanced between (1) magically rich and (2) blissfully spongey with a set crackly top. It’s wild that one bite can encompass all this varying texture, but that’s why chocolate soufflĂ© is so special. There’s just nothing like it.
- Flavor: Semi-sweet. I first prepared it with 1/4 cup of sugar, but reduced the final amount to 3 Tablespoons so more of the chocolate flavor comes through.
- Ease: I’m categorizing this with my advanced baking recipes simply because there’s a few moving parts and there’s an importance placed on the precise mixing methods. However, if you’re a beginner, don’t let that discourage you from trying it.
- Time: I appreciate that this recipe can go from oven to table immediately. No waiting for it to cool because soufflé will quickly fall. This recipe will take you no more than 45 minutes if using ramekins.
This chocolate soufflé is a naturally gluten free recipe.
Video Tutorial: How to Make Chocolate Soufflé
Chocolate SoufflĂ© Success Tips: What I’ve Learned
- Chocolate soufflĂ© is only as good as the chocolate you use. I use and recommend semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate. It’s sold in 4 ounce bars in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. I use, love, and recommend Ghirardelli and Bakers brand. Do not use chocolate chips. The flavor, texture, and rise will be compromised.
- Whip the egg whites appropriately and fold in gently. You’ll notice that baking powder and soda are missing. That’s because all of a soufflĂ©’s rise is from the whipped egg whites. If this step is skipped or changed, it will directly impact how your dessert rises. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until soft peaks form, then with the mixer still running, slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. This is the same process we use for making chocolate swirled meringues. We only use a small amount of cream of tartar, but it has a BIG job—it helps the egg whites hold their peaks. It’s an imperative ingredient that you cannot skip. In a pinch, the same amount of lemon juice or white vinegar can be used as a substitute. But for best results, use cream of tartar. Here are many more recipes using cream of tartar too. After your egg whites reach stiff peaks, very slowly and gently fold them into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions, always being careful to avoid excessive deflating.
- Chill the batter as the oven preheats. This is a super useful tip I learned in my class—as you preheat the oven, place the batter in the refrigerator. This quick 5-10 minute chill slightly thickens the batter and, from what I’ve experienced, helps the soufflĂ©s rise a bit taller. After refrigerating, spoon into your ramekins/dish. You could also cover and chill the batter up to 2 days in advance.
- Reduce oven temperature: Preheat the oven to a hot 400°F (204°C). Then immediately after you place the soufflés inside, reduce the temperature down to 375°F (191°C). Why? The initial hot burst of air will help the batter rise up, while the slightly lower heat will help evenly cook the centers.
Step-By-Step Photos
Chop up your quality chocolate, then melt it with butter in a double boiler or in 20 second increments in the microwave. Some chocolate soufflé recipes use heavy cream instead of butter, but I prefer the flavor, texture, and richness butter provides.
Below left: Separate your eggs. It’s convenient that this recipe uses 3 egg whites and 3 egg yolks—there’s no extra yolks or whites. If you’re interested, an egg separator always makes this task this easier. You don’t want any remnants of yolks in your egg white because any fat will prevent the whites from whipping properly.
Below right: Whisk egg yolks, vanilla, and salt into your chocolate/butter mixture.
Here is the chocolate/butter/yolk/vanilla/salt mixture:
Below left: Whip egg whites and cream of tartar into soft peaks.
And below right: After you slowly add/beat in the sugar, the egg whites will considerably expand in volume and eventually reach stiff peaks.
Below left: In 3 additions, slowly fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture.
And below right: Here is the batter after folding in all of the egg whites.
Refrigerate batter as you preheat the oven. See how it slightly thickened when compared to the photo above?
Now it’s time to prepare the ramekins/dishes.
Below right: Spread or brush every crevice/inch of your ramekin with softened butter, then coat in granulated sugar. The sugar coating helps the soufflés rise straight up (no sticking!) and adds a pleasant crust around the exterior. You saw me do this step in the video tutorial above.
Below left: Spoon batter into ramekins, then level off with a knife or flat icing spatula.
If You Read Anything Here, Read This:
Run a knife, icing spatula, or your thumb around the very top rim, creating a “channel” between the batter and the rim of your pan. Why? This forces the soufflĂ© to rise UP without expanding OUT.
Chocolate Soufflé Toppings
You can serve it plain, but crème anglaise, which is a thin custard cream, is a popular option. We like ours with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a little whipped cream (halve this whipped cream recipe), and fresh raspberries. Other options include a spoonful of red wine chocolate ganache, a drizzle of salted caramel, or you could even use the raspberry sauce from these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars. Have fun with garnishes!
Pan Options & Bake Times
This recipe produces about 3 heaping cups of batter, which is close to 1/2 quart. For the most authentic chocolate soufflĂ©, I recommend the ramekins or soufflĂ© dish detailed below. However, I know many home bakers don’t own either. You can definitely get away with using other pans and I explain each below.
Guideline/directions for other pans: The bake time for 6 ounce ceramic or porcelain oven-safe ramekins is included in the written recipe below. For all other pans, prep the pans as detailed in step 7 (same amount of butter/sugar should be plenty for any pan you use), add the batter as detailed in step 8, then bake until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles when you give the pan a light tap. All pans/dishes should be placed on a baking sheet in the oven, though that’s not necessary if you’re using a muffin pan. Oven temperatures remain the same no matter which pan/dish you use.
- 6-ounce ceramic or porcelain oven-safe ramekins with straight sides: These ramekins are the best option for this recipe and the bake time is included in the recipe below. Conveniently, we use the same size for other recipes too including chocolate fudge cakes, chocolate lava cakes, upside down key lime pies, spinach & bacon dip, and lemon pudding cakes. I love Emile Henry and Apilco brands for their high quality—I bought both online at Williams Sonoma. Other fantastic options include these or these. 6-ounce cast iron ramekins could work too, as long as they have straight sides. The bake time will be about a minute shorter than stated in the recipe below. If using smaller straight sided ramekins, the bake time will be shorter. If using larger (such as 8 ounce) straight sided ramekins, the bake time will be a couple minutes longer. Fill ramekins to the top with batter, just as I instruct with the 6-ounce size.
- 1 or 1.5 quart soufflĂ© dish: I own and love the Apilco 1.5 quart soufflĂ© dish, pictured below. It’s doubles as a great serving bowl, too. The amount of batter doesn’t fill either size, but the baked soufflĂ© rises pretty tall as you can see. The bake time for either size about 26-30 minutes. You could get away with a 3/4 quart dish and an extra few minutes in the oven, but I wouldn’t go smaller than that due to rising.
- Any 1 or 1.5 quart oven-safe dish with straight sides: You can use any oven-safe casserole dish as long as it’s about 1-1.5 quarts and has straight sides. The bake time will vary depending on how deep your pan is, so use the guideline above. Like I mention with the soufflĂ© dish, you could get away with a 3/4 quart dish, but I wouldn’t go smaller than that due to rising.
- Oven-safe mugs: Mugs could work too, but it’s imperative to ensure yours are 100% safe. It’s best not to assume mugs are oven-safe if they’re made from stoneware or porcelain, though. If they are truly oven-safe, there will be a manufacturer stamp/statement/guarantee on the bottom.
- Standard 12-count muffin pan: This recipe yields 8 muffin size soufflĂ©-like desserts. As you can see in the photo below, they don’t rise much since muffin cups don’t have straight sides. Bake time is 10 minutes. For serving, spoon out the warm soufflĂ©s into bowls/onto plates. A jumbo muffin pan could work and will produce 2-3 large soufflĂ©s. I’m unsure of the best bake time for a jumbo pan, so use the guideline above.
Why Did my Chocolate Soufflé Fall?
- Under-whipped egg whites: Follow step 3 below very closely.
- Over-mixed + deflated batter: Slowly and gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions, always being careful to avoid over-mixing and excessive deflating.
- Opening and closing the oven too much: You’ll likely have to open your oven to check the doneness of your soufflĂ©(s). Avoid checking excessively, though.
- Waiting too long to serve: Serve soufflĂ© as soon as it comes out of the oven because it begins to fall within minutes. Have your toppings ready to go before they’re done. If they fall before serving, not much is lost except for that impressive height. You’ll still have that sponge-like texture underneath a crackly top, though it settles into a denser texture as time passes.
See Your Chocolate Soufflé Success!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge!
PrintChocolate Soufflé
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: four 6 ounce soufflés
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
Use this thorough recipe to make fluffy, yet rich chocolate soufflés. For best success, I recommend reading all of the recipe notes and explanations, as well as reviewing the video tutorial and step-by-step photos above.
Ingredients
Soufflé Batter
- 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 Tablespoon size pieces
- 4 ounce (113g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped*
- 3 large eggs, separated*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
Prepping The Ramekins
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, extra soft (the softer it is, the easier it is to spread)
- 4 teaspoons (16g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- For the batter: Melt the 4 Tablespoons of butter and the chopped chocolate together in a double boiler or in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted and combined. Slightly cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt into chocolate mixture. Set aside.
- In a completely clean residue-free medium glass or metal mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar in 3 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. It’s best to do this in 3 separate additions, combining each addition completely before folding in more.
- Refrigerate the batter for 5-10 minutes as you preheat the oven and prepare the ramekins. (No need to cover the batter unless you are refrigerating it for longer than 1 hour. Can be made up to 2 days in advance, see make ahead instructions below.)
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 400°F (204°C).
- Prepare the ramekins: Brush four 6-ounce oven-safe straight sided ramekins with a generous coating of the softened butter. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar, then shake/rotate each to ensure every spot of the ramekin has a sugar coating. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Discard excess sugar.
- Spoon batter evenly into ramekins. Using a knife or icing spatula, smooth down the surface. Run a knife, icing spatula, or your thumb around the rim at the top, creating a “channel” between the batter and the rim of your pan. Feel free to wipe the edges clean with a towel, though I don’t always do that and don’t notice a difference in appearance or rise.
- Bake: Place baking sheet with ramekins on top in the oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 375°F (191°C). Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles when you give the pan a light tap. Avoid opening/closing the oven too much.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately plain or with optional toppings. SoufflĂ©s begin to fall within minutes. You’ll still have that sponge-like texture underneath a crackly top, though it settles into a denser texture as time passes. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the souffle batter up to 2 days in advance (steps 1-4). Cover and refrigerate the batter in the mixing bowl or in the ramekins/dish until ready bake. Add another minute or so to the bake time if you refrigerated it for longer than 1 hour. I do not recommend freezing this soufflé batter or the baked and cooled soufflés.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Egg White Separator | 6 Ounce Oven-Safe Ramekins (like these or these) | Flat Icing Spatula | Double Boiler (optional)
- Topping Options: You can serve chocolate soufflĂ© plain, but crème anglaise is a popular option. We like ours with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a little whipped cream (halve this whipped cream recipe), and fresh raspberries. Other options include red wine chocolate ganache, salted caramel, or the raspberry sauce from these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars.
- Chocolate: For the best results, use a 4 ounce “baking chocolate” bar found in the baking aisle. I prefer Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or even milk chocolate. We have not tested it with white chocolate, so we can’t guarantee results. Do not use chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency.
- Eggs: Room temperature egg whites hold more volume, so if you can bring them to room temperature before beginning, that’s helpful. However, I’ve made soufflĂ© with cold eggs and it’s never been a real issue.
- Cream of Tartar: We only use a small amount of cream of tartar, but it has a BIG job—it helps the egg whites hold their peaks. It’s an imperative ingredient that you cannot skip. In a pinch, the same amount of lemon juice or white vinegar can be used as a substitute. But for best results, use cream of tartar.
- Other Dishes/Pans: See Pan Options & Bake Times section above. Oven temperatures remain the same no matter which pan/dish you use.
- Doubling This Recipe: You can double this recipe for 8 individual soufflĂ©s by doubling all of the ingredients. Beating the egg whites may take longer since you’re working with more volume.
Methods/practice learned from pastry class; recipe adapted from Saveur &Â New York Times
These turned out really nice and I’m happy that I tried something new. I’ve never had a soufflĂ© so I wasn’t sure what to expect…the texture is light and airy with a really nice chocolate not overly sweet taste. The recipe came together really easily and baked up nicely. My kids sat in front of the oven laughing how tall they got, and they liked the taste too. Thank you Sally for a new challenge, they are always something I look forward to:)
So good! I especially loved the texture. This was my first time making and tasting soufflé and it was AMAZING!
Weird question but how quickly do they usually fall after removing them from the oven? I wanna know how much time I have to take a picture of them lol
Also I have two, 8 oz ramekins and one, 6 oz. Do you think the recipe will fill two, 8 oz ramekins perfectly or will there be excess?
Hi Sofia, usually within minutes. This recipe will fill 2 8 ounce ramekins with a little excess.
Hi Sally,
Loved the recipe. The soufflés came out absolutely perfect. I kept watching them rise in the oven..what a delight!!
Definitely going to use this recipe over and over again.
Thank you so much!
Hi Sally,
Loved the recipe. The soufflés came out absolutely perfect. I kept watching them rise in the oven..what a delight!!
Definitely going to use this recipe over and over again.
Thank you so much!
Where has this been all of my life? I have never eaten chocolate soufflé let alone made one so when I saw this recipe I was intrigued. The soufflés came out so light and airy yet with such a rich flavor. My husband said they tasted like they were from a fancy restaurant. I am dreaming about the next time I make them. I highly recommend you try these!
This is a great recipe, that we will make again! I am a 50+ Year old experienced cook, but had never made a soufflé. As a treat we have had molten lava cake, but prefer the rich, light, not too sweet taste of the soufflé even better. Great instructions. My ramekins I think where a bit larger, we only filled 3 with this recipe, so we cooked for an them for a extra 2 mins. Fabulous
Super super yummy!!! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! It was my first time making a soufflé and my whole family loved it, and are already requesting it again! Thank you soooo much for sharing this awesome recipe with us!
Mmmmm, this sounds amazing! Can I use melting chocolates or chocolate chips instead? I have both of those, but no chocolate bars in stock…
We suggest you do not use chocolate chips or melting chocolates, as the flavor, texture, and rise will be compromised. Stick with baking chocolate for the best soufflé!
Hi Sally!! Looking forward to making this…in advance..tomorrow for dinner with my daughter on Thursday night (lobsters!). I do have the 6 ounce ramekins but the sides are rounded. I also have the larger 1 1/2 cup straight edge ramekins. Would one be better than the other? Thanking you in advance for your reply!
Hi Deb, straight edges are always ideal so the souffle rises properly. Do your ramekins hold 12 ounces then? They would be very large soufflés and the recipe would only yield 2.
Wow, super easy and fun! I used ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate chips, they melt quickly and smoothly, plus they are yummy. I always keep a container in the fridge to have a quick chocolate snack! I will make this recipe again when we are in the mood for something rich and chocolaty.
These were delicious! I used a mix of bitter chocolate and milk chocolate.
My son asked me to make them every day for dessert!
This recipe was so simple and eased my mind because I thought baking a soufflé would be super complicated and was nervous. Sally really makes sure to give all the best tips and explanations to ensure we succeed like she does! This chocolate soufflé was so delicious – not overly sweet or rich but balanced and so light/airy! Mine only made 3 of the 6oz ramekins but I’m sure that I either under whipped the egg whites or deflated with over-mixing so had less batter but they still baked and rose beautifully!
This was delicious! Thank you for the easy to follow directions. My husband and I both enjoyed it, can’t wait to use the remaining batter for our dessert tonight. We sprinkled powder sugar on top and Sally’s homemade caramel sauce. Thanks Sally!
These were absolutely delicious! I wasn’t able to get the characteristic flat top, so I’m not sure what happened there. My tops were more rounded. They had an incredible rise in the oven, but they fell so fast! We still loved them though. I’d say not too bad for a first attempt!
I’d love to try this recipe! The ramekins I have are 4 ounce. How much batter in each ramekin – 2/3 full like for a cake pan? Should I shorten the baking time? Thanks Sally!
Hi Ro, simply fill your ramekins to the top. You may get 5-6 soufflés. Bake time will be a minute or so quicker.
Hi Sally. My ramekins are only 5 ounces. Any concerns with this other than I should make 5 soufflés instead of 4?
No concerns at all. The bake time will be a minute or so quicker.
Wonderful instructions and challenge! This was very easy to follow and came out perfectly. However, my family apparently aren’t soufflĂ© fans. We prefer a denser chocolate dessert, like brownies. Still, it is good to try new recipes and techniques and this is definitely something I never would have thought of trying otherwise. So thanks for that!
This recipe looks so easy and delicious..I will be making this tomorrow.thank you for the video def brings the recipe to life and I def think I can do it..Thank you for giving me a simple recipe for what seemed to be a hard dessert..
Sally–having just watched the tutorial and read everything on your blog–quick question re your directions to “Run a knife, icing spatula, or your thumb around the edges, creating a “channel” between the batter and the rim of your pan. Why? This forces the souffle to rise UP without expanding OUT.”–I can’t tell–am I supposed to put the knife/icing spatula all the way down to the bottom of the ramekin/baking vessel of choice before running it around the rim–or just around the top inch or so? I’m confused based upon being able to use one’s finger–can you further explain? Thanks and sorry to be confused. Best, Diane
Hi Diane, I’m happy to clarify. Just around the top rim of the ramekin/baking dish— very shallow. Not even an inch and not all the way down to the bottom.
Perfect and just what I needed to know! Thank you so much, Sally–this is super helpful and I appreciate you letting me know right away. You are a wonderful teacher and I appreciate all you do.
This recipe was so simple and eased my mind because I thought baking a soufflĂ© would be super complicated and was nervous. Sally really makes sure to give all the best tips and explanations to ensure we succeed like she does! This chocolate soufflĂ© was so delicious – not overly sweet or rich but balanced and so light/airy! Mine only made 3 of the 6oz ramekins but I’m sure that I either under whipped the egg whites or deflated with over-mixing so had less batter but they still baked and rose beautifully!
This is my first time baking a souffle and it was so fun! I thought it would be more complicated, but it turned out to be quite a simple recipe to follow. Keep us the recipes Sally, we love em!
*up
Dear Sally–I would love to make this for my husband, but he would be the only one eating it…So, Question: Does it keep? Can you store it in the fridge or on the counter for a few days or does the texture and consistency change? As always, thanks so much!
Hi Diane! Yes, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days. Soufflé settles into a denser texture as time passes though.
Oh, Sally–thank you so much! My husband will love this and knowing it just gets more dense with time will only make him more happy, I’m sure. You are the best and we appreciate you and all you do so very much! Thanks Again!
This is so cool, and it looks delicious!
You are so amazing Sally!!! I always go to your website first to find the perfect recipe, and so far, everything has turned out so well!
Thank you so much for your amazingly detailed instructions and step by step pictures! You’ve helped me really appreciate food and baking, and I always feel so relaxed in the kitchen doing one of your recipes!
Question: How long will I have before my souffle deflates?
Thank you so much, and keep doing the amazing work that you are!
Thank you for all your kind words, Shravya! Soufflés typically begin to fall within minutes.
Hey Sally! Looks delicious! Can the recipe be halved with no problems? It is just me and my husband and since they are better served right after baking, we’d only need two ramekins. Thanks!
Hi Stefanie, this recipe uses 3 eggs so you need 1 + 1/2. It’s difficult to perfectly halve a separated egg and I fear the texture and overall outcome of the soufflĂ©s will suffer. If you try it, let us know. Or you can make the recipe as written and only fill 2 ramekins then discard leftover batter OR make the recipe as written and store leftovers in the refrigerator and eat up within a few days.
Not enough stars! These things are amazing. The only thing that threw me off, was how much to fill the cups with. It worked though. I used the 6oz Pyrex bowls I had. Not a real good rise, but you can see it.
Thank you for such a good recipe, easy recipe (in reality), the video and detailed instructions. Now, guess I have to wait for March?
Posting to the group on FB with pictures of the steps.
Email has been sent.
Hi! Do you have any recommendations for replacing the sugar. So… coconut sugar? honey? maple syrup? Looking forward to trying this out! Thank you!
Hi Suzan, I do not recommend liquid sugar/sweetener. You have to be very careful with those egg whites and I’m not sure if coconut sugar will work properly. For best taste and texture, I strongly recommend following the recipe as written. Here are other recipes using coconut sugar if you are interested.
Can I mix milk chocolate and semi-sweet? I love one and my husband loves the other! Just wondering about using both together!
Hi Lauri, mixing chocolates shouldn’t be a problem.
How could I replace cream of tartar?
Hi Susan, See recipe note.
Hi Sally! I’m still a baker in training so this question may seem silly…if I use bittersweet chocolate would you add more sugar than with semi-sweet?
I have been baking since last spring – Covid baker – and I’ve learned so much from you – thank you!
Thanks Kathy. Bittersweet is extremely close to semi-sweet, only slightly darker though there is no actual regulated distinction between them (on the store shelves, for example). If you want to read about their typical cacao percentages, here’s my Baking with Chocolate page.
Hi Sally! Will Lindt baking MILK chocolate work well here?
You can use milk chocolate. See recipe note. Lindt is a great choice in terms of quality.