Cheese soufflé is one of the most decadent treats you’ll ever taste! Velvety cheddar cheese whipped up until it’s light and airy and then baked. A lot of recipes claim to “melt in your mouth,” but this one truly does!
Easy Cheese Soufflé
Cheese soufflé is on my top five favorite foods. Yet, during most of my life, I only had it once every five years or so, when our family would go to a certain restaurant.
Of all the foods this restaurant served, their homemade cheese soufflé was my favorite.
You had to order it 24-hours in advance, and there was never enough on the table to get all you wanted of it. And there were never leftovers to take home.
This was a once every five-year’s treat. So, it’s no surprise that to me, cheese soufflé always seemed like a rare and hard to make treat.
Several years ago, Granny materialized a cheese soufflé recipe and started making it occasionally for family get togethers. For many years, I thought it was THE recipe from the long ago closed restaurant.
It’s not but it’s really yummy and it’s been around our family for many years now. Even better it is easy to make while giving impressive results.
Related: Love cheese? Try our cheesy ranch snack mix too!
What is a Classic Cheese Soufflé?
Cheese soufflé originated in France in the eighteenth century. This savory dish is egg based and the beaten egg whites cause the mixture to puff up. It is a light and airy cheese dish that is kind of like a puffy quiche. But so much better.
Much is made about the heights to which your soufflé should rise. That’s the part that probably scares off most home cooks. Yet, if you get the egg whites stiff and you gently blend them in, the soufflé should do just fine in the oven.
The other part that scares off home cooks, is the dreaded falling of the soufflé. It’s going to fall at some point as it cools. That is the nature of this dish. It will be just as delicious whether it is puffed up or if it has deflated a little by the time you serve it.
Don’t be intimidated try this recipe because it sounds fancy or difficult!
Is Cheese Soufflé Hard to Make?
I had always assumed that it was difficult to make. There is that bit about it having to puff up and that part about the disaster of a soufflé that either doesn’t rise or falls flat.
A classic cheese soufflé seems like is should be difficult…but it’s not!
Classic recipes often have you create a roux of butter and flour on the stove that you then add the cheese and milk to. This recipe makes this part of the recipe super easy by combining most of the ingredients in the blender and heating them all together in a pan on the stove.
I promise, this recipe is really quite simple! You mix up all but the egg whites in the blender. Then you cook that mixture up on the stove for a few minutes. When that is done you beat the egg whites up until they are firm. Mix it all together as directed and pop in the oven.
Shortly after your cheese soufflé comes out of the oven, it will begin to deflate. When I was taking the pictures for this post, I noticed in dropped about an inch down within five minutes.
That’s ok! This does not affect the taste at all!
So, when you are serving this amazing dish, make sure any guests get to see it right out of the oven. Listen to the oohs and ahs. Besides looking gorgeous, it smells divine.
For your convenience in re-creating our cheese soufflé recipe at home, we’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products and supplies used. Read our disclosure policy here.
Ingredients
- Sharp cheddar cheese — be sure to use good quality cheese!
- Milk — either whole milk or half and half
- Eggs — separated
- Flour
- Butter — softened; you’ll also need butter for greasing the soufflé dish
- Dry mustard
- Salt
- Parmesan cheese — for dusting the buttered dish
What is the best cheese for soufflé?
This recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese and that’s what I used to make it. I have also seen some recipes that call for parmesan or Swiss cheese.
The main thing is to choose a high quality real cheese, as you truly can tell the difference! Cheese is the hero of this dish!
Kitchen Supplies Used
- 48 oz. soufflé dish
- Hand mixer
- Knife and cutting board
- Spatula
- Blender or Food processor — We bought our Vitamix refurbished and got it for nearly half price!
- Large saucepan or enameled cast iron pot
How to Make Cheese Soufflé
We’ve included detailed step-by-step photos to show the process; there is a printable recipe card available at the bottom of the post.
While oven preheats, butter the inside of a 48-oz. soufflé dish — a dish that is that has straight sides and is oven safe.
Sprinkle the buttered dish with parmesan cheese. This keeps the soufflé from sticking and adds a teeny bit of flavor.
Cut the cheddar cheese into small cubes and set aside.
Separate the eggs. Put the egg whites in a bowl to mix separately.
Put egg yolks, milk, flour, mustard, salt, and cheese in the blender. Blend on low to start and increase as needed to blend everything into a thick and smooth batter.
Pour the batter into a pan on your stove. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until the mix thickens. It will look about the same but will definitely have a change in consistency. Again stir constantly because this happens fast, when it happens.
Once the mixture is somewhat thicker, turn of the heat and move pan off burner so it can cool slightly.
Use your hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they are white and stiff. This takes about five minutes on a medium high speed.
Pour the egg white on top of the cheese mixture.
Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture, until it is a uniform color. Be sure to be gentle! The egg whites are what will make your cheese soufflé rise and you want to be very careful with them. Do not beat or over-stir this mixture.
What is “folding”?
Folding is a process of combining ingredients together gently without stirring, beating or otherwise agitating the mixture. I recommend using a rubber or silicone spatula for this.
Hold your bowl with one hand and use the spatula to go down the side of the bowl to the bottom. Then gently lift and turn the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. It should be brown on top and if you put a knife in, it will come out fairly clean.
Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Cheese Soufflé
Cheese Soufflé is served out of its baking dish. Use a large spoon to go in and get a nice big spoonful for each serving. It will be fluffy and moist looking and stay mostly together.
Cheese Soufflé makes a great side dish that goes along with any type of roast meat such as beef, pork, or chicken. It would be delicious with grilled meats or BBQ.
It can also be the star of an elegant lunch. I love to have it alongside a simple lettuce, herb, and tomato salad with a simple dressing.
More Cheesy Side Dish Recipes
Cheese Soufflé Recipe (Printable Copy)
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Easy Cheese Soufflé Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- 48 oz. Soufflé dish
- Hand mixer
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese cubed
- 3/4 cup milk whole or 1/2 and 1/2
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 4 eggs separated
- 2 Tablespoons butter softened
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Butter the inside of a 48-oz. soufflé dish. This is a dish that is that has straight sides and is oven safe.
- Sprinkle the buttered dish with parmesan cheese. This keeps the soufflé from sticking and adds a teeny bit of flavor.
- Cut the cheddar cheese into small cubes.
- Separate the eggs. Put the egg whites in a bowl to mix separately.
- Put egg yolks, milk, flour, mustard, salt, butter, and cheese in the blender. Blend on low to start and increase as needed to blend everything into a thick and smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into a pan on your stove. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until the mix thickens. It will look about the same but will definitely have a change in consistency. This change happens quickly, so keep a close eye as you stir!
- Once the mixture is somewhat thicker, turn of the heat and move pan off burner so it can cool slightly.
- Use your hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they are white and stiff. This takes about five minutes on a medium high speed.
- Pour the egg whites onto the cheese mixture.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture, until it is a uniform color. Gently do this. The egg whites are what will make your cheese soufflé rise and you want to be very careful with them. Do not beat or over-stir this mixture. See notes for more about folding.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees until top is browned and springs back when lightly touched.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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