Crustless Broccoli Quiche
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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.
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.
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Crustless Broccoli Quiche
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-in (2.5-cm) 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 (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-in (23-cm) 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 (80 ml) water. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is al dente and the water has evaporated, 3 to 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
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I love this quiche. I have passed this recipe onto friends. I bring it to work – everyone loves it. I make it as the recipe is written and I have also made it adding pancetta.
Love this quiche. I have made it numerous time and have also passed this recipe onto friends. I bring it to work and everyone loves it. I have made it as written and I have also made it adding pancetta.
Jenn, I make a quiche weekly for a quick weekday breakfast. I was eager to try this crust less quiche as we are trying to reduce our carbs. Not that we don’t love a good pie crust, but we wanted to save our calories and carbs for your Bourbon Brown butter pecan pie! This quiche was so flavorful we barely missed the crust! Next on our list is to try you Thai minced chicken lettuce cups. Thanks for a great recipe!
~Lorri
This is delicious! I made it for my book club and it disappeared quickly. Everyone wanted the recipe. The Gruyere cheese made it extra special! Best quiche recipe I’ve tried and I didn’t miss the crust at all!
I made this last night and it was fantastic! The entire family enjoyed it, even my husband who thinks meat should be included in every dinner. Make sure all the water is evaporated from the broccoli, which it clearly states in the recipe.
I own the cookbook and have made many recipes from it and the website and I have never been disappointed!
I’m in my 80’s and have ALWAYS had an aversion to using CREAM (except in chocolate truffles, LOL). I realize that a custard is NOT a custard without cream.
Are there any possible substitutions that might at least cut some of that bad fat?
Thanks!
Hi RoCo, Typically I’d suggest half and half as an alternative to the cream if you’re looking to cut back on fat a bit, but the cream keeps the custard a little sturdier. You could try it with half and half — the quiche just might be a little harder to cut and serve. Hope that helps and that you enjoy if you try it!
Hi Jenn! Still obsessed with your recipes – 2 years later! I’m an even bigger fan of your cookbook and constantly find myself going to it for great recipes! I have the same concerns as RoCo re: fat content. I saw another review above used plain greek yogurt. Do you think this could provide the same texture required for this quiche? Would you adjust the amounts at all, or does like for like work here?
Thanks for always keeping my belly happy!
Shaz
Hi Shaz, So glad you like the recipes! 🙂 I’ve never tried this with Greek yogurt, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out, but suspect it will work. Please LMK how it turns out if you do try it!
Hi Jenn,
Adore all your recipes as written, but wondered if I could substitute chicken stock for water?
Sure, Julie – that should definitely work.
Made this for Mother’s Day brunch and it was a hit. Had more guests than expected so I made them in muffin tins, baked for about 30 minutes. My friend who is on a special diet was excited that he could eat them since it didn’t have a crust. Will def make again! Yummy and easy!
Hi Jenn: Made this Quiche for dinner last week and it was just so perfectly delicious. We had 2 pieces left over, which I froze and re-heated last night in the microwave. They too were just as delicious. Thank you for sharing your talents – so much appreciated.
Christina L
Hi Joanie, Typically heavy cream and half and half would be interchangeable for quiche but I worry about it here because there’s no crust. The cream keeps the custard a little sturdier.
I used non-fat half & half in it. The cutting & serving was not a problem at all, but there was quite a bit of water on the plate. Lesson learned. I may add a tablespoon of flour to the onions as they’re sauteing, next time, since using the non-fat half & half put it within my calorie allowance: 318 at 4 servings per quiche. Thanks for all your delicious recipes!