Key Lime Soufflé
Light, airy, tart and bright, this Key Lime Soufflé is a fun and special dessert that is perfect for spring. Or any time of the year.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
I hadn’t made a soufflé in ages when I decided to make a key lime soufflé. And my one prior recipe, a crab soufflé made for an elegant Christmas Brunch, was delicious and beautiful.
So I had little fear going in. 
My first key lime soufflé was beautiful too–but for mere minutes. Then it collapsed into a sunken green pool. At least it tasted good.
It was then that I read that some soufflés have a preparation method that may make them more stable. They start with a base that is cooked before being mixed with beaten egg whites. So on to soufflé #2.
My second try at key lime soufflé was again tall and lovely. Luckily, this time they stayed in full glory long enough for me to get pictures. And even when they began to deflate, it was just a bit and they still looked good enough for me to feel proud serving.
In the end, I decided that key lime soufflé was a perfect seasonal dish. Bright and tart, tasty and pretty, verdant like the coming spring.
And the real test? Even my picky daughter ate every bite.
How to Make Key Lime Soufflé
You start by making a custard batter using milk, egg yolks and lime. Cook until thickened, then strain.
Whip the egg whites. 
Fold together 
Fill soufflé dishes and bake 
Dust with powdered sugar 
Serve Immediately
Tips and Notes
A soufflé can be a temperamental dish and everything I read said to remember that even if it falls, it generally tastes good and can still be served if you do it light heartedly. So maybe be ready with a soufflé joke, just in case?
Organic sugar is fashionable now. But for candies or more delicate baked goods (like a soufflé) I usually use a white sugar. I don’t know why, but I have had results ranging from less-good to complete failure with organic. After enough issues, I started using only white sugar in anything sensitive. So I used sugar from Dixie Crystals here which was perfect and performed beautifully! 
Egg size matters in this recipe. If you use eggs smaller than large or extra large, you may not fill four small souffle dishes.
The limes and kumquat garnish are from a lovely box of produce from Melissa’s Produce, which brought a welcome ray of sunshine to my Wisconsin winter! If you don’t have access to key limes, Persian (that is, ordinary) limes will work fine (Melissa’s has these too!). Small berries would be another garnish option.
Word on the street is that you can leave a soufflé unbaked in the refrigerator for anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours before baking. I haven’t tried this but if you do I’d love to hear how it goes (and I’ll update this if I try it). 
The slight green color is due to the yellow egg yolks plus a little blue food coloring. If you want it to look truly lime-y remember that the color of the egg yolk & lime batter will lighten when you fold in the beaten egg white. 
Key Lime Soufflé
Ingredients
Dish prep:
- 1-2 teaspoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon sugar for dusting the dishes
Souffle:
- 2 large eggs or extra-large, separated
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ Tablespoon lime zest
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- Pinch of cream of tartar
Garnish:
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
- 2 kumquats
- 4 small mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 4 6-ounce souffle dishes, and then dust with granulated sugar.
In a small saucepan whisk together yolks, flour, juice, zest, milk and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Continue whisking on medium-low heat until mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes. Strain through a sieve and refrigerate to let cool.- Beat whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Stir ¼ of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a rubber spatula taking care not to deflate
- Fill each souffle dish to the top and level. Wipe any excess batter from the rims
- Bake until souffles rise and are golden and set, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, dust with powdered sugar, garnish if desired, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
More Spring Recipes
Friday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
- Candied Kumquats by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Citrus Biscotti by Pook’s Pantry
- Citrus Rhubarb Custard Bars by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Coconut Macaroons by Books n’ Cooks
- Easy Key Lime Mousse Tarts by Blogghetti
- Eclairs by House of Nash Eats
- Grapefruit Mint Julep by The Spiffy Cookie
- Key Lime Soufflé by Art of Natural Living
- Lemon Lime Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Lemon Raspberry Parfait by The Carefree Kitchen
- Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes by Nik Snacks
- No-Cook Candied Kumquats by Shockingly Delicious
- Pineapple Cheesecake Shooters by Jen Around the World
- Rhubarb Cream Cheese Danish by Devour Dinner
- Rhubarb Lavender Crisp by Sweet Beginnings
- Walking Banana Pudding Dessert Bags by For the Love of Food
We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.
Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Door County Coffee & Tea Co., Circulon, Melissa’s Produce, Taylor and Colledge, and Nairn’s for providing the bloggers with samples and product to use. All opinions are my own.
This key lime souffle looks light, airy, and delicious!! I could definitely eat it year round. Good to know that cooking the base first slows down the inevitable fall.
Thanks for doing all the work for us! Key limes (also known as Mexican limes) are easily found in this region, and I look forward to making this for dessert sometime soon.
Wow you made these perfectly! it rose really well. Good stuff
What a fun recipe! THanks for the great instructions. I feel more confident in trying out my first souffle.
This is such a lovely idea! Great for Spring celebrations 🙂
Thanks!
I love that little half inch of souffle peeking over the top of the dish. I have so many mini souffle dishes that I use for other purposes. I need to actually tackle souffles!
They are really useful dishes!
I love all the tartness of Key Lime. The soufflé is such a lovely dessert.
Yes, pretty much never met a key lime dessert I didn’t love!
I love souffles and I bet the key lime flavor is amazing.
Yes, the lime was so refreshing!
I have yet to make a souffle but your post makes it easier for me to try. Love the key lime!
I made 2 attempts at rhubarb bars, then 3 at Key Lime Soufflé to get my final recipe to work! But this was worth it!