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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Enjoying a slice of quiche while typing up this review. This is so easy to make, pretty much fool proof. I used sharp cheddar instead and it turned out AMAZING and so yummy. Thanks again for another easy and delicious recipe!
BEST quiche recipe I’ve ever had!! I substituted a combination of monterey jack and medium cheddar cheese for the Gruyere (Gruyere very expensive and not my favorite cheese anyway). Followed the recipe otherwise but added a little black pepper. Love this quiche recipe.
Hi there, I’ve just found this recipe and it looks amazing! I want try making it but I’m not a fan of the egg taste in quiches, is there a way of reducing that “eggy” taste? I’m guessing I can’t just reduce the quantity of eggs as that would put the ingredients out of ratio.. any suggestions? thanks! 🙂
Hi Cleo, I wouldn’t reduce the number of eggs in this as the quiche really needs them to provide structure. That said, I don’t think this tastes overly eggy. (There’s enough cheese and heavy cream that it that the egg flavor is not overpowering.) Hope that helps and that you enjoy if you make it!
Can you make this with a cast iron skillet? Thank you! PS I LOVE your recipes!!!!
Glad you like the recipes! And I do think this would work in a cast iron skillet. Please LMK how it turns out that way!
Delicious and an easy and last minute meal. The gruyere cheese makes it very special and the Swiss is superior to any other. Leftovers as good the next day!
i have onion (no shallots) and cheddar cheese (no gruyere). think it will work?
Sure, Dawn, those tweaks will still give you a good finished dish. Enjoy!
Delicious! I used what had on hand. Substituted sour cream for cream, and used extra-aged Irish cheddar. Baked in a countertop oven at 325, and then turned down to 300 after 30 minutes since I used a glass pie pan. The custard set properly, and it all held together when cutting the slices. Thank you, Jenn.
This turned out so good! My whole family loved it. I did have a little liquid seeping out of the quiche when I cut it, but it wasn’t that much. Maybe I used too much broccoli?
Hi Olivia, Sorry to hear it was a bit watery. Did you cook broccoli until the liquid evaporated or drain off any extra liquid? Did you use heavy cream? If you used ½ and ½ or milk, it will end up watery.
I made this with a can of full fat coconut milk to cut down on the dairy and it was phenomenal!!! Super silky, creamy, light and still easy to cut! So so so good. Thank you!
I made this recipe today and it turned out awesome. I love quiche and I did not miss the crust. I used fresh broccoli and havarti as this is what I had on hand. I will definitely make this again. I did not know how to upload a photo of my finished product with my review. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Very good recipe, as usual. Thanks! My quiche turned out really well, but it took only 50 min to bake. I think my oven may be a little too warm. It tasted great too, but next time I’ll cut back even more on the salt. I think half a teaspoon in total should be enough. The cheese is salty.