A step by step guide to making Julia Child's cheese souffle, with Gruyere and savory Parmesan. Watch it rise into a gorgeous golden soufflé, with a delicate, airy center and plenty of rich cheese flavor.
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About This Recipe
Julia Child's cheese soufflé, or Soufflé au Fromage, is one of the first Julia Child recipes I ever made, and it's the recipe that hooked me onto her cooking. After receiving a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I was completely captivated by Julia's detailed explanations, cooking techniques, and the little things she taught you to look for along the way.
A cheese soufflé might seem intimidating, but Julia breaks it down into manageable steps. A rich, cheese-filled base is lightened with whipped egg whites, then baked until the soufflé rises tall with a golden top and a delicate, airy center. The contrast between the fluffy interior and the savory, slightly crusty edges is what makes this dish such a masterpiece.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned was how to whip egg whites properly. Julia’s detailed instructions taught me what to look for, when to keep beating, and when to stop. That knowledge has stuck with me through the years and helped me make other soufflés, too, like my sweet and citrusy lemon soufflé.
Follow the step-by-step photos and my tips below, and you'll see that this classic French cheese soufflé is absolutely worth making.
Ingredients
- Eggs: Cheese souffle uses 5 large eggs, with the yolks separated from the whites. The yolks are added to the cream sauce mixture, while the egg whites are whipped, giving the soufflé its signature height and airy texture.
- Egg Tips: Use room-temperature eggs and separate them by hand, though an egg separator is handy, too.
- Butter: Butter is used to make the roux (the base of the cheese mixture) and to generously butter the inside of your soufflé dish. Don't skip buttering the dish, since it will help the soufflé rise.
- All-Purpose Flour: A few tablespoons of flour is combined with the melted butter to make a roux, which thickens the milk into a rich, creamy base for the soufflé.
- Milk: Use either whole milk or low-fat milk. Keep it warm and ready to add to the roux so the sauce comes together smoothly.
- Gruyère Cheese: Gruyère is a classic choice because it melts wonderfully and has a delicious savory, nutty flavor. I recommend buying a block and grating the cheese yourself for the best texture.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan is my favorite for coating the buttered soufflé dish. It creates an extra layer of cheese and helps the soufflé release more easily. I also sprinkle some over the top before baking.
- Nutmeg and Paprika: Nutmeg is a classic addition to a creamy white sauce, adding subtle warmth, while paprika brings a savory earthiness and a touch of color.
- Salt and White Pepper (not shown): Season the cheese mixture to taste. I like white pepper here because it blends into the pale sauce without leaving visible black flecks, but regular black pepper works just as well.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Switch Up the Cheese: Gruyère is classic, but Swiss or Fontina also work very well. Look for a flavorful cheese that melts smoothly.
- Add Fresh Herbs: Finely chopped chives would be delicious folded into the cheese mixture. For something a little more aromatic, try a small amount of finely chopped tarragon.
- Add a Little Heat: For a gentle kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the cheese base. If you prefer more noticeable heat, you can increase it to ¼ teaspoon.
How a Cheese Souffle Comes Together
A cheese soufflé has two main components: a rich, savory base made with a roux, milk, and egg yolks and egg whites that are whipped to stiff peaks.
Once those two components are ready, you'll gently fold them together, adding the cheese as you go. The key is keeping as much air in the egg whites as possible so the soufflé rises tall and fluffy in the oven.
It sounds simple, and it is, but the technique is what makes all the difference.
🧀 How to Make Julia Child's Cheese Souffle
Make the White Sauce. Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook until foamy. Add the warm milk and continue whisking until sauce thickens.
Add the Egg Yolks and Seasonings. Remove sauce from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika.
Prepare the Soufflé Dish. Butter the inside of the dish and coat with grated Parmesan. Prepare a buttered foil collar to wrap around the outside of the dish.
Whip the Egg Whites to Stiff Peaks. Beat the egg whites until they're glossy and hold their shape when you life the whisk. Be careful not to overbeat them, which can make them dry and grainy.
Gently Fold the Mixture Together. Fold in the whites, in batches, adding the cheese halfway through.
Fill the Soufflé Dish. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish, leaving room at the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and wrap the foil collar around the dish before baking.
📍Tips for Making the Best Soufflé
- Use Room-Temperature Eggs: Let your eggs sit out for about 20–30 minutes before starting. Room-temperature egg whites whip up more easily and will achieve better volume.
- Don't Overwhip the Egg Whites: Start on low speed, then gradually increase to medium-high. Beat until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when you lift the whisk. Stop there, before they become dry or grainy.
- Fold Gently: Once the white sauce and egg whites are ready, gently fold them together in batches. Use a rubber spatula to cut through the center and lift the mixture over itself. A few white streaks leftover are fine, just be sure to not overmix, which can deflate the egg whites.
- Try a Foil Collar: For a taller soufflé, wrap a strip of buttered foil around the outside of your buttered soufflé dish to extend its height. This gives the soufflé extra room to rise.
- Bake on a Baking Sheet: Set the soufflé dish on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. It's easier to transfer and catches any drips.
- Keep the Oven Door Closed: Resist the urge to peek while the soufflé bakes. Opening the door lets heat escape and can interfere with its rise.
- Serve Immediately: A soufflé will naturally deflate as it cools, so have everyone ready at the table. For that impressive, tall presentation, photograph and serve it straight from the oven.
Julia Child’s Cheese Souffle
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
- Souffle Mold
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk warmed
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup freshly grated Gruyère cheese
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese divided
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the soufflé dish. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter a 6-cup soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and coat the inside with some of the grated Parmesan.
- To make a foil collar, fold a long piece of foil in half lengthwise, butter one side, and wrap it around the outside of the dish with the buttered side facing inward.
- Make the roux. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is foamy but not browned.
- Add the milk and seasonings. Remove the pan from the heat and add the warm milk all at once and continue whisking until smooth. Stir in the paprika, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk for about 1 minute, until the mixture is very thick.
- Whisk in the egg yolks. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, add the egg whites to a wide bowl and beat with a whisk attachment, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high.
- Continue beating until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when you lift the whisk. Be careful not to overbeat and don’t let the egg white sit for too long.
- Fold the soufflé mixture together. Stir a large spoonful of whipped egg whites into the egg base to lighten it. Gently fold in about half of the remaining egg whites using a rubber spatula, cutting down through the center and lifting the mixture up and over itself.
- Add the Gruyère and continue folding in the remaining egg whites until just combined. A few small white streaks are fine, just be sure to avoid over-mixing.
- Fill the dish and bake. Gently pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan on top. Place the dish on a baking sheet and transfer it to the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door.
- Serve immediately. The soufflé should rise above the rim and develop a golden top. Serve immediately, using two spoons to scoop portions from the top down through the airy center.
Notes
- Use Room-Temperature Eggs: Let eggs sit out for 20–30 minutes so the whites whip up more easily.
- Fold Gently: Use a rubber spatula to fold the whites into the base in batches, adding the cheese as directed. A few white streaks are fine.
- Use a Foil Collar: A buttered foil collar around the soufflé dish gives the soufflé extra room to rise.
- Bake on a Baking Sheet: This makes the dish easier to handle and catches any drips.
- Keep the Oven Closed: Opening the door releases heat and can interfere with the soufflé’s rise.
Kay says
If doubling this recipe, what size soufflé dish would you use? Also if tripling what size dish? I can’t wait to try.
Samantha Ferraro says
Hello Kay, Use the same size soufflé dish, just make 2 soufflés. A larger dish will probably get you a soufflé uncooked in the middle and something that may not resemble a soufflé. Same with triple recipe, I would just make 3 different soufflés. Samantha.
Kay says
Thank you for your response. Do you think this would work making it gluten free? Do you think brown rice flour would work or do you have another suggestion?
Lara Stroud says
Hi Samantha-
I like your steps explained so well-but one mistake-you mention paprika as an ingredient, it’s cayenne pepper-
Thanks!
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Lara, cayenne pepper was in our original Julia Child recipe and is great should you want a background of heat. Julia Child's original recipe, from the Art of French Cooking does in fact call for Cayenne. Thank you so much for the great feedback, Samantha.
Stumbit says
Illustration of foil wrap cover is very helpful for me. My souffles spilled out last time. I think i can protect it with foil cover as you said.
Samantha Ferraro says
Stumbit, Yes, it really is very helpful to use the foil. We may try the same hack with double thick parchment also. Thank you for the feedback. Have a Great weekend, Samantha.
Samantha says
I hesitated at first, but I have finally given it a try yesterday, and it tasted great.
Dorothy says
This was not only delicious but so easy if you follow the directions! My husband and I loved it.
I can't believe I was so scared to try to make one!
Samantha says
Thank you for sharing Dorothy!!
Mark H says
Terrific. Love the foil idea. Question for you - thoughts about serving this cheese souffle as a side dish?? its a inherently rich dish so was thinking of smaller/side portions with a regular meal. If so what would be a good menu for the rest? Thanks!
Samantha says
Hi Mark! I think the cheese souffle would be lovely with a bright salad, maybe with arugula and olive oil and lemon juice, maybe some thinly sliced pear or green apple for crunch. I would want the souffle to shine so cant imagine it with a meat accompaniment but I think a gorgeous hearty salad would be lovely!
Madeline says
Hi there! I really want to make this, but I want to make two smaller souffles instead of one big one. Do you know what alterations I would have to make to the cooking instructions to do this?
Samantha says
Hi Madeline! Honestly I have not made the recipe smaller. But I have made the same recipe in smaller molds which works great but you have more than 2 of them. You could try cutting the recipe in half but I haven't tried that so I can't say how it will turn out. I would just make them in smaller molds and give the extra to a friend? Happy cooking!
Morgan says
Hi! Can you share how long you cooked the small molds, how many you did and what size? Thank you!
Samantha Ferraro says
Hello Morgan,
Place molds on middle-back rack of pre-heated 400 degree oven. Once in, immediately turn down to 375 degrees.
Bake for exactly 30 minutes and DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT open the oven door ever during that 30 minutes!
I used one mold that is 5" by 4"deep, (The tin foil adds another 6" and the circumference is roughly 14".
Remember immediately turn down to 375 degrees once you put the Souffle in the oven.
Ovens cook at different temperatures depending on the placement in the oven, So without opening the oven watch that it does not burn.
Thank you so much for the clarity, I will update the recipe so there is no confusion.
Sincerely,
Samantha
Morgan says
Sorry, I was actually looking for clarity if you tried the recipe with smaller individual molds and how long to cook for those. Based on your comment above, I thought maybe you had. Thank you!
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Morgan, Sorry we didn't understand the question. We have not done this dish with smaller molds. If you do, let us know how it works out. Samantha.
MG says
Can you clarify how to serve it? Don't scoop from the bottom, but spoon it vertically?? Vertically means up and down, but don't go down to the bottom? I'm confused.
Samantha says
Hi MG and yes I'll explain (as per Julia Child's precise instructions in the book). Basically, the souffle is super light and airy so if you jammed the serving spoon in towards the bottom of the dish, the souffle will immediately collapse. Instead, she suggests to just gently scoop spoonfuls. Hope that makes sense 🙂
Jack says
Hi. Are you still an active Blog? dates are old and it's seems impossible to contact you. Was trying to let you know that Item 12 should read tap mold lightly, versus tap mild lightly. Is that correct? Anyway, thanks for the recipe, it worked great for me. I added some dijon (my taste). I've never made them before but they were a hit.
Samantha says
Hi Jack! Thank you for the feedback..yes still an active blog. I just moved to another state so have not been cooking as we were moving and just getting settled. The addition of Dijon sounds lovely!!!
Steve Johnson says
Thanks so much - my wife wanted a souffle as I was on vacation and she working ; I found the YouTube video of the Juile Child as a starting point - but your steps / pictures helped take a lot of the intimidation out of it. My first try didn't quite look like yours - BUT ; it was a lot easier than I anticipated and I let it sit for an hour or so since the prep was done way before it needed to go in the oven. A great help with your pictures and knowing what to anticipate at each step. Now - she wants to know what I will do tomorrow night ; guess I need to poke around your site more. Regards - Steve
Samantha says
Hi Steve!! That makes me SOOOO happy!!! Souffle is a beautiful dish, temperamental but gorgeous!! If you're still on a Julia kick, definitely check out her boeuf bourguignon (also on my blog)...its a labor of love, but the best stew you will ever have!! Happy New Year!
Madonna says
Thank you so much for posting pictures showing each step of the recipe. Your explanation makes a lot of sense. Also, thanks for the foil tip. I would have never thought of that.
Samantha says
Thanks so much Madonna!! I really hope it helps...Now I need to make another souffle lol
Nandt1 says
Maybe this point is obvious to everyone who reads this blog, but I found by experience that it is important not to use the eggs straight from the refrigerator: you want them at roughly room temperature for the whites to whip up to their full potential. This said, if you follow the instructions,you will get an impressive and delicious dish -- served to friends just yesterday!
Samantha says
Good tip...thanks for your comment!
Ruth says
I made this for breakfast today and it turned out great!! I used three 2-cup molds and didn't need the tinfoil additions. I forgot to tap the molds and top with the cheese, but they were still DE-LISH! My picky 8 year old son even ate and liked it! Thanks for the great instructions!
Samantha says
Ruth, I am SO thrilled! You made me so happy 🙂 I love that you are giving your son a souffle..awesome! I am also thinking of doing a tutorial video of this recipe!
Lisa says
Beautiful souffle! I made mine gluten-free and it collapsed ... still tasted great but not nearly as pretty as yours. I need to give it another go - it's not a bad thing to eat eggs and cheese!
margomr says
Congratulations magnificent souffle, I hope to do at least similar to yours!
Congratulations for your blog very nice and well done!