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’ve made other broccoli quiches but this was by far the best. I used a 12 oz bag of steamed frozen broccoli florets drained well. I also didn’t have any gruyere chesse so used a combination of muenster and colby jack cheese. Everything else was the same. It came out delicious. The next time I will use gruyere to make a comparison. Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi Jenn!
Could I substitute aspargus as I have an ABUNDANCE from my garden??
Thank you!
Kristen Berry
Sure! Just be sure to cook and season it before adding them. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This is my go to quiche recipe. My family of 15 loves it being crustless as it is lighter and tastier! I love it because it’s easy to prepare!
I didn’t miss the crust at all, the best quiche recipe I’ve ever made! The flavors really shine. Wouldn’t change a thing, thank you for a great recipe.
Since I used the last of my Gruyere for your mac and cheese the other night (also delicious), I used sharp cheddar. Worked perfectly well! Also, I threw in some bacon that I had leftover from the weekend. Delicious as always, Jenn.
Question: If I wanted to make this WITH a crust, would the egg and cream amounts still be the same?
Glad you like the quiche! If you want to add a crust, I’d reduce some of the ingredients: I’d use 4 eggs, 1-1/4 cups cream, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup of cheese. Please LMK how it turns out!
Dear Jenn –
This recipe is absolutely amazing! This is the 8th recipe I have made and I will receive your cookbook within the week. Thank you for sharing your talent for cooking and creating with all of us.
❤️
I made this quiche this afternoon. The aroma coming out of the oven was so tantalizing. We decided to have dinner early with our HH drinks. It did not disappoint. I cooked it for 55 minutes as I had a 9 !/2″ deep dish glass pie pan. Perfecto mondo!!!
I did have to use about 1/4 C buttermilk. I was short on the amount of heavy whipping cream. No noticeable effects. In fact I may just add buttermilk next time. Maybe a 1/2 cup. Let’s live dangerously.
My husband thought it was so fantastic. Coodos to Jennifer.
Will have some tomorrow for lunch and then maybe freeze the rest for another day.
Thanks Jennifer. Wow.
Sunny D.
I have made this several times and it is delicious! Question, can I swap frozen SPINACH for the broccoli?
Glad you like it! Sure, spinach should work here. I’d use a 10 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach. Make sure to remove all the excess liquid so that the quiche isn’t watery. Please LMK how it turns out!
This quiche was delicious and easy to make. It was creamy and flavorful, not hard and eggy like some recipes. I think the Le Gruyere Switzerland gruyere is key to the recipe, along with the cream. I used the Baleine salt specified but would suggest to reduce the 3/4 t amount salt slightly. I baked my quiche for 55 minutes.
Would you recommend frozen broccoli spears or frozen chopped?
Hi Christi, I’m not sure how small frozen chopped broccoli is, but you basically want pieces of broccoli that are in 1-inch (or just under) pieces.
Hi Jenn,
Can a package of frozen broccoli (10 oz. pkg.) be used instead of fresh?
If so, would you recommend chopped or spears, and how would you cook the broccoli, so most of the liquid is cooked off?
Thank You!
Hi Christi, Yes, frozen broccoli will work here and I’d cut it into 1-inch pieces. Just skip the step of cooking the broccoli since frozen broccoli is already cooked. Please LMK how it turns out!
Should the frozen broccoli be thawed out first or use frozen?
Yes, I would thaw it first. Enjoy!
I just made this recipe with frozen broccoli chunks. I simply added a bit less water while cooking and cooked for only a few minutes as it was already blanched. It is delicious.