Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Souffle (Video Recipe)
If you won’t have a pumpkin pie then you must have a pumpkin souffle this Thanksgivings. A perfect dessert for a small family on a gloomy fall day or cold Christmas day. Nothing beats the light and fluffy yet custardy dessert with all the flavors of fall in a spoon full. Pumpkin, ground ginger and the warmth of pumpkin spice shines through this dessert wonderfully.
It’s the season of pumpkins!! and what better way to eat pumpkin than is desserts and soups. Are you a pumpkin person? I think there is something called ‘pumpkin people’ because there are those of us who love pumpkin so much we can use it in everything and then there are those (like my husband) who wonder why the ‘pumpkin people’ are so crazy about pumpkin. I’m joking but I think there is some truth in there.
What would you do if you don’t wanna have pumpkin pie for dessert this Thanksgiving? Well, you can make a pumpkin souffle. I think a good souffle is a perfect dessert in cold weather. My kids will often ask for souffle in winter because well, warm food on a cold winter weekend is always a treat. I personally love both savory and sweet souffle recipes.
My souffle Recipe
This winter I plan to share with you some of my wonderful souffle recipes. Last year some of the desserts we made, oh my. My chocolate souffle is to die for, the cream cheese is so custardy. And nothing beats a basic vanilla custard souffle with a fruit variation like lemon souffle, raspberry souffle, blackberry souffle, well you get the idea. My Aadi’s favorite is Nutella souffle.
I’m honestly, surprised I have not shared any of my souffle recipes on the blog yet but then again. These rise so high and then settle down so quickly as well. I love to keep my souffle a bit custardy in the center which means these loose height even faster. Ah well, either way, I’m going make an effort to share these with you soon, cause I’m always so proud of these recipes.
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Pumpkin Puree – I usually make my own homemade pumpkin puree. Well, there is so much pumpkin around these days so why not, plus it’s more delicious! But you can definitely use canned pumpkin puree for this recipe. The can puree is not as thick as the one you see in the video but that does not matter because you will cook it down anyways.
- All-purpose flour – I use regular plain flour. Do not use any cake or pastry flour. I have not tried it with any others so I can’t tell you if it works or not.
- Large eggs – To me, large eggs are about 50 60 grams. You do want large egg whites so the souffle had a good meringue base to puff up.
- Milk – I use regular full-fat milk. You can also use coconut milk if you want to skip on dairy.
- Butter – again, you can use margarine or omit the butter.
- Cream cheese – If you want more pumpkin flavor, add more pumpkin puree but omit the cream cheese.
- Nutmeg – I have this as optional because often it’s already included in the pumpkin spice, so some people may find it too much.
Useful Tips and Tools
- Use a large Mixing bowl to ensure you have enough room for mixing.
- I like to use a Whisk to ensure everything is well comibined
- A Spatula does a great job of scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- I prefer to use my Stand-mixer to whip the eggs whites but you can also use a Hand-mixer
- Souffle is usually baked in individual Ramekins but I have given you other suggestions below.
- Make sure your Oven is well preheated before you place the souffle in.
How to Make A Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Souffle (Save/Pin)
Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 360 F
- Butter and sugar 6 x 6 oz ramekins or 3 x 10 oz ramekins
- Ensure eggs are room temperature
Prepare custard base
- Using a whisk and a bowl (or saucepan)
- Combine – egg yolks, sugar, salt, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, vanilla, flour, milk
- Making sure you combine each well at every addition to prevent lumps.
- Pour into a saucepan and place on medium-low heat
- Cook stirring continuously until thickened and reduced to 1/3 it’s original amount (almost pasty)
- Set aside to cool to just warm
Prepare meringue
- In a bowl whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt.
- Whisk to almost stiff peaks
Assemble and bake
- Fold the cooled (barely warm) custard base with the meringue mixture.
- Spoon into prepared ramekins
- Level the tops with a spoon
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden on top
- The center will still be wobbly and custardy.
Serve
- Dust with powder sugar before you serve
- These are served as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Please let these cool before you serve them to kids. The inside is still very hot for a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
This pumpkin souffle will stay in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze it for up to a month as well.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter. Never open the door while the souffle is baking. A slight deflation is souffle is normal.
A good souffle should rice about 2 to 3 inches above the rim.
It must have a golden crust on top but a moist creamy center.
When you shake the souffle it will still jiggle from side to side.
If you put a knife in the center of the souffle it will be wet, not runny. If it is dry as a cake means you’ve overbaked it.
Insert a needle in the center of the souffle. The needle will be moist but with no trace of eggs or batter.
Ideally, a souffle can be served hot or cold. I like to serve this pumpkin souffle hot.
You can use oven-safe mugs or mini baking cups instead of ramekins.
You can also bake one large souffle in a ceramic baking dish and then spoon the souffle into individual serving plates. If you do bake one large souffle make sure to adjust baking times accordingly.
It is important to whip the egg whites on low and increase speed gradually. If you whip the egg whites too quickly the batter can fall and crack.
Whip it to stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the batter – if you fold the egg whites too quickly losing volume the souffle will collapse or crack.
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Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Souffle Recipe
Print Pin RateDescription
Equipment /Tools
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the custard base
- 2 (2 ) Egg yolks
- 15 grams (1.01 tbsp) White sugar
- 30 grams (2.03 tbsp) Cream cheese Or pumpkin Puree
- 60 ml (0.24 cups) Pumpkin puree (see notes)
- 28 grams (1.89 tbsp) Butter melted
- 30 grams (0.24 cups) All-purpose flour
- 180 ml (0.74 cups) Milk
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) Vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp ) Salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp ) Pumpkin spice
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) Ginger ground
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg grated
For the meringue
- 2 (2 ) Egg whites
- 15 grams (1.01 tbsp) White sugar
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp ) Salt
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 360 F
- Butter and sugar 6 x 6 oz ramekins or 3 x 10 oz ramekins
- Ensure eggs are room temperature
Prepare custard base
- Using a whisk and a bowl (or saucepan)
- Combine – egg yolks, sugar, salt, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, vanilla, flour, milk
- Making sure you combine each well at every addition to prevent lumps.
- Pour into a saucepan and place on medium-low heat
- Cook stirring continuously until thickened and reduced to 1/3 it’s original amount (almost pasty)
- Set aside to cool to just warm
Prepare meringue
- In a bowl whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt.
- Whisk to almost stiff peaks
Assemble and bake
- Fold the cooled (barely warm) custard base with the meringue mixture.
- Spoon into prepared ramekins
- Level the tops with a spoon
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden on top
- The center will still be wobbly and custardy.
Serve
- Dust with powder sugar before you serve
- These are served as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Please let these cool before you serve them to kids. The inside is still very hot for a few minutes.
Recipe Video
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Nutrition Information
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swathi
That is perfect pumpkin souffle I need to try it, I am afraid of souffle’s custard base, but this one looks delicious and it has cream cheese and pumpkin puree along with egg yolks.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Swathi. This one is really simple and easy
Melissa
This sounds divine, a perfect Fall dessert! And I too prefer a more custard middle so I think yours are perfect! Can’t wait to see what other souffles you have to share with us.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Melissa. I love soft and smooth souffle centers.
tammy
Your souffles look so elegant and beautiful, Veena! I wish I could try one right now…I think this is a lovely fall treat. Definitely one I would like to try 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Tammy. This is definitely elegant and very fall kinda dessert
Marisa Franca
I just wanted to let you know that I found my ramekins and now I can make these cute little souffles. We have our son coming over for dinner and we’re all watching our weight — so this will be ideal!! Can’t wait.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Marisa. I hope you try these soon. Let me know how it goes. I think your son will love it very much.
Claudia Lamascolo
you got me wanting to run to the kitchen to make this one I love souffles and this sounds decadently addiciting !
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Cladia. Me too love souffle
Lauren Vavala
This sounds so creamy and full of all my favorite fall flavors. I haven’t made a souffle in so long but I am literally craving this now!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Lauren. Definitely perfect for fall.
April
It’s been a while since I had a pumpkin souffle so this is quite a find for me! Yours is so light and fluffy – just what I like!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, April. yes it is very light and fluffy.
Dan Zehr
Great dessert for my family. I bet those flavors are amazing! Cannot wait to try this! Love! Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Dan.
Yeki
I cannot believe I made these and it was gone in an instant. We actually enjoyed these warm and it was so good. Thanks for sharing
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Yeki. So happy that this recipe worked well for you and you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love to hear from those who tried my recipe.
Qukiy
I’ve made souffle before but never been so easy. I was hesitant if it will work at all but it was really light and airy. I plan to make these for my boyfriend soon so… made them as practice. Wish me luck.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Qukiy. So happy that this recipe worked well for you and you enjoyed it. I’m sure your boyfriend will love it. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. Love to hear from those who tried my recipe.
Jacque Hastert
This dessert sounds like a great date night in dessert. Perfect for fall nights when you don’t want to leave the house.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Jaque. I think you will love this one.
Claire
I bet pumpkin souffle is AMAZING! Souffles have always struck me as intimidating, but you make it look so easy. I’m definitely going to have to give this one a try.
Veena Azmanov
Its absolutely delicious and very easy Claire. You must give it a try.
Veronika's Kitchen
Oh, your pumpkin souffle looks so luscious! I was always afraid to make it before, but I think it’s time to try! My hubby will love it!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Veronika. It’s really easy. You must try .
Lorie
Ive has something similar to this before and now I want to make my own. Can’t wait to try!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Lorie. This is so easy.
Emily Leary
They look and sound super yummy. I love pumpkin and I love souffle so count me in!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Emily. I bet you will love this.
Eileen Kelly
I am a pumpkin person! I am drooling over this pumpkin souffle! It is light and fluffy, you were not fooling around! What a delicious alternative to a pie for Thanksgiving! Me, I could make this everyday, just delicious!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Eileen. I do love pumpkin pie but I find it too heavy so I usually make it around Thanksgiving but not on Thanksgiving.
Jagruti
I don’t use pumpkin in desserts enough and your recipe has inspired me! It looks so so good!!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Jagruti. I do love pumpkin desserts very much.
Amanda Mason
I am a pumpkin person and I love all things pumpkin so this is the perfect recipe for me! I can guarantee you I’ll be making these! They look fabulous! I’ve never made my own pumpkin puree but now I’m inspired to!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Amanda. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know if you try it.
Jenni LeBaron
These look really delicious! I have never tried to make a souffle before so I appreciate your video instructions. This looks super fluffy and I love pumpkin so I’m sure I would love these too!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Jenni. Souffle is really easy – you will enjoy this
Marisa Franca
Fall screams pumpkin but sometimes the desserts are too heavy. This souffle is perfect — light and tasty. Also I really like when you can make individual desserts — not only do they look great it’s good for portion control. This is a winner.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Marisa. I love this because of the lightness it adds to the end of dinner.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
I love the fall because it is an excuse to make pumpkin everything!! This pumpkin souffle looks so good!!
Veena Azmanov
I agree with you. I love everything pumpkin too Cathleen.
Arlene Mobley
I love anything pumpkin! Souffles are one of my favorite dessert recipes.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Arlene. I love souffle too.
Dawn
These look like the perfect individual treat! Love the pumpkin flavouring here too…and those pink dishes are ADORABLE!!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Dawn. I love souffle, especially individual serving.
Denise
I’m glad you are going to share your soufflé recipes with us! I’m dying to try one but now that you mentioned a Nutella one, I think I’ll have to look for that one too! (I love Nutella!)
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Denise. I love souffle very much. Weird I have still not shared any. Looking forward to sharing more
Elaine Benoit
What a great alternative to pumpkin pie! I love pumpkin but it’s always the last pie I’d try at Thanksgiving! But I would definitely try this pumpkin souffle!!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Elaine. I love souffle so I’d pick it over pumpkin pie
Jolina
I don’t know if I’m one of them pumpkin people haha but I do love these souffles! I have been trying to perfect the basic souffle, I think it’s my egg whites that I’m having so much problems with. These look delicious and perfect for the holidays.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Jolina. Yes the egg whites are what make them rise to the top.
Gloria
This time of year I can never get enough pumpkin EVERYTHING. This looks like a great dessert for fall….and even Thanksgiving too. I would devour this all year long. Perfect for entertaining too.
Veena Azmanov
I know what you mean Gloria. Me too! I can never have enough pumpkin at this time of the year.