Ah, freshly baked soufflés — the ultimate showstopper dessert 🍮✨. Light, airy, and delicate, they look intimidating but are totally doable if you follow the right technique. Here’s a clear guide for classic sweet soufflés.
Classic Sweet Soufflés
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)
- 2 tbsp sugar (for greasing)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: cocoa powder, grated chocolate, or fruit puree
Equipment
- 4 ramekins (6–8 oz size)
- Electric mixer or whisk
- Baking sheet
Instructions
1. Prep the ramekins
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Grease ramekins with butter, then coat with sugar (tilt to cover evenly)
2. Make the base (pastry cream-style)
- Melt butter in a small saucepan
- Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute
- Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until thickened
- Remove from heat, whisk in egg yolks and vanilla until smooth
- Let cool slightly
3. Beat egg whites
- In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
- Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks
4. Fold carefully
- Fold ¼ of egg whites into the base to lighten it
- Gently fold in the remaining whites in 2 additions, do not deflate
5. Fill ramekins
- Spoon soufflé mixture into ramekins just below the top
- Smooth the tops with a spatula
- Optional: sprinkle sugar or cocoa on top
6. Bake
- Place ramekins on a baking sheet
- Bake 18–22 minutes until risen and golden
- Do not open the oven during baking
7. Serve immediately
- Soufflés start to deflate quickly, so bring to the table right away
Tips for perfect soufflés
- Room-temperature eggs whip better
- Fold gently — this keeps them airy
- Ramekins can be run under hot water to help batter cling for higher rise
- Flavor variations: chocolate, citrus zest, Grand Marnier, raspberry
If you want, I can give you a foolproof chocolate soufflé recipe or a cheese/savory soufflé version that’s beginner-friendly but bakery-level impressive.
Which one do you want?
