Don’t scroll past this luscious Keto Chocolate Soufflé recipe, my darling readers. You may think it looks too fancy and gourmet, and thus necessitates a lot of work. But I assure that it’s far easier than you might think.
And when you pull these gorgeous airy concoctions out of the oven, you will feel like a baking rockstar! And your family and friends will think so too.
Honestly, this recipe isn’t nearly as hard as it looks. I daresay it’s easer than some of my other popular desserts like Keto Chocolate Cake or Keto Cheesecake. And if you’ve had a chance to try my Keto Cheese Soufflé, you know it’s not as intimidating as it seems.
The results are spectacular too! They look impressive, but they also taste divine. Rich and chocolatey clouds of low carb deliciousness.
Why this recipe works
I made my first keto chocolate soufflé recipe back in January of 2015. It may actually have been my first soufflé ever! And I was amazed at how well it worked. I was also surprised to find that it really wasn’t hard to make.
It’s important to approach each step carefully and read the directions thoroughly. But as long as you do, this keto dessert whips up quickly and easily. The soufflé rises well over the rims of the ramekins, looking absolutely amazing. And the centers are creamy, chocolatey, and delicious.
Each soufflé has only 2.4g net carbs. There isn’t any flour at all in the recipe, so they are completely nut-free and gluten-free too!
Reader’s Thoughts
“I just made this and it was soooooo good. My fiance could not tell it was low carb at all!” — Farah
Ingredient Notes
- Sweetener: I have only tried this recipe with erythritol-based sweetener, but it may also work with allulose. I can’t be certain without trying it myself!
- Heavy cream: This creates a creamy base for the chocolate mixture. Mixed with a little water, it becomes the consistency of milk.
- Butter: Adding a little butter to the cream mixture makes the soufflés a little gooey after they collapse. Delicious!
- Unsweetened chocolate: Do note that this is completely unsweetened chocolate, meaning it doesn’t contain any sweeteners at all. I recommend getting a good brand like Guittard or Ghirardelli, as they are less likely to seize.
- Espresso powder: This is an optional ingredient but it does help intensify the chocolate flavor.
- Eggs: You cannot make a soufflé without eggs! You need both the yolks and the whites, but you do need to separate them.
- Cream of tartar: This is whipped with the egg whites to help stabilize them once whipped to stiff peaks.
- Kitchen staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
- Heat the cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, 2 tablespoons of the water, and the butter. Bring to a simmer, whisking until the butter melts. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of the sweetener.
- Melt the chocolate: Add the chopped chocolate and let sit for a few minutes to melt, then add the espresso powder and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Let cool a few minutes. Whisk in the the egg yolks. The mixture will thicken up considerably, this is normal. Slowly add the remaining water, whisking until it thins and smooths out again.
- Whip the egg whites: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until frothy. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sweetener and beat until the whites become thick and glossy and stand up in stiff peaks.
- Fold together: Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate and fold in to lighten, Then carefully fold chocolate mixture back into remaining egg whites until just combined.
- Fill the ramekins: Divide among four 4-ounce ramekins that have been lightly greased with butter and dusted with granulated sweetener.
- Bake the soufflé: Transfer the ramekins to the oven and bake at 375ºF for 14 to 16 minutes, until puffed up and the top looks mostly dry. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sweetener. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
Separating the eggs properly is important to the success of chocolate soufflé. Did you know it’s easier to separate the yolks and whites when the eggs are still cold? But then you want to let them sit for a while, as egg whites beat up better when they are room temperature.
Make sure your bowl is clean and dry! Any amount of fat, dirt, or liquid can keep the egg whites from stiffening up.
Using a little granulated sweetener on the inside of the greased ramekins helps the soufflé climb the sides better.
The chocolate mixture will thicken up considerably when you add the egg yolks. But it should smooth out again nicely with the addition of some water. Once it is smooth, don’t keep mixing. Set it aside and leave it alone until you are ready to fold it into the egg whites.
You want the soufflé to rise and the tops to be mostly dry when it’s done. Resist the temptation to leave it in the oven longer, as they can dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve your chocolate souffles with a little dusting of powdered erythritol, some whipped cream and berries, or a scoop of keto ice cream. I also love it with a drizzle of keto hot fudge sauce.
All soufflés deflate after they come out of the oven. This is to be expected. And in fact, I find that they taste better after they have fallen, when the ingredients condense a little. But make sure to get them onto the table when they are all puffed up, as they look absolutely wonderful!
This keto chocolate souffle recipe has 4.8g of carbs and 2.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.4g net carbs per souffle.
Chocolate soufflé is best served on the day it is made, but you can store cover the leftovers and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rewarm it gently (it won’t rise again) and top with whipped cream or keto chocolate sauce.
4-ounce Ceramic Ramekins
I own any number of ramekins and this white ceramic vessels are some of my favorites. They come in various sizes, and the 4-ounce version is perfect for these Keto Chocolate Soufflés!
More decadent keto chocolate desserts
Keto Chocolate Souffle
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) warm water, divided
- 2 tbsp (28.4 g) butter
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) granulated erythritol sweetener, divided
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder, (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, separated
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp powdered sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and grease four 4-ounce ramekins with butter. Dust each lightly with a little bit of granulated sweetener.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, 2 tablespoons of the water, and the butter. Bring to a simmer, whisking until the butter melts. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of the sweetener.
- Add the chopped chocolate and let sit for a few minutes to melt, then add the espresso powder and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Let cool a few minutes.
- Whisk in the the egg yolks. The mixture will thicken up considerably, this is normal. Slowly add the remaining water, whisking until it thins and smooths out again.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until frothy. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sweetener and beat until the whites become thick and glossy and stand up in stiff peaks.
- Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate and fold in to lighten, Then carefully fold chocolate mixture back into remaining egg whites until just combined.
- Divide among the prepared ramekins and bake 14 to 16 minutes, until puffed up and the top looks mostly dry. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sweetener. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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I’m trying to figure out how to make these while simultaneously hosting a dinner. Making in advance obviously doesn’t work. Can you make the batter ahead of time, and then just bake them to serve for dessert, or would the egg whites collapse and cause the souffle to fail?
EGG food sensitivity.
I would like to see something similar WITHOUT eggs, please!
I have to ask… how on earth do you expect to make soufflé without eggs?
Can granulated erythritol or powdered stevia be used instead of the swerve? I cant find any locally.
Oh, my goodness! This looks so light and fluffy! I just saw Swerve at my local grocery store, so I’m excited to start baking some of these delicious treats!