Copycat Panera Soufflé
If you’ve ever walked into Panera Bread and immediately locked eyes with the soufflés in the display case, this recipe is for you. This Copycat Panera Soufflé Recipe gives you that same buttery, flaky, vibe, without having to leave the house. It feels a little fancy, but it’s also way more approachable than it looks!
I’ve always loved ordering a Panera Bread soufflé, especially when I want something warm and savory for breakfast or brunch. After a few trips of thinking “I could totally make this at home,” I finally did, and turns out, soufflés are elegant but secretly easy.
Once you make them once, you realize they’re totally doable anytime, and they’re especially perfect for brunch when you want something impressive that doesn’t actually require a ton of effort!
Why You’ll Love This Copycat Panera Souffle Recipe
- It tastes just like the Panera version! Flaky puff pastry, a creamy egg filling, and a savory mix of cheese and prosciutto give you that classic café soufflé experience at home.
- It looks fancy but is very doable. These soufflés have major brunch energy, but puff pastry does most of the work for you.
- Perfect for breakfast orbrunch. I love these for slow weekend mornings, but they really shine when you’re hosting and want something that feels special.
- Customizable with what you have! You can easily swap cheeses, add veggies, or change up the protein depending on what’s in your fridge.
- Make-ahead friendly. You can prep the components in advance, which makes hosting brunch way less stressful.
Ingredients You Need
- Eggs: This is the base of the custard for the egg soufflés. You can use large or medium eggs.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the custard its richness and airy texture.
- Parmesan: Adds nutty saltiness.
- Mozzarella: This is a fantastic melting cheese that’s mild and creamy.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Adds natural sweetness, a little acidity, and texture with its chew!
- Prosciutto: Salty, savory, and completely irresistible, prosciutto makes these puff pastry quiches extra decadent.
- Rosemary: Adds a pop of freshness.
Variations & Substitutions
The fun of these copycat Panera soufflés is that you can have fun coming up with different combinations of fillings. The puff pastry and egg mixture will remain the same, just swap the ingredients out for some of your favorites. Here are just a few ideas.
- Spinach and Artichoke
- Kale and Mushrooms
- Spinach and Bacon
- Three Cheeses
- Ham and Swiss
- Caramelized Onion and Gruyere
- Chorizo and Manchego
- Diced Peppers, Onions, and Ham
Feel free to swap out the puff pastry, cheeses, and heavy cream in this recipe for dairy free puff pastry and plant-based options. The baking time may be slightly different if using dairy free puff pastry so check your package for suggested cooking temperatures.
How to Make Copycat Panera Soufflés
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter 4 ramekins or 1 9″ pie dish (for a large souffle) and set aside.
- Whisk the Eggs: Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk them well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the heavy cream and cheeses and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Prep the Puff Pastry: Unroll puff pastry. Cut it into 4 equal sized pieces and place into the prepared puff pastry. Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the pastry. This will prevent the bottoms from rising too much.
- Add Filings: Divide the sun dried tomatoes and prosciutto between each ramekin. Top with the egg mixture and sprinkle the rosemary over the top.
- Bake & Enjoy: Fold each corner of the puff pastry down to face the center. Rub a little of the egg mixture onto the pastry to create an egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and set.
Tips for Success
- Make sure your puff pastry is fully thawed but still cold. Puff pastry should be pliable enough to work with, but not warm or sticky. If it gets too soft to work with, pop it back in the fridge for about 15 minutes and it will be easier to work with!
- Butter the ramekins generously. Don’t be shy here! Well-buttered ramekins help the pastry crisp up and release easily after baking.
- Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. This step keeps the base from puffing too aggressively, which can throw off the balance of pastry to filling. You want flaky sides with a sturdy bottom that supports the creamy egg mixture.
- Avoid overfilling and overbaking. Fill the ramekins just below the top so the eggs have room to puff without spilling over. Pull them from the oven when the centers are just set. Overbaking can cause the soufflés to deflate and lose their soft, custardy texture.
Serving Suggestions
These copycat Panera soufflés are perfect on their own, but they can be paired with simple sides for a larger spread! I love serving them with fresh fruit, a sugar snap pea salad, or other brunch options like million dollar bacon. For brunch, they’re great alongside mimosas, coffee cake, and a cup of coffee!
Storage Suggestions
Copycat Panera style soufflés are best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F until warmed through to keep the pastry crisp. Microwaving works, but the crust will soften. You can also prep the filling and pastry ahead of time and assemble just before baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
The biggest secret to a perfect soufflé is temperature and timing. Using room-temperature eggs helps everything mix smoothly, and baking in a fully preheated oven ensures the soufflé puffs properly before it sets. It’s also important not to overbake, pulling it while the center is just set keeps the texture light and creamy instead of dry.
A soufflé from Panera is more of an indulgent breakfast or brunch option than a health food. It contains eggs and protein, but it’s also made with cheese, cream, and pastry, which add saturated fat and calories. This homemade copycat version lets you control the ingredients and portions, making it easier to adjust based on your preferences.
A soufflé is lighter and more custard-like, often baked with cream and sometimes wrapped or supported by pastry for structure. A frittata is denser and sturdier, usually made with just eggs and baked or finished on the stovetop.
A soufflé is a baked dish made with eggs that’s designed to puff up in the oven and have a light, airy interior. While many people think of savory versions like breakfast or brunch soufflés, a soufflé can also be dessert soufflés (like chocolate soufflés) use the same basic technique and rely on eggs for lift. Whether savory or sweet, what truly qualifies a dish as a soufflé is that signature rise and delicate texture that’s best enjoyed fresh from the oven.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Maman’s Cheese Souffle
- Golden Milk Banana Bread
- Farmer Cheese Phyllo Pie
- Spanish Zucchini Tortilla
- Spring Oeufs en Cocotte
Copycat Panera Style Soufflés
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 4 ramekins 5" or 1- 9" pie dish
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet, store bought defrosted according to package directions
- 3 large eggs or 4 medium eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter 4 ramekins or 1 9" pie dish and set aside.
- Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk them well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the heavy cream and cheeses and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Unroll puff pastry. Cut it into 4 equal sized pieces and place into the prepared puff pastry. Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the pastry. This will prevent the bottoms from rising too much.
- Divide the sun dried tomatoes and prosciutto between each ramekin. Top with the egg mixture and sprinkle the rosemary over the top.
- Fold each corner of the puff pastry down to face the center. Rub a little of the egg mixture onto the pastry to create an egg wash.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Notes
- Make sure your puff pastry is fully thawed but still cold. Puff pastry should be pliable enough to work with, but not warm or sticky. If it gets too soft to work with, pop it back in the fridge for about 15 minutes and it will be easier to work with!
- Butter the ramekins generously. Don’t be shy here! Well-buttered ramekins help the pastry crisp up and release easily after baking.
- Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. This step keeps the base from puffing too aggressively, which can throw off the balance of pastry to filling. You want flaky sides with a sturdy bottom that supports the creamy egg mixture.
- Avoid overfilling and overbaking. Fill the ramekins just below the top so the eggs have room to puff without spilling over. Pull them from the oven when the centers are just set. Overbaking can cause the soufflés to deflate and lose their soft, custardy texture.
Hi hi – Thank you so much for this!! I am always looking for breakfast recipes that are TASTY! My question for you is the following: Can these be frozen after they’re baked?
I will be honest I have never frozen them. I did refrigerate them a because my daughter wanted them the next day.She just warmed them up in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes and they were perfectly fine.
I’ve successfully frozen them and I reheat them in the air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes. Absolutely amazing!
I’ve made these twice now and love them!
Thank you so much for trying! We love them too!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I would love to mention it on my Saturday Morning Gather post tomorrow with a link to your post.
thank you chef for sending me this wonderful recipe. I would like to know more about your blog.
I’m going to try in jumbo muffin tin…will return and report
Finally made this morning. Used to order them every week at a meeting held in the restaurant. This was very good. Now I need to make my favorite, spinach artichoke. Made mine in 6 ramekins. My husband liked them – high praise. Served with some mixed fruit. Thanks for the recipe.
UPDATE. This time used leftover shredded Italian cheese, Parmesan and mozzarella, cut out ham, cut up spinach and chopped sun dried tomatoes Again, made 6 ramekins. Delicious. This was a clean out the fridge recipe with the unused puff pastry in the freezer and leftover filling ingredients.
I’ve tried a lot of Panera soufflé copycat recipes and this one is by FAR the best !! Thank you for such a delicious recipe I can make for my family…. Who also loves these by the way!.
This worked perfectly! I made a double batch of mine with ham, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes in jumbo muffin tins and ramekins. The tins worked just as well as the ramekins. So tasty and filling!
I am doing a brunch for my daughter’s bridal shower. Once these are baked can you remove them from
the ramekin,refrigerate and reheat the next day?
I am doing a brunch for my daughter’s bridal shower. Once these are baked can you remove them from
the ramekin, refrigerate and reheat the next day?
Yes you can.They come out very easily. You can reheat them in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes.
I made these today and they are delicious!! I didn’t poke enough holes in the pastry so they looked huge when they came out of the oven. They did settle down and are still wonderful. I can’t wait to try other kinds. The caramelized onion and Gruyere sounds great! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Curious about the dough. Seem to my that a sheet of puff pastry is convenient, in the restaurant version. I do not see layers. Do you think the use croissant dough? Would it make a difference?
I tried to reply to the person who asked if you can use croissant dough instead… I have. They did “poof” up like the originals, but were still very tasty. Just a little more dense, but I still enjoyed them. Hubby didn’t notice the difference!
Just made these this morning and they were delicious. I used ham, parm, moz, chives and thyme.
They were so easy to make and they look beautiful.
Thank you for such a great and versatile recipe!
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Do you think these could be made “crustless” without the puff pastry?
Yes you can make it crustless. Just grease well the dish and sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese.You can turn them into egg muffin.
I can’t wait to try these. My grocery store had eggs on sale yesterday (unbelieveable!!) so I got 3 dozen. Can I make these, cook and freeze? I’ve made dishes of quiche and frozen them so I would think this would work, I just haven’t done it with the puff pastry. Thanks!
Made these twice and everyone thinks im a master chef now. I used 1 tsp of tomatoes per souffle instead of the recommended 1 cup for all 4 of them and used 4 large eggs instead of 3 to take up the unused space.
How long do you bake for a 9” pan?
I came looking for the same answer! It MUST be different heat/time
I, too, was wondering how to make this in a large tart pan. Unfortunately the recipe only mentions you can but does not give details. Please let us know.
You can use the entire sheet of puff pastry in a tart pan or pie pan to make a larger version, just like a quiche.
Bake for the same amount of time, or simply until the puff pastry is cooked through and golden brown.
Will do, thank you!