Dark Chocolate Soufflé Recipe
I’m switching up the conventional soufflé ingredients a bit here and making this chocolate soufflé recipe completely gluten-free! So you’re losing the gluten, but you won’t be missing a thing when it comes to flavor.
This chocolate soufflé recipe is pretty heavenly thanks to ingredients like dark chocolate, coconut milk and grass-fed butter. Plus, thanks to healthier soufflé ingredients, this dark chocolate soufflé is actually loaded with significant levels of vital nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin B12, calcium and iron.
What Is a Soufflé?
Soufflés are known for being decadently delicious, but what is a soufflé? A soufflé is a fluffy cake that can be either sweet or savory depending on its ingredients. The history of the soufflé goes back hundreds of years, starting with Mr. Vincent La Chapelle, who is credited with the first publicized soufflé recipe, which appeared in his cookbook Le Cuisinier Moderne in 1742.
As you may already know, soufflé is entirely French in its name and origin. The word soufflé comes from the French verb souffler, which means “to blow up” or “puff up.” In France, where soufflés are such a common dish, the contents often vary depending upon the region you are in. (1)
Some of the most popular savory soufflé recipes include egg soufflé and cheese soufflé recipes. This recipe is for a chocolate soufflé, which is a sweet or dessert version of this classic French recipe. No matter what goes into it, though, the inclusion and proper combining of egg yolks and egg whites (separated from each other) are key to a successful soufflé.
Recipe Nutrition Facts
Per serving, this chocolate soufflé contains about: (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- 373 calories
- 6 grams protein
- 29.8 grams fat
- 21 grams carbohydrates
- 2.8 grams fiber
- 12.8 grams sugars
- 104 grams cholesterol
- 165 milligrams sodium
- 1,788 IUs vitamin A (36 percent DV)
- 0.8 micrograms vitamin B12 (13 percent DV)
- 114 milligrams calcium (11 percent DV)
- 1.8 milligrams iron (10 percent DV)
- 15 IUs vitamin D (3.8 percent DV)
- 31 milligrams phosphorus (3.1 percent DV)
- 11 micrograms folate (2.8 percent DV)
- 0.04 milligrams riboflavin (2.4 percent DV)
This soufflé recipe is pretty impressive when it comes to nutrition, especially for a dessert! Here are a few of the healthy ingredients providing these nutrients:
- Dark chocolate: The higher the percentage of cocoa in the dark chocolate you use in this recipe, the less sugar and the more nutrients you’ll get in your final product. Cocoa is loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants. In fact, studies have shown that cocoa is even higher in antioxidants than red wine or tea! (12)
- Eggs: This recipe provides a healthy dose of protein, vitamin A and some key B vitamins, which is mainly thanks to the eggs used in this recipe. (13) Remember to opt for organic, free-range eggs to optimize your nutrient intake. (14)
- Grass-fed butter: Not only is grass-fed butter tasty, it’s also high in butyric acid, which is known for numerous and very impressive butyric acid health benefits. Not a lot of foods contain butyric acid, but butter is one of them! You can also use coconut oil in place of grass-fed butter if you’d like.
How to Make A Soufflé
Don’t worry, as sophisticated as a soufflé may look, how to make a soufflé is a lot easier than you would expect! This dark chocolate soufflé recipe won’t take more than an hour from start to finish, and the results are sure to be worth every minute of your time.
Before you get started, make sure your oven is preheating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease the ramekins with butter. Stroke the butter upward to help direct the soufflé upward as it bakes.
Coat the ramekins with coconut sugar and set them aside.
In a double boiler, over low heat, melt chocolate bar, orange zest and vanilla extract.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter or coconut oil. Add the flours and whisk to create a roux (takes about 60 seconds).
Add the coconut milk and continue whisking until the mixture resembles a thick sauce.
Add the chocolate mixture to the roux.
Mix thoroughly.
Once the roux is no longer visible, add in the egg yolks. Let the pot sit on the heat while you move onto the next step.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice. Beat until bubbles become small-celled.
Add the sugar in fourths, continuing to beat the eggs.
The final product should have foamy peaks. Be careful not to deflate the mixture by over mixing.
In a large bowl, mix together the chocolate mixture and a third of the egg whites.
Once the whites are no longer visible, carefully fold in remaining egg whites.
Pour soufflé batter into ramekins until they are filled up about 1 centimeter from the top.
With your thumb, wipe the edges to remove excess sugar and batter.
Bake soufflés for 20–25 minutes without opening the oven to ensure the soufflé rises properly.
Sprinkle with equal parts arrowroot flour and coconut sugar.
Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Total Time
1 hour
Serves
4–6
Meal Type
Diet Type
Ingredients:
- 1½ dark chocolate bars, 75 percent or higher (5¼ ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons orange zest
- 5 tablespoons grass-fed butter or coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons Paleo flour
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- 1 cup goat milk or coconut milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 4 drops lemon juice
- Grass-fed butter or coconut oil, for greasing ramekins
- Equal parts arrowroot flour and coconut sugar as powdered sugar substitute, for topping
- Melted white chocolate, for topping
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly grease 4–6 8-ounce ramekins with butter, stroking butter upward. This will help direct the soufflé upward as it bakes.
- Coat with sugar and set aside.
- In a double boiler, over low heat, melt chocolate bar, orange zest and vanilla extract.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter.
- Add flours and whisk to create a roux, about 60 seconds.
- Add milk and continue whisking until mixture resembles a thick sauce.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the roux and mix thoroughly.
- Once the roux is no longer visible, add in the egg yolks. Let sit on heat while you move onto the next step.
- In a medium bowl, beat the 4 egg whites and 4 drops of lemon juice. Beat until bubbles become small-celled, not quite a meringue.
- Add the sugar in fourths, continuing to beat the eggs. The final product should reveal foamy peaks.
- In a large bowl, mix chocolate mixture and a third of the egg whites. Once the whites are no longer visible, carefully fold in remaining egg whites. Be careful not to deflate the mixture by over mixing.
- Pour soufflé batter into ramekins until about 1 centimeter from the top.
- With your thumb, wipe the edges to remove excess sugar and batter.
- Bake soufflés for 20–25 minutes without opening the oven to ensure the soufflé rises properly.
- Sprinkle with equal parts arrowroot flour and coconut sugar.
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top if desired.
- Serve immediately.
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4 Comments
Great recipe!
I enjoyed this recipe because of the healthier ingredients. One needs to indulge with a sweet now and again but of course not over indulgence.
i can not understand is that mixed with electric mixer or hand mixer and there may be another question comming thanks do you have a phone number thanks m
Dr Axe, what do you consider to be “Paleo flour”? I noticed you use this term often in your recipes. Is it Almond or coconut or an entirely different blend of flours sold as paleo flour?
click on “paleo flour” and it will take you to more information on different blends of mixes