Light and Airy Cheese Soufflé

By
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks is a personal chef, cooking instructor, and food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/5/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 18 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Cool Time: 15 mins
Total: 68 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 soufflés

Whether a simple cheese version or something fancier involving lobster or asparagus, soufflés are the pinnacle of egg dishes. Nevertheless, a lot of people are intimidated by soufflés; there seems to be something arcane or magical about creating them, but in fact, they're not difficult to make with some practice.

This is a basic, easy cheese soufflé recipe that can be adapted in many ways. If this is your first time making a soufflé, read through the instructions and prep all of your ingredients before starting. Follow the recipe carefully, then you can try mixing in other ingredients and putting your spin on the recipe for future meals.

A successful cheese soufflé is light, airy, and delicately savory. The whipped, folded-in egg whites give the soufflé its unique, fluffy texture. Serve cheese soufflé with roasted meat like beef, ham, or lamb, and a crisp green salad or vegetable on the side.

Puffed up golden brown cheese soufflé in a ramequin on a plate with a folded cloth napkin

The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

"The individual soufflés came out golden brown and perfectly cooked in a little under 30 minutes. They were creamy and delicious. There are a number of steps, but each step is fairly easy. Just be sure to read the recipe through a few times and have the ingredients ready before you begin." —Diana Rattray

Light and Airy Cheese Soufflé Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 2 large eggs, separated

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated cheese (any type)

  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cheese soufflé recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  2. Grease 2 (1-cup) soufflé dishes/ramekins with butter and dust with Parmesan cheese.

    Ramekins buttered and dusted with cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  3. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then add flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

    Stirring butter and flour paste in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  4. In the meantime, heat the milk in the microwave at medium power for 30 seconds just to warm.

    Milk in a glass measuring cup

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  5. Whisk warmed milk into the flour and butter mixture and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened.

    Milk whisked into the butter and flour base in the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  6. Whisk together the egg yolks, ground mustard, salt, and white pepper, then add to sauce mixture, whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs.

    Egg yolks mixed with seasonings in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  7. Stir in the grated cheese, melt and mix thoroughly.

    Cheese stirred into the saucy mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  8. Remove from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. While the custard is cooling, preheat the oven to 425 F.

    Saucepan with cheese mixture off the heat

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  9. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to medium-stiff peaks using a hand mixer or standing mixer.

    Stiff egg whites and beaters of an electric handheld mixer in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  10. Once medium-stiff peaks form, fold 1/3 of the whites into the room-temperature sauce mixture.

    Stiff egg whites being folded into cheese mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  11. Carefully and delicately fold this mixture back into the remaining whites until just combined.

    Egg whites evenly folded into cheese mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  12. Divide between the prepared soufflé dishes, place in the oven, reduce the heat to 375 F, and bake 30 to 35 minutes depending on how well done you like your soufflés. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean, with no wet batter attached. Don’t open the oven within the first 20 minutes or the soufflés will deflate.

    Ramekins filled to the top with the cheese mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  13. Serve the soufflé immediately while hot. Enjoy.

    Puffed up golden brown cheese soufflé in a ramequin on a plate with a folded cloth napkin

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Tips

  • If you don't have mini soufflé dishes or ramekins, appropriately sized, ovenproof mugs will work. Don't forget to butter and coat them in Parmesan.
  • When combining the egg whites and sauce mixture, fold gently with a rubber spatula until there are no white streaks.
  • Beat the egg whites just before you are ready to combine them with the cooled sauce mixture. If you beat them ahead of time, they will lose some of their stability by the time the sauce has cooled.
  • Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the sauce mixture quickly to avoid lumpy, scrambled eggs.
  • The initial sauce mixture (butter, flour, and milk) may be made a day in advance and refrigerated. When you are ready to make the soufflés, bring the mixture back to a simmer, remove it from the heat, and whisk in the egg yolk and seasoning mixture. Proceed with the remaining recipe steps.

Recipe Variations

  • Cheese possibilities include Gruyère, Emmenthal, Comté, chèvre, brie, cheddar, manchego, and blue.
  • A variety of mix-ins work with this recipe. Whatever you add should be finely chopped so that it is both evenly distributed throughout the dish and so that the expanding eggs can lift it, or chunks will fall to the bottom.
  • Don’t add more than about a 1/2 cup of any additional ingredient to the cheese mixture, and make sure whatever you add is well drained to avoid thinning the sauce. Additional ingredients should generally be cooked in advance.
  • Some mix-in options include: cooked and finely crumbled bacon, chives, thinly sliced green onions, grated garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, flaked crabmeat, and finely chopped ham.

Is Cream of Tartar Necessary?

Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient that is most commonly used in combination with baking soda to leaven baked goods. Cream of tartar is added to egg whites to strengthen the individual tiny bubbles. If you don't have cream of tartar, lemon juice or white vinegar may be used. Replace 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
310 Calories
23g Fat
10g Carbs
15g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 310
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 238mg 79%
Sodium 586mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 283mg 22%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 249mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)