How to Make Chocolate Soufflé (You Can Do It!)

What’s the Big Deal About Chocolate Soufflé, Anyway?

Soufflés are kind of magical. The experience of eating a good one is unforgettable, like biting into a flavorful, delicious cloud. Anytime they are seen on a restaurant menu—often for dessert, in the form of chocolate—patrons gasp in surprise and delight. 

We have to order that, diners often rationalize, because soufflés are so rare and special, so difficult to make—requiring years of specialized training under the auspices of a trained French chef—that they may never be so lucky as to see one offered on a menu ever, ever again. And certainly, they think, they would never attempt such a feat as making soufflé at home.

The prepared dish certainly looks impressive, rising mile-high and wobbling precariously above the edges of its mold, as though the whole thing might collapse at any moment (which, actually… it might). It tends to elicit oohs and ahhs when it finally appears at the table, often with an accompanying bit of sauce that the server will pour into the prepared soufflé, tableside, with a flourish. It is a fun and memorable moment of drama.

So, Is It Really That Hard To Make Chocolate Soufflé At Home?

It is true that soufflés don’t often appear on restaurant menus, but it’s not because they are so difficult to make—rather, because they are tricky to time. Each one must be made exactly to order. The preparation cannot be rushed, nor can the soufflé wait an extra minute once it emerges from the oven. If you have seen them offered on a menu, you may also have seen a note along the lines of, “Please allow 20 extra minutes for preparation.” Not all restaurants are well-equipped to handle the tricky timing. 

Soufflés are actually quite easy to prepare, and require very little in the way of prep time. However, it will help to read my tips and tricks below so that you can avoid common pitfalls. Soon, you will be using my easy chocolate soufflé recipe to awe your appreciative guests.

Ready To Learn How To Make Chocolate Soufflé? Let’s Do It!

Are you ready? Below, find some tips to help make sure your soufflés turn out perfectly, then read on to find my easy chocolate soufflé recipe.

Friendly Advice: Before You Begin Making Chocolate Soufflé At Home

• Quality of ingredients: Use the best ingredients available. Soufflés are simple and delicate; to shine, they need great ingredients. In particular, avoid low-quality chocolate, which may contain ingredients that will adversely affect the final product.
• Baking dishes: Soufflé molds (ceramic ramekins made for this purpose) are ideal, since they are deep with high sides to support the soufflé as it rises. Other ramekins, or even a small Dutch oven, may be substituted. Prepare molds by coating the interior liberally with softened butter, then adding an additional layer of dry ingredients: finely-grated cheese (savory) or fine granulated sugar (sweet ). This will allow the soufflé to rise properly, without sticking to the sides of the mold. 

Properly Preparing the Egg Whites and Base

• Preparing the egg whites: Soufflés rely on stiffly whipped egg whites for their signature texture and height. If the egg whites encounter even a tiny bit of fat, they will not reach the proper consistency.
  • Therefore, make absolutely sure that your bowl and beater are completely clean and completely dry. Separate your eggs as follows: break your eggs, tipping the yolk into one bowl and the white into another. As you finish cracking each egg, pour the separated white into your mixing bowl, one at a time. That way, if you accidentally break a yolk, you can reserve that egg for another purpose rather than spoiling your entire batch of egg whites with one broken yolk. 
  • The egg whites should be thick and glossy, and will form lasting stiff peaks when you remove the beater. When underdone, they will not form peaks, or the peaks will sink quickly back down into the whites. When overdone, the eggs will be very dry and foamy, like cappuccino foam or bubble bath.
• Preparing the base: You will prepare a flavorful base on the stovetop before gently folding in the whites. Set this base aside to cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the whites, lest the heat deflate your carefully-whipped egg whites. 

Knowing When Your Soufflé Is Done

• Texture/doneness: The ideal texture of a souffé is light and fluffy throughout, with a pleasantly runny center. This is called the baveuse. If you have ever had a properly prepared French omelette, which has a deliciously creamy interior, you know what the baveuse is. Underdone soufflés will have goopy, wet, overly-runny centers; a bit like chocolate lava cake. Overdone soufflés are completely dry throughout, and typically, over-browned on top. Perfect soufflés have just a teaspoon or so of pleasant creaminess at the center.

Soufflés 201: Experimenting With Flavors, Sides, and Beverages

• Experimenting with this easy chocolate soufflé recipe: Once you understand the basic steps and are comfortable making this soufflé as directed, you can experiment with your own flavors and ingredients. However, it is advisable to avoid adding “heavy” items (e.g., nuts or dried fruit). This may inhibit rising, and/or adversely affect the soufflé’s texture.

Try serving the chocolate soufflé with some Port, as Olivia suggests below, or an Irish Cream Iced Coffee.