Healthy Fresh Strawberry Soufflé

Fresh, sweet strawberries and farm fresh eggs create a pillowy and delicious soufflé. This easy to make dessert has minimal, healthy ingredients and zero refined sugar!

Fresh strawberry dessert

Coming home with 15 lbs of strawberries fresh from the farm, I knew I had some prepping to do. Of course, first thing first, I needed caffeine, so I brewed up a quick Starbucks Copycat Pink Drink using a few of the fresh strawberries.

This fresh strawberry soufflé was inspired by the overabundance of chicken eggs I have gathered now that they are laying more eggs due to extended sunshine hours!

The fluffy texture of the soufflé is all thanks to whipping the eggs for 15 minutes. Like meringue cookies, the egg whites will begin to form stiff peaks after vigorously whipping them.

Nothing goes to waste in this house, so the egg yolks are used by gently folding them into the egg white mixture. This brings extra richness to the soufflé that is undeniably delicious!

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries– Ripe, fragrant strawberries are perfect for this recipe, although they are not always in season! You may use frozen strawberries, but check the chef’s tip below.
• Eggs– Fresh farm eggs guarantee that your eggs are fresh, rather than the months old eggs you buy from a grocery store. Support your local farmer and grab some fresh eggs!
• Honey– Raw, local honey has numerous health benefits, including the reduction of allergy symptoms, which is especially handy during the springtime when they can get bad!
• Lemon juice– A squeeze of lemon juice adds acidity to this dessert that delays coagulation, meaning there is more time for air to be trapped in the egg protein, resulting in a fluffy texture.
• Almond extract– Almonds and strawberries, the most beautiful combination of flavors!

Chef’s tips

• Use frozen strawberries. If you can’t get strawberries that are fresh or ripe, you can use frozen strawberries. Allow them to thaw for 45 minutes in a strainer, so their juices release. Follow the recipe as normal.
• Use vanilla instead. If you do not like the almond extract or do not have it on hand, use what you have! Vanilla, lemon, or orange extracts would all work well in this recipe.
• Be patient. The egg whites will take a minimum of 15 minutes to form stiff peaks. I found that my Kitchenaid mixer took about 18 minutes to really get those strong peaks that you want.
• Fold the egg yolks gently. The strawberries and egg white mixture will deflate just a little- don’t worry! This is normal.
• Refrigerate the soufflé for a sweeter flavor. The soufflé will become sweeter and even more delicious when it is refrigerated overnight. The soufflé will collapse a little, but it’s still beautiful!

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the ramekins by placing them on a baking sheet. Do not oil the ramekins.
2. Blend the strawberries. Cut the tops off the strawberries and discard (or add them to a smoothie!). Add the strawberries to a blender and blend until they are completely pureed. This takes about 1 minute.
3. Combine and mix the ingredients. In a standing mixer, combine the egg whites, strawberry puree, lemon juice, almond extract, and half the honey. Mix until there are stiff peaks, about 15-18 minutes on medium.
4. Fold in the yolks. Whisk together the yolks and remaining honey together, then gently fold the mixture into the standing mixer using a rubber spatula.
5. Fill the ramekins. Fill the ramekins up to the top with the strawberry soufflé batter.
6. Serve. Allow the soufflés to cool for a few minutes, then dust with powdered sugar, coconut flakes, or fresh sliced strawberries. For a sweeter soufflé, cover the ramekins in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When is the soufflé done?

Strawberry soufflé takes about 15-18 minutes to bake at 350 degrees. The tops will rise above the ramekins and will be golden brown. The soufflés will jiggle a little

Once the soufflés are done baking, they will collapse a little while they cool. This is a normal part of the process, so don’t worry!

Why did my soufflé fall?

Simply put- it’s going to. Since the soufflé does not have an actual firm structure, the air bubbles will settle as the desert begins to cool. It should not collapse significantly, but it will deflate about an inch.

Below is a picture of the soufflé after it was refrigerated overnight. It deflated just an inch but still has a fluffy and whipped texture.

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