Cheese Soufflé: a delicious recipe for the classic savory French dish

With its lighter-than-air texture and mouthwatering cheesy flavor, there's nothing like homemade cheese soufflé. This classic French dish may seem intimidating, but it's actually incredibly easy to make cheese soufflé. And it's totally worth it as well! The fluffy, airy texture, golden brown top, and subtly creamy center are all so satisfying.

Cheese soufflé is a perfect recipe to make when you want to serve something special or impress someone with your cooking skills. You can make soufflés in either savory or sweet versions, and you can even add a touch of sweetness to your cheese soufflé. First, here's everything you need to know about making cheese soufflé at home.

What is the Best Cheese for Making Soufflé?

You can use any cheese to make your cheese soufflé. Popular options are gruyere, Swiss, cheddar, Comte, brie, manchego, and goat cheese. You can even do a mix of your favorites!

Savory Cheese Soufflé Ingredients 

Although cheese soufflés may seem complicated, making them is easy, and you don't need any special ingredients to make a show-stopping cheese soufflé at home.

You'll need butter both for the soufflés and for greasing the ramekins. Use a dusting of parmesan in the ramekins to give the soufflés extra flavor.

To make the batter, you'll also need milk, flour, and egg yolks. The yolks are mixed with salt, white pepper, and ground mustard for flavor.

The egg whites are added later to give the soufflé its light, airy texture. The whites are mixed with cream of tartar to stabilize them and help keep your soufflé from collapsing.

Finally, you'll need cheese. Use any cheese you like to make cheese soufflé.

How to Make Cheese Soufflé

To make the perfect cheese soufflé at home, start by greasing your ramekins with butter and sprinkling them generously with parmesan. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour, making sure to stir constantly to combine. Heat milk for 30 seconds in the microwave, then mix it into the roux, whisking until the sauce thickens.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks, mustard, salt, and white pepper. Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture, making sure to work quickly, so the eggs don't cook. Add in the grated cheese, then take the pot off the heat. Cool the mixture to room temperature.

In the meantime, heat your oven to 425F. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until medium-stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Fold the cheese mixture into the remaining egg whites until just combined. Pour the mixture between the ramekins.

Lower the oven heat to 375F and bake the soufflés for 30 to 35 minutes. Don't open the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking. Your soufflés will deflate. Serve them immediately, and enjoy!

What is the Best Oven Temperature for Baking a Cheese Soufflé?

You want the oven nice and hot for baking the soufflés. This will ensure they puff up. However, you don't want the oven so hot that it burns the soufflé before it's completely cooked.

The solution to this is to preheat your oven to 425F, then as soon as your place, the soufflés in the oven, lower the temperature to 375F. Having the oven extra hot before baking the soufflés will help keep the temperature high in the oven when you open the door to place the soufflés inside without losing too much heat.

Can You Make Cheese Soufflé Without Cream of Tartar?

Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites and helps them hope their shape after beating. While it's possible to make soufflés without cream of tartar, it increases the risk that the soufflé will collapse. If you don't have any cream of tartar on hand, it's worth running out to the store and picking up before you get started on your soufflé.

Cheese Soufflé Variations

Want to enhance the flavor of your cheese soufflé? Add other ingredients! Crumbled pieces of bacon or finely chopped pancetta, scallions, crab or lobster meat, chives, fresh herbs, and garlic are all delicious in a cheese soufflé. Whatever you choose to add in, make sure it's very finely chopped or grated to ensure that it doesn't sink to the bottom when the soufflé is in the oven.

For a sweeter cheese soufflé, use dessert cheese like ricotta or mascarpone. Cottage cheese also works. Add a dash of sugar, some lemon zest, and vanilla for a more dessert-like flavor.

Tips for Making Savory Cheese Soufflé

Make sure the bowl you use to beat your egg whites is completely clean and grease-free. If there's any oil, grease, or dirt in the bowl, your egg whites won't form stiff peaks.

Don't open the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking the soufflés otherwise, they will deflate.

After adding the egg yolks to the milk mixture, be sure to whisk them in quickly, so the eggs don't scramble.

Soufflés are loved for their elegance, so when it comes to what to serve with a soufflé during breakfast or brunch, it's best to keep things simple. Serve a light soup, some crusty French bread, a fresh green salad.

If you want to serve a cheese soufflé as appetizer or starter, scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes are delicious with this dish. Green beans sautéed in butter are also a lovely side dish for cheese soufflés.

How to Store Cheese Soufflé

While soufflés are best enjoyed right away, you can keep leftover soufflé by wrapping them in cling film and placing it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze Cheese Soufflé?

Yes! You can freeze your cheese soufflé. After assembling the soufflé, wrap it in cling film and place it in the freezer. It will last up to 2 months. When you're ready to cook them, simply bake them for 35 to 45 minutes in the oven.

Instructions

Generously grease the ramekins with butter. Sprinkle them with parmesan.

In a pot over low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Heat milk for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Stir the milk into the roux, whisking until the mixture thickens.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks, mustard, salt, and white pepper. Working quickly, whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture.

Mix in the grated cheese. Take the pot off the heat. Leave to cool to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 425F.

In a bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until medium-stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Fold the cheese mixture into the remaining egg whites until just combined.

Gently divide the mixture between the ramekins. Put the ramekins in the oven and lower the heat to 375F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Notes

Use 1 cup-sized ramekins or soufflé dishes for this recipe.