This Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle solves all the problems that a regular souffle recipe encounters. Instead of having to make this soufflé right before serving, this "make-ahead" soufflé allows all the work to be done ahead of time so that the soufflé can be baked directly from the freezer! And, since they are sugar-free, they fit perfectly into a keto diet!
These low carb Chocolate Souffles are so easy to make.
Simple ingredients come together to make these impressive little dishes and today I am going to show you just how easy it is to make chocolate souffle at home.
What do I love about this Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle recipe?
- it only uses simple ingredients
- it comes together in minutes
- it is sugar-free, gluten-free and low in carbs
- they are portioned out individually so you can bake only 1 or 2 if you want
- it can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer for whenever a chocolate craving strikes!
Where does the term "souffle" come from?
The term "souffle" comes from the French word "to puff".
This dessert dates back to the mid-1800s and was perfected when Paris ovens started using heated air drafts rather than coal as their heat source.
As the popularity of souffle grew, so did the number of ways to prepare them.
By the late 1800s, savoury and sweet souffles could be found on every fine dining restaurant menu across New York City.
What actually makes a "souffle" a "souffle"?
Although the thought of making a souffle can seem quite intimidating, the truth of the matter is that it is relatively easy and does not require any fancy ingredients.
A chocolate souffle is simply made of eggs, separated and whipped and then cooked for 15-25 minutes.
Knowing the simplicity of the ingredients as well as my deep love for the dish, I knew I had to attempt to create a healthy, low carb version.
Also, in the past, I have always had to time my souffle perfectly so that as soon as they came out of the oven, I needed to serve them before they "fell" in the center.
After several trials, I finally created a recipe that could not only be made ahead of time but could also be frozen before baking and also did not fall easily.
What are the main ingredients to make this Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle?
Most of the ingredients are straight forward and are probably already in your pantry and fridge.
- Cream of Tartar: This is the only ingredient that you may need to get. Frontier Cream of Tartar is by far my favourite for the sheer thickness and volume that it gives my souffle.
- A byproduct of the wine-making process, cream of tartar is an acidic powder that is typically used to stabilize eggs and creams as well as adding volume and thickness to the final product.
- It can also be stirred into caramel sauce to help reduce the re-crystallization of the sauce.
- As for the nutritional content of 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, it contains only 8 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates making it perfect for low-carb recipes.
- 100% Unsweetened Chocolate: one of the richest sources of polyphenols.
- Polyphenols have been shown to help increase blood flow to the brain, help to reduce inflammation as well as help improve cholesterol levels.
- Make sure you buy good quality as it is the main ingredient of this recipe
- Eggs: rich in selenium, vitamin D, B2, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.
- They are also considered complete protein as they contain all the essential amino acids.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is what I used but if you only have salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe
- do NOT replace the butter with margarine as your souffle will not rise
- Heavy Cream: this is also sometimes referred to as "Heavy Whipping Cream"
- Powdered Allulose: This has quickly become my favourite sugar substitute.
- it is actually derived from sugar but has zero effect on blood sugar
- it dissolves really well as does not leave any cooling aftertaste like erythritol
- it is 70% as sweet as regular sugar so if you change to a different powdered sugar, you will need to take that into account.
What are some additional ingredients commonly found in chocolate souffle?
- Espresso powder: The espresso powder makes the chocolate pop and enhances its naturally bitter flavour
- While you wouldn't necessarily know the espresso powder was there, the chocolate will be stronger and more intense.
- Grand Marnier: The orange-infused French cognac, adds just a hint of bittersweet orange flavour to round out the intensity of the chocolate.
Both of these ingredients are optional and do not need to be added.
Why do you use ramekins to make souffle?
Use baking dishes such as ramekins is recommended because their smooth, straight sides will help your soufflé rise.
How do you make sure that the souffle does not stick to the ramekin?
In order to make sure that the souffle does not stick to the ramekin dish, spread a thin layer of butter inside each ramekin. You can do this by using a paper towel or, do what I do, and simply use your fingertips to rub the butter over the entire surface.
Then, take some granular sweetener (any type will work) and sprinkle it along the sides and bottom of the dish.
Why do you use a wrap an aluminum foil collar around the souffle before baking?
Since souffle rise quite a bit while baking, it is a good idea to make a "collar" that fits around the outside of the dish so that when the souffle rises, it rises straight up and not up and over (which makes quite the mess!)
Also, by adding a collar, you end up with an even higher rise than not using one.
If you don't want to add a foil collar (I personally only use one if I am trying to impress my guests), you can just bake the chocolate souffle without one. The resulting souffle will have more of a "dome" top than a flat top.
How do you make a foil collar for souffle?
To make a foil collar, simply take a strip of aluminum foil and spray it well with cooking spray. Make sure that your collar extends at least 2 inches above the top rim of the baking dish and then it can be wrapped 2 times around the dish (this helps prevent the collar from falling).
If you can get your collar to stay in place, you can use take and take the collar to the dish.
Why do you bake this Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle in a water bath?
A water bath will keep the temperature steady to keep the soufflés from overcooking. Because water only heats to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it maintains a gentle, steady, evenly conducted heat.
When I did not use a water bath, the souffle sides cook a little too quickly and dried out slightly. The resulting souffle was a little more cake-like than mousse-like.
Wanting a little more "mousse" texture, I thought I could use the custard principle of using a water bath.
And WOW it REALLY worked!!
The only problem with using a water bath is that I found that the baking time varied each time I baked the souffle. If you choose to use a water bath (and you don't have to if you don't want), you will have to check the souffles at the end more often to get the consistency you desire.
How do you make this Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle?
Step 1: Gather your ingredients
Step 2: Melt together the chocolate, butter, heavy cream and sweetener
Step 3: Whip the egg yolks with the powdered sweetener until they are VERY pale and triple in volume
Step 4: Fold the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture
Step 5: Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until fluffy
Step 6: Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture carefully
Step 7: Carefully pour the chocolate mixture into each ramekin and place them in the freezer
Step 8: When ready to bake, place the souffle in a water bath before placing them in the oven
How low do you bake this Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle?
If baking the souffle immediate in a water bath:
- bake in a 400 degree F. preheated oven for 18-20 minutes for 8 oz ramekins
- bake in a 400degree F. preheated oven for 15-18 minutes for 6 oz ramekins
- bake in a 400 degree F. preheated oven for 12-15 minutes for 4 oz ramekins
If baking the souffle immediately without a water bath:
- bake in a 375 degree F. preheated oven for 14-18 minutes for 8 oz ramekins
- bake in a 375 degree F. preheated oven for 10-14 minutes for 6 oz ramekins
- bake in a 375 degree F. preheated oven for 8-12 minutes for 4 oz ramekins
If baking the souffle from frozen:
- bake in a 400 degree F. preheated oven for 25 minutes for 8 oz ramekins
- bake in a 400 degree F. preheated oven for 20-22 minutes for 6 oz ramekins
- bake in a 400 degree F. preheated oven for 15-18 minutes for 4 oz ramekins
Can I replace the heavy cream with a milk substitute?
I don't suggest it.
I tried with almond milk and since almond milk contains a thickener (such as guar gum or xantham gum), the chocolate mixture coagulated slightly.
Here is a picture of the melted chocolate with almond milk.
Although the souffle still worked, it did not have the same "mousse-like" texture I was looking for.
Tips and tricks for making this Sugar-Free Make-ahead Chocolate Souffle recipe:
- Lastly, once the soufflés are in the oven, don’t touch the door until it’s time to take them out. The swift shift in temperature can and likely will cause the soufflés to fall
- use a serrated knife to cut your chocolate into smaller pieces
- make sure the beaters are VERY clean and dry before beating the egg whites otherwise the whites will not whip properly
- handheld mixers do not beat as quickly as a stand mixer which is why it takes longer to beat the egg yolks with a handheld mixer.
- you can replace the unsweetened chocolate with any sugar-free chocolate of chocolate and omit the added powder allulose
If you like this Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle recipe, you may also enjoy:
Flourless Chocolate Souffle Brownie
Keto Chocolate Coconut Pie
Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle
This Sugar-Free Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle solves all the problems that a regular souffle recipe encounters. Instead of having to make this soufflé right before serving, this "make-ahead" soufflé allows all the work to be done ahead of time so that the soufflé can be baked directly from the freezer! And, since they are sugar-free, they fit perfectly into a keto diet!
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-8 ramekins depending on size 1x
Ingredients
To Prepare the Ramekins:
- 1 tbsp butter, unsalted, softened
- 1 tbsp sweetener, granular
For the Souffles:
- 4 oz 100% Unsweetened chocolate bar
- ⅓ cup powdered allulose (use less for a less sweet souffle or if you are using anything other than allulose)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)
- ½ tsp espresso powder (optional)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- ¼ cup powdered allulose
- ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
For the Ramekins:
- Grease the inside of 6 - 4 oz ramekins with the softened butter, then coat the inside of each dish evenly with the sweetener.
For the Souffles:
- Melt the chocolate, allulose, heavy cream and butter together in the microwave for 30 seconds at full powder. Stir to combine all the ingredients. IF the ingredients have not fully melted, decrease the microwave power to 50% and microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth. Stir in the Grand Marnier, espresso (if using), vanilla and salt. Set the bowl to the side.
- Using an electric mixer, whip the egg yolks and sweetener at medium speed until the mixture triples in volume and is thick and pale (3 minutes for a stand mixer and 8 minutes for a handheld mixer). Fold the yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture. Thoroughly clean and dry the mixing bowl and the beaters.
- Using clean beaters, whip the egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1-2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form (2-4 minutes - do not overwhip). Whisk the last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unwhipped whites from the bottom of the bowl.
- Vigorously stir ¼ of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the remaining whites into the chocolate mixture until just incorporated. Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins almost to the rim, wiping the excess filling from the rims with a wet paper towel.
- Cover each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 1 month.
To Bake Souffles:
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. F.
- Take a rimmed baking sheet or tray and fill it half full with water.
- Unwrap the frozen ramekins and place them in the water bath. Add the foil collar, if using. Bake the souffle until fragrant, fully risen, about 20-30 minutes.
Notes
- you can use three 8 oz ramekins or four 6 oz ramekins
- see post on how and why to use a foil collar
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (4 oz)
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 1.6
- Fat: 13.2
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1.7
- Protein: 5.9
Cat says
I would not suggest substituting Stevia as mixing anything "chocolate" with stevia can sometimes give the chocolate a slightly "off" taste. You can easily replace the allulose with regular sugar or use semisweet chocolate chips if you don't care that they will not be sugar-free. However, if you use semisweet chocolate chips, I would probably add an additional 1-2 oz of chocolate chips in order to make up the difference in weight. Sugar-free chocolate would work perfectly fine as well but again, but you may need to add more sugar-free chocolate. Also, since I have never made it these different ways, I don't know if the baking time would be different. To check your souffle, simply cut a small slit in the center to see if they are cooked to your liking. The cool thing with these souffles is that for some reason, they don't seem to easily deflate like regular souffle!
Lucie says
I was thinking of making and freezing these this week. However, if I don't have allulose but rather Steivia, would I just substitute equal amounts? Otherwise, could I omit the allulose/Steivia altogether and use a sugar free chocolate (ie chocolate with sugar free sweetener already in it) or semisweet chocolate (although then no longer sugar free), instead of unsweetened chocolate?
Cat says
Thanks!
Ann Martin says
Perfect recipe for Valentine’s Day,