Name: Pistachio Raspberry Soufflé
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 15 grams unsalted butter, melted ((~1 tbsp)); 30 grams pistachios, thoroughly crushed to dust; 140 grams egg white ((approx. 4 large egg whites)); 100 grams granulated sugar; 100 grams raspberry puree ((fresh or melted from frozen is fine)); 10 grams corn starch ((~2 tsp)); 1 tbsp raspberry powder, for dusting ((or powdered sugar)); Fresh raspberries, for garnish; Vanilla bean ice cream, frozen or melted (but still cold)

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Every once in a while you come across a dessert that sticks with you for years, living rent-free in your mind. I encountered one of these while on a cycling trip in the South of France – a pistachio raspberry soufflé. Unfortunately, for the life of me, I can’t remember the restaurant’s name that served this gem (or I’d gladly give it a shout-out). However, this recipe is the closest I’ve gotten to recreating that magic.

There are so many things to love about this pistachio raspberry soufflé. First, before even taking a bite, it’s visually stunning, a perfect hue of red/pink and studded with crushed pistachio on the outside. The colors lend themselves to a number of occasions – Valentine’s Day, Christmas, spring/summer generally. The flavor is bright and fruity, and the nuttiness of the pistachios add richness to balance. The texture is light and airy, almost custardy in the center, with little pops of crunch from the pistachios.

And, it’s surprisingly easy to make, but it’s guaranteed to impress your friends and family (or date!). It comes together in 30 minutes from start to finish, which is hard to beat. Instead of fussing with making my own crème anglaise, I opt to simply melt some vanilla bean ice cream instead (which is almost the same thing, really). You could just as enjoyably keep the ice cream frozen, and this would be a hit.

Why You’ll LOVE This Soufflé

Punchy fruit flavor. The raspberry flavor shines bright here.
Light texture. Light-as-air texture, creamy center, crunchy bits of pistachio.
Surprisingly simple: Comes together in 30 minutes.
Visually appealing: Beautiful hue of pink/red that naturally draws attention.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Kitchen staples – Sugar, eggs, butter
Raspberry puree – I buy mine frozen from Boiron, but freshly-made puree is great as well! Just be sure to strain out the seeds
Raspberry powder – Again, I buy mine pre-made, but you can easily make this yourself by buying freeze dried raspberries and processing them down to a dust

Pistachio Raspberry Soufflé Tips

Preparing ramekins for soufflé. Butter ramekins using upward/vertical strokes along the inside wall. When coating with the pistachios, make sure these are processed down to a near-dust, and be sure to tap out the excess. The butter and pistachios will both help the soufflé ‘climb’ up the side of the ramekin, which will result in a taller end result.

Preparing soufflé. Be sure to whip egg whites just until soft peaks. The goal is to capture air that will later expand in the oven and cause the rise of the soufflé, but if the egg whites are whipped too far (to stiff peaks), the additional air captured could result in a soufflé that collapses (imagine a balloon filled with too much air that pops). With the egg whites whipped to soft peak, folding in the raspberry puree gently ensures air isn’t knocked out in the process.

Don’t open the oven. The high temperature causes the air captured in the whipped egg whites to expand, which results in the lift in the soufflé. If you open the oven door while the soufflés are still baking, the heat loss may deflate the soufflés.

How to make this pistachio raspberry soufflé:

Prepare the ramekins: Preheat the oven, butter the ramekins, and coat with crushed pistachios.
Make the soufflé mixture: Whip egg whites until foamy, and then continue whipping while sprinkling in sugar. Continue whipping until soft peaks. Fold in the raspberry puree and corn starch. Pipe into prepared ramekins, smooth out the top, and clean edges.
Bake and serve: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Remove, dust with powdered raspberry or powdered sugar, and immediately serve with frozen or melted (but cold) vanilla bean ice cream.

FAQ

You absolutely can! If you’re like me and want a shortcut, Boiron makes high quality frozen purees, which is an awesome option to reduce work for this recipe.

Imagine a balloon that gets filled with too much air. If you then heat the air inside, it has nowhere to expand to and instead pops the balloon. Similarly, a soufflé made with whipped egg whites to stiff peaks is more likely to slump/deflate because too much air is captured, which ultimately destabilizes the egg whites when heated.

Yes! Prepare entire soufflés, with ramekins filled, and cover with plastic wrap in the fridge up to a day ahead. Bake directly from the fridge, though I’d suggest dropping the temperature to 400°F and adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time to avoid overbaking the exterior. Similarly, soufflés can be prepared and then frozen in the ramekins up to 2 weeks ahead. Bake directly from the freezer, but drop the temperature to 400°F and add 3-5 minutes.

Shop The Tools I Use

Kitchen scale: https://amzn.to/48OrR0f
KitchenAid hand mixer: https://amzn.to/4btWvgS
Offset spatula set: https://amzn.to/47WRcUK
Stainless steel mixing bowls: https://amzn.to/4hzr31H
6oz ramekins: https://amzn.to/4thdGIX

“I followed this recipe, and it was outstanding!” – Kate M.

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Ingredients

15 grams unsalted butter, melted (~1 tbsp)
30 grams pistachios, thoroughly crushed to dust
140 grams egg white (approx. 4 large egg whites)
100 grams granulated sugar
100 grams raspberry puree (fresh or melted from frozen is fine)
10 grams corn starch (~2 tsp)
1 tbsp raspberry powder, for dusting (or powdered sugar)
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Vanilla bean ice cream, frozen or melted (but still cold)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F, and grease 4 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter, making upward strokes along the sides. Coat with the crushed pistachio, shaking to remove any excess. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium bowl (if using a hand mixer) or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high and slowly sprinkle in granulated sugar. Continue beating the egg whites until glossy with soft peaks.
Add raspberry puree and corn starch to the egg whites and fold in gently until uniform in color / no streaks remain.
Pour or pipe the mixture into the ramekins, starting in the center (otherwise the pistachio will stick to the mixture and mix in), all the way to the top. Use an offset spatula to smooth the tops, and then use a paper towel (or your finger) to remove any excess batter from the sides/edges. Taking a small amount off the edge at the top can help the soufflés rise evenly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove, dust with raspberry powder, garnish with raspberries, and serve immediately with melted (or frozen) vanilla bean ice cream.