This post is heavily detailed to teach beginner bakers how to make fluffy, yet rich 7 ingredient chocolate soufflé. 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 brûlée, 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 soufflé 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 soufflé 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 soufflé as well as the bittersweet soufflé 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 soufflé 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 soufflé 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 Soufflé Success Tips: What I’ve Learned
- Chocolate soufflé 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 soufflé’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 soufflés 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 soufflé 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 soufflé, I recommend the ramekins or soufflé 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 soufflé dish: I own and love the Apilco 1.5 quart soufflé dish, pictured below. It’s doubles as a great serving bowl, too. The amount of batter doesn’t fill either size, but the baked soufflé 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 soufflé 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 soufflé-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 soufflés into bowls/onto plates. A jumbo muffin pan could work and will produce 2-3 large soufflés. 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 soufflé(s). Avoid checking excessively, though.
- Waiting too long to serve: Serve soufflé 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. Soufflés 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 soufflé 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 soufflé 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 soufflés 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 & New York Times
Keywords: chocolate souffle
Absolutely delicious! So light and fluffy. Great option for people who don’t like “rich” desserts. (I love rich desserts, but I love this, too!) I served it with Sally’s whipped cream and raspberry sauce. I preferred just whipped cream but my husband loved the whipped cream and raspberry sauce combo. Definitely was not as intimidating as I thought a soufflé would be. I made it in the suggested 6oz ramekins. I baked two the first night and refrigerated the second two in their ramekins, ready to go for the next night. The souffle’s the next evening turned out just as good!
I do have a question Sally… would this recipe be able to be made dairy free, by substituting vegan butter?
★★★★★
Hi Ashley, we’re so glad you enjoyed this challenge recipe! Those sound like delicious toppings. We haven’t tested this recipe with vegan butter, but let us know if you give it a try.
This was a very approachable recipe,
especially considering how fancy it looks! When making the batter, I separated the first egg into the wrong bowl (major oops) so had 3 yolks plus 1 white in the chocolate mixture; I only whipped 2 whites with the cream of tartar. I gambled and decided not to start over, so while the rise probably would have been better if I hadn’t goofed, my husband, 2YO, almost 6YO, and I finished every last bite. I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
This souffle was delicious and once again Sally provides a wonderful step-by-step guide that makes what would have otherwise been an intimidating dessert totally manageable. We topped ours with some of her salted caramel, which provided the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Thanks for making me look fancy this Valentine’s Day, Sally!
★★★★★
First time making soufflé and it turned out so well. This recipe made an intimidating dessert easy to make.
★★★★★
Holy Cow!
I made these in a muffin pan because I wasn’t sure I wanted to invest in ramekins quite yet. They weren’t pretty to eat because I hade to scoop them out…but so so good. I felt like a gourmet baker, and your tips and video were so helpful. Totally buying ramekins!
★★★★★
I have made chocolate souffle in the past, but this was the best recipe. It was light, airy, and not too sweet.
★★★★★
The chocolate souffles turned out wonderfully. They had a light and airy texture with a good chocolate flavor. When making these again, I would probably try some espresso powder in the chocolate mixture to enhance the chocolate flavor. This recipe is not complicated or time consuming for an indulgent treat.
★★★★★
I’m not an avid baker and never made soufflé before, but Sally’s instructions were so great. I read them a few times and also watched the video several times, and the result was great! Absolutely delicious! Thank you Sally for all your tips and notes, it’s so fun challenging myself with your recipes, they are always a hit!
★★★★★
Sally’s right on…soufflés shouldn’t be intimidating! This was my first time making one. I read the recipe and watched the video a few times in advance and was sure to follow her directions precisely. I ended up making the batter in the morning and assembling/baking after dinner. I used 6 ounces ramekins and baked for 14 minutes and they came out great…like a fluffier lava cake. I got about a half inch rise above the rim of the ramekins, but would have liked a little more. Thinking maybe I folded the egg whites to much? Wasn’t sure if I should have left streaks in the batter. Doesn’t matter though, as everyone thoroughly enjoyed their dessert!
★★★★★
We followed your dish size options and used a 1.5 qt dish to make one big dessert for our family on Valentines Day. It was so elegant and delicious!
★★★★★
Wonderful, easy to follow recipe. Turned out great and made a perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day!
★★★★★
Soooo delicious, and much easier than I originally thought a souffle would be!
The perfect Valentine’s Day recipe, I had not made a chocolate soufflé before but I was delighted with the result as was my husband. I coupled with the salted caramel sauce for a heavenly combination. I even added a few berries for good measure.
The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I also like that it uses whole eggs it’s so annoying having a yolk or white left over.
I reheated one of the leftovers today in the microwave and got a lovely more cakey pud. I will definitely be adding this to the make again list.
★★★★★
Love the recipe and video. I got a nice rise on mine and the top was a perfect texture, but, the insides were soupy under baked. I baked for 14 mins. Any suggestions? Can’t wait to make these again. You made a intimidating recipe so easy (well almost ).
★★★★★
These were SO decadent, and super fun to make! Mine took a little longer than 13 minutes (more like 15), and my ramekin dishes are larger than standard so although they rose a LOT I didn’t quite get that satisfying puffing-up-over-the-top look. When I make them again (when, not if haha), I’ll probably make an extra half batch of batter to make sure that I have plenty of batter to fill my ramekins to the top.
★★★★★
This turned out really good! Like some other people, if I had split it into four 6oz ramekins it would not have looked as full as the recipe pictures. I ended up splitting it equally amongst two 6oz ramekins and they were just very full. They rose great and tasted amazing!
★★★★
These were so fast and simple to make! My only problem was that my house was so cold that my chocolate mixture solidified while I was busy with the egg whites! Consequently, I’m pretty sure I over-mixed when I folded in my egg whites so I didn’t get a great rise. Nonetheless, they still tasted awesome and I’d totally try the recipe again!! Great Valentine’s Day dessert!
★★★★★
Yummy:) my son and I shared it. It was really easy to make. I didn’t make my channel wide enough..but it was still really good. The middle was a little runny…so next time I’ll give them another minute… It was a fun new thing to try.
★★★★★
I made this recipe for me and my husband on Valentine’s Day! It was light, fluffy and decadent. I swapped out the semisweet chocolate with bittersweet and topped it with sweetened whipped cream. Yum!
★★★★★
This recipe was a total home run. So easy to make following the excellent directions. I only had 10 oz. ramekins so there was enough for two. I added a minute or two to the baking time and they were perfect. I made my favorite Salted Caramel to pour in the center and my husband said they were better than any we have had in a restaurant. Will make again and again.
★★★★★
This was a dessert that I have ALWAYS wanted to make, but have been so intimidated to try, until now! Wow this was decadent, delicious, and easy. I can’t believe I have waited this long to make them. My taste testers we absolutely over the moon and could believe that I made them. How great that this is such a fancy restaurant dessert that I can now confidently make at home! Thank you Sally!
★★★★★
I have never made souffles before, and these were fun to make! I’m not sure what I did wrong, but mine squirted out the side while baking. They rose nicely and tasted great though!
★★★★★
This recipe and the tutorial is wonderful! I was interrupted about 40 times by my kids and it still came together and baked perfectly! It made a special addition to our Valentine dinner. I now have a new favorite dessert, it was so rich and light at the same time, all with ingredients I already had on hand. Thank you!
★★★★★
this was delicious! i made it for the baking challenge and valentine’s day. i was nervous about my egg white whipping skills but the recipe details were so helpful and they came out perfectly! my family loved it! now when covid is over i can have a dinner party and make soufflés for all! thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Made for the baking challenge, and it turned out beautifully! Folks really loved it with the red wine chocolate ganache. Only thing to note is that it took much longer in my oven (closer to 17-18 mins), so don’t freak if it’s not rising by minute 13.
★★★★★
Super yummy and easy to make! I had to bake mine a little longer than the recipe stated but they turned out beautifully!
★★★★★
I’ve always wanted to try making chocolate soufflé, but sounded daunting and scary. This recipe is easy to follow and turns out beautifully. I chose to prep these in the morning and put them into their ramekins to sit in the fridge for a quick pop into the oven during Valentine’s dinner and they were a huge success. My husband asked for them to be baked again on his birthday!
★★★★★
This is the first time I have made a soufflé and it came out great for Valentine’s Day! I love how you give us tips and videos to help with people like me that can sometimes feel hesitant to try certain recipes. I only put powdered sugar on top, but was still delicious. Will be making again!
★★★★★
Thank you for making what always felt like a complicated recipe feel achievable! This was absolute perfection and your instructions were on point.
★★★★★
I’ve never even eaten a soufflé before but knew this would be a perfect Valentine’s treat for my chocolate-loving husband. It was a hit! And much easier to make than I anticipated. Your video and instructions were clear and easy to follow. As always, another win from your bank of recipes. I’ll definitely be making it again!
★★★★★
I made these for valentines, and it was a huge hit! It was so luscious that no one was ready to believe that I didn’t flake hours in the kitchen trying to perfect it. The recipe was easy to follow and the tips were great. I served with a side of raspberry sauce for the kids to make it sweeter for their young pallets. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks Sally!
★★★★★