Easy, Fluffy Comté Cheese and Hazelnut Soufflé

Here is an easy, cheesy, fluffy, and nutty soufflé. It’s absolutely delicious and one of my favorites. This comté cheese and hazelnut soufflé has all of the light and airy texture you expect from a classic French soufflé along with a delightful crunch from the hazelnuts lining the dish. A pinch of nutmeg highlights the creamy flavor.

The cheese of choice for this version is aged comté, a popular cheese from France’s Jura region. This is a Swiss-style cheese with no eyes and nutty, fruity flavor. If you can’t find aged comté, try an aged Swiss cheese or even sharp cheddar. Using an aged cheese lets the cheesy flavor shine through in the finished soufflé.

One uncommon ingredient in this cheese and hazelnut soufflé is yogurt. We use it here to add a touch of complex acidity to the soufflé, which balances the flavors quite nicely. Just be sure to have your pan off the heat when you whisk in the yogurt to avoid curdling. If you like your soufflé nice and rich, you could even use ¾ cup sour cream or light crème fraîche in place the yogurt and touch of cream.

No stress soufflé

Soufflé has an undeserved reputation for being difficult to cook. It’s really not hard to make, and fallen or puffy, it is absolutely delicious. As long as you can separate egg whites from the yolks, you can make this recipe. Just follow my recipe steps, keep the tips listed below in mind, and it should be no trouble at all!

Tips for a great soufflé:

• Most importantly, do NOT open the oven door while the soufflé is cooking. The temperature drop will cause your soufflé to deflate prematurely. No matter how quickly you close the oven door again, your soufflé won’t recover.
• Make sure your béchamel is nice and smooth so that the soufflé rises better.
• Be sure to butter your baking dish well so that your soufflé doesn’t stick. The hazelnuts we add here also help avoid sticking. Grated Parmesan works well, too.
• Use room temperature eggs, whipped to soft (not stiff) peaks for a better rise.
• When you whip the egg whites, there must be no fat (like egg yolk), not even a speck, in them, otherwise they won’t whip properly. (Fat causes a protein-based foam like this one to break down.)
• Prep your ingredients before you start cooking.

If you have some soufflé tips of your own, don’t hesitate to share in the comments!

Why does my soufflé deflate?

Don’t feel bad. Every soufflé deflates. Ideally, you want it to stay puffed long enough to get it on the table. In the real world, by the time it’s cool enough to eat, it has deflated somewhat. The texture inside is still light and airy. So, even deflated, soufflé is delightful.

A soufflé puffs up as the water in the béchamel turns to steam and the air trapped in the whipped eggs whites expands. Once the soufflé comes out of the oven, it cools down, and the temperature drop causes the hot air to retract and any remaining steam to condense. The cooked batter just isn’t strong enough to hold, so it falls. On the other hand, a soufflé’s light texture is one of the reasons we love it.

I hope you enjoy my recipe for this French comté cheese and hazelnut soufflé!

Print Recipe

Comté Cheese and Hazelnut Soufflé

Delicious French soufflé that's easy, cheesy, fluffy, and nutty

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: French

Keyword: cheese, comté, hazelnut

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Softened butter for soufflé dishes
• 3 tbsp finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts + more for topping
• 120 g (½ cup) whole milk
• For steeping in milk: 1 bay leaf + ¼ tsp dried onion
• 170 g (⅔ cup) plain whole milk yogurt
• 1 ½ tbsp heavy cream
• 3 tbsp (45 g) butter
• 29 g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 egg whites
• 100 g (3.5 oz or 1 heaping cup) grated, aged comté cheese + more for topping (see note for other options)

Instructions

• Prep soufflé dishes: Generously butter 4 individual soufflé dishes (mine are 11.8 cm/4.6 inch diameter) or an 8×8 inch baking dish, and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts to help the soufflés not stick to their baking dish. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F) along with a tray large enough to hold all the soufflé dishes.
• Infuse the milk: Heat the milk very hot and put in the bay leaf and dried onion. Let steep for at least 15 minutes.
• Prep ingredients: Separate the eggs: 4 yolks in a small bowl and 6 whites in a large bowl. Mix the spices in a small bowl.
• Make the béchamel: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat until frothy. Whisk in the flour. Let cook 2 minutes over low heat. Using a strainer, pour the warm milk through the strainer and into the pot (you want the infused milk, not the pieces), and immediately whisk the milk into your roux. Take off the heat, and whisk in the cream, salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg. Vigorously whisk in the yogurt to get rid of any lumps, then then whisk in the 4 egg yolks, one at a time. Whisk the yolks immediately to avoid them setting. Stir in 100 g of the grated comté cheese.
• Whip, then fold in the egg whites: Using electric beaters, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Stir about a quarter of the egg whites into the béchamel to soften up the mixture. Then, fold in the rest of the egg whites.
• Bake: Divide the soufflé batter between the prepared dishes. Sprinkle with a little chopped hazelnut and grated comté. Bake in oven on the preheated baking sheet for 25 minutes. The soufflés should be puffed, golden, and slightly wobbly in the center. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you can’t find comté, other hard cheeses such as Swiss, gruyère, gouda, or cheddar will work. An aged/sharp cheese will give more flavor to your soufflé.