Fluffy goat cheese soufflés with honey, dried lavender, fresh thyme, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese for a burst of flavor from the first bite. This is a soufflé that's designed to fall, so don't worry a temperamental soufflé.
This little soufflé inspired my double baked artichoke soufflé with cheese, which is another soufflé that sinks as part of the recipe.
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Eggs are an important way I get protein in my diet, and fortunately there are a lot of ways to prepare them. Omelets, scrambles, frittatas, and quiche are just a few ways.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It’s fine when the soufflés sink, so there’s no fuss getting them to the table quickly.
- Make them ahead and re-warm for a quick lunch or light dinner with a salad.
- Flexible for using other cheeses.
- Perfect individual servings for brunches.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Parmesan cheese
- Dried lavender
- Lemon zest
- Soft goat cheese - soft chevre is also fine, especially one flavored with garlic and herbs. Other soft cheese is great, such as Boursin or quark.
- Ricotta cheese - either full fat or low fat.
- Fresh thyme
- Honey
- Eggs - I always use pastured eggs as they are much healthier due to the way the chickens are raised and fed.
- Low-fat milk
- All-purpose flour
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Ramekins
- Zester - for the lemon
- Cheese grater
- Hand mixer - to whip up the egg whites
- Rubber spatula - to fold the whipped egg whites into the cheese and egg mixture
- 9” X 11” baking dish - to hold to ramekins while the souffles bake
Notes
These little soufflés collapse in about 15 minutes. Just run a sharp knife around them, turn them upside down, and they slide right out.
They make a great appetizer/first course or brunch offering, and they're even great warmed up for lunch the day after you've made them.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
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Herbed Goat Cheese Soufflés
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese divided, plus more for sprinkling on the ramekins
- ½ teaspoon dried lavender
- ½ medium lemon, zested
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 ounces soft goat cheese
- 1 ounce ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey I used orange blossom honey
- 3 large eggs separated
- ¼ cup low-fat milk
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- butter for the ramekins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Prep the ramekins by smearing them with butter and sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese on the bottoms and around the sides. Set aside.
- Rub the dried lavender between your fingers to reduce as much as half of the buds to a powder. Combine with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the goat cheese, ricotta, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, thyme, honey, egg yolks, milk and flour together. Stir well.
- In a small bowl, whip the egg whites just to a firm peak. Be careful not to get them too firm, or they'll be difficult to fold into the cheese-yolk mixture. Fold into the the cheese-yolk mixture in thirds using a large spatula.You should have lumps of egg whites in the mixture - it will not be smooth. Otherwise, the egg whites will be over-folded and not give as much rise to the soufflé.
- Place the ramekins in a baking dish, and fill the dish with hot water one-half the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully spoon the cheese-egg mixture into the ramekins, filling them two-thirds full.
- Pro-tip: Clean the sides and rims of the ramekins down to the level of the liquid using a paper or cloth towel. This allows the cheese-egg mixture to rise without impediment.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned on top and firm to the touch. Cool the soufflés in the ramekins for 15 minutes. They will collapse and pull away from the sides of the ramekins. Run a knife around their edges and turn the ramekins upside down. The soufflés will slide out.Alternatively, serve the soufflés in the ramekins.
- Serve warm with a small salad.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Suzanne! It was such a nice, relaxing vacation but my real highlight was this day roaming around the countryside seeing goats, eating cheese and having nothing more important to do than seeing where the road led to.
LiztheChef
What a wonderful post! I love reading about your trip and your recipe is a winner. What size are those ramekins - 8 ounces? I want to make this!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I am woefully behind with trying to get our house ready to sell. I'm so sorry. the ramekins are indeed 8 ounces. I really like you and Larry would love these little soufflés, Liz.
Lynda - TasteFood
Beautiful souffles! What a great trip. I bet the goat's do surf, they just aren't letting on.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Well the little babies WERE looking pretty tired.... 🙂 Thanks Lynda!
Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen
These sound lovely, as does your trip to the goat dairy! I love Maui!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Kelsey! Yes, it was a really nice trip.
Jessica
I love the Surfing Goat Dairy! My husband and I used to stay in Makena and we'd always dedicate an afternoon to the goats. We even made up a goat song for the ride up (not sure why I'm actually admitting this). I'm so envious, I wish I was there right now. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip, and these souffles sound divine - I'll have to try these for dinner soon. I love that they're collapsed - takes some of the pressure off! 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Jessica! How totally cool that you were staying in the same area we were and visited the same goat dairy. That is just totally cool!!! And I love that you guys made up a song about them - the whole day was just such a treat.
Juls (Pepper and Sherry)
Those goats are SO CUTE! (The souffles look pretty spiffing too!)
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They were just adorable! Thanks Juls!!!
Choc Chip Uru
Goats and souffles are gorgeous alike - awesome post 😀
Cheers
CCU
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much CCU!!
Shirley
I've never heard of goat cheese in souffle, but I love goat cheese and this looks so good! And for some reason I just don't think Hawaii when I think "goat dairy." 😉 Probably too many stereotypical images of hibiscuses and luaus ingrained in my head.
Thanks also for your nice comments on my Foodbuzz post!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I was so surprised to hear about the goat dairy being there too!! That's why I just HAD to check it out, and what a treat it was. Hope you try the goat cheese soufflé!
Jenn and Seth (@HomeSkilletCook)
oh wow this sounds absolutely delicious!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Jenn and Seth!!
Jessica | Oh Cake
First off - I love goat cheese anything. Second - I *really* want to go to Hawaii! Third - goat cheese!
Seriously, what a fun trip you had. Great recipe!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Jessica!!
Reeni
What gorgeous souffles! They sound incredibly flavorful - love the hit of lavender you used. The goat with his head under the fence is so cute!
gluttonforlife
Sounds like a wonderful trip and the cheese—so delicious! I am envious of your time in Hawaii, it's such a paradise on earth. Maybe this recipe will inspire me at long last to try a soufflé...
Soni
This looks perfect Susan!!Love the cuteness,the size and the cheesy deliciousness :)Hawaii is on my list of places to visit!!!
Carol Sacks
Lovely post! Can't wait to try this recipe. My daughter loves goat cheese and probably eats it every day.