Crustless Broccoli Quiche
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Who needs crust? Going crustless with this broccoli quiche cuts down prep and cook time, plus carbs, letting the rich, cheesy custard and veggies take center stage.
There really is no other way to put it: this crustless broccoli quiche is insanely delicious. Whether you serve it for brunch, dinner, or any time in between, it’s worth every single calorie. Doing away with the crust cuts down on prep time, cook time, and carbs—and the cheesy custard is the best part anyway. To hold the quiche together, I spread the broccoli out on the bottom of the quiche to create a crust-like layer, making the quiche sturdy and easy to serve.
If you’d like to substitute other vegetables, like asparagus or mushrooms, feel free but keep the ratio of veggies to custard the same and, of course, always cook and season the vegetables before adding them. As with my classic quiche Lorraine and spinach quiche, the oven temperature is key. Quiche should be cooked at 325°F (not 350°F as most recipes direct) for the creamiest, silkiest custard. Eggs like to be cooked gently, and those 25 degrees really do make a difference.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the broccoli, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/3 cup water.
Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is al dente and the water has evaporated, 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
Spread the broccoli and shallots evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie plate.
Sprinkle the cheese over top. I think Gruyère is perfect here — it melts nicely and has a nutty, earthy flavor — but Comté, Beaufort or Cheddar would also work well.
Then pour the egg mixture over the cheese.
Bake for about an hour, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.
Let cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve. This quiche reheats beautifully so don’t hesitate to make it ahead of time and warm up as needed.
You May Also Like
Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Who needs crust? Going crustless with this broccoli quiche cuts down prep and cook time, plus carbs, letting the rich, cheesy custard and veggies take center stage.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- ½ cup chopped shallots, from about 2 shallots
- 10 oz broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces or smaller
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 6 large eggs
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ cups (about 5 oz) shredded Gruyère
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with butter.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not brown. Add the broccoli, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ⅓ cup water. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is al dente and the water has evaporated, 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Spread the broccoli and shallots evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Sprinkle the Gruyère over top. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese.
- Bake for about an hour, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve.
- Make Ahead: This quiche can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To warm up individual slices, simply reheat in the microwave for about a minute. To reheat the entire quiche, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven until hot in the center, about 30 minutes.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooled quiche may also be wrapped tightly in foil and frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 483
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Sodium: 492 mg
- Cholesterol: 321 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
Perfect for brunch Did broccoli and shallots the night before, put them in my quiche dish, sprinkled cheese over it. Mixed up wet ingredients with spices and refrigerated all. Next morning, threw it together and baked. We all enjoyed it. Just put a leftover piece in the microwave for lunch. Thought that it was even better the second day. Could I make it with regular cream to cut fat and calorie’s> Thanks Jenn
Hi Carol, so glad you enjoyed it! Typically heavy cream and half and half or light cream would be interchangeable for quiche but I worry about it here because there’s no crust. The cream keeps the custard a little sturdier.
Followed the directions exactly and it was perfect light and fluffy. No need for crust.
I’ve made so many of your recipes before, but never this one…now I know why restaurant quiche is always so much better than mine…heavy cream! Serious game-changer. I don’t mind the cream because there are almost no carbs in this delicious quiche! Generally I prefer my veggies crunchy-ish, but I love what happens to the broccoli here because you can eat your slice with a fork and it’s never awkward. And all the nutrients remain because the broccoli wasn’t steamed or boiled with water discarded…Finally, it makes a beautiful presentation coming out of the oven when still puffed…ten minutes later, right on schedule, it has flattened and is ready to be cut. This is so delicious and so easy. Thanks again, Jen!
Hi Jenn,
Can I substitute light cream for heavy cream in your recipe – perhaps adding an extra egg to compensate?
VJ
Hi, Typically heavy and light cream would be interchangeable for quiche but I worry about it here because there’s no crust. The cream keeps the custard a little sturdier.
Made this for Easter -made it the day before & reheated . Easy & delicious .
LC- Massachusetts
Hi, first off I love all your recipes I have made. My pie dish is 9 1/2 inches will this work?
Yup, that will work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn
I love your recipes and I can’t wait to try this one. I usually make a deep dish broccoli and chicken quiche but I’d like to try your crust less version. How can I adapt it to a deep dish version and can I add chicken to your recipe?
Thanks
Andi
So glad you like the recipes!This is a deep dish quiche, so no changes would be necessary. It would be fine to add some cooked chicken to this, but you may need to cut back a little on the other ingredients so that everything will fit into the pie plate.
Can you use frozen broccoli? Any additional instructions, if you can use frozen broccoli so it’s not watery? Thank you! I love your recipes! All the ones I have tried (made exactly as written) are delicious!
Hi Carmen — so glad you like the recipes! Frozen broccoli is fine. Make sure you thaw it and once thawed, put it in a strainer to strain off any liquid. You can also skip the step of cooking it since it’s already cooked.
Tried it – loved it… Love your recipes, Jenn! I’m a busy mom, wife, and Attorney, and your recipes are achievable for mere mortals!
Um WOW! Made a triple batch of this for our big ole’ family for a Friday Lenten dinner thinking if they turned up their noses I knew I’d enjoy the leftovers. Ummm, they LOVED it. It’s filling so we have a whole quiche left and I’ve already earmarked it for freezing and reheating for Easter brunch! Thanks for sharing this awesome & easy recipe!
I followed this recipe exactly and it was absolutely delicious! Very simple to make. I will definitely make this again. I love your recipes. Thank you, Jenn.
Jenn, could I substitute old cheese? And could I get it ready the night before serving without baking and put it in the fridge for the night? Thanks
Yes, you can assemble the quiche the night before and bake it before serving. Just be very careful transporting it in and out of the fridge. And I’m not quite sure what you mean by old cheese – can you clarify?
I have made this recipe twice. The first time it was perfect. The second time I forgot to set the oven temp to 325. The default on my oven is 350 degrees which definitely changed the creaminess of the custard. It was very good but not as delicious as the first. I wont make that mistake again-on this recipe….!
I would like to add a bit of “kick” to it, any suggestions? Thank you
Glad you liked it and understand how you preferred the texture the first time around. To add more of a kick, I’d double the cayenne pepper.
I used smoked Gruyere cheese, because I thought it sounded good. It was amazing! I have been asked for the recipe several times. Thank you for sharing with us!
Re: Crustless Broccoli Quiche – Bought an oven thermometer to ensure the oven temp was correct. Baked this for 55 minutes. It was special. First time I made a quiche that had the proper consistency.
Thank you Jen
Absolutely love this! I sometimes substitute ham cubes for the broccoli and it’s also very good. I love all of your recipes, they’re delicious and always turn out great!
This is a go-to brunch recipe for me, made as is for perfection. I’d like to try it as mini crustless quiches though for a fancy tea party. Do you think that could work?
Glad you like it! You can make these as minis in a muffin tin, but they will be very delicate. (Several readers have commented that they have made mini versions successfully.) I would guess they’d need 30 to 35 minutes in the oven. Hope the tea party is nice!
Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect! I haven’t been disappointed in any recipe that Jenn has published! She is my go-to menu guru. Happy New Year!
I love this and have made it several times. I’m curious as to whether I could make this and pour into a cupcake tray for a hiking trip. Thanks for your input!
Hi Glenna, It might be a bit delicate to unmold from a cupcake tray. I would try my egg bites instead.
And I did and the egg bites were delicious! Thank you for your reply!
So easy. So elegant. Absolutely delicious!
This is very good! But my broccoli was mush. I much prefer some crunch. I may add it raw next time I make this. Very yummy!
I made it. A little bland. It needs bacon& sriracha. Would make it again.
This was easy to make and really delicious. Even my spouse who doesn’t normally like quiche took seconds 😊
Wonderful, balanced recipe! I can’t consume heavy cream — can I swap it out for buttermilk instead? If so, should I add a tablespoon of flour to help thicken it during baking or leave it alone? Thank you!
Can I freeze this quiche before baking & bake when it’s ready to be served?
Hi Roslyn, I’ve never frozen it before baking, so I can’t say for sure how it will work, but you can definitely freeze it after.