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.
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.
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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
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- 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.
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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!
Delicious. Quick, easy, and very satisfying. Add a salad and voila –a yummy meal. Thank you for this keeper.
One word: DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for ANOTHER wonderful recipe! This one has earned a special place in my recipe book.
I made this for a work function. I received several compliments and request for recipe. Several people had seconds. I loved it! Will definitely make again.
Fabulous! So tasty and a good option for any meal. Easy to make too! I didn’t even miss the crust.
Love this quiche. It is perfect for low carb and keto diets. I bought gruyere cheese specifically for this and it is wonderful. I will probably try cheddar next time because I always have that on hand. Another great recipe from Once Upon a Chef. Thanks Jenn
Several of my friends are low carb-ing it so I whipped up 2 of these for a gardening club workshop/brunch. I substituted spinach and gruyere…they were fantastic! In the end, the accompanying Boy Bait Blueberry Coffee was everyone’s demise! Your website is my absolute “go to” when I need recipes I can count on. Thank you for sharing your passion. ❤️🍴 😋
Your broccoli quiche is a Sunday night go to. Recently made this for a brunch bridal shower and used muffin tins for individual quiches. Baked them for about 35 minutes. Each one was perfect. Shared the recipe and your website with many guests st that shower.
Thank you for delicious and easy to prepare recipes.
What a great idea using muffin tins for a crowd! Can you confirm how many individual quiches did you realize from the recipe? I’m thinking about doing the same for a crowd of 12-15 people and think Jen ’s quiche served that way would be a great way to go!
Hi Jenn,
Can your Leek & Parmesan and spinach quiches be made without a crust like this broccoli one? Thx
Hi Mary, out of those two quiches, you could make either without the crust but I’d recommend the Spinach & Gruyere Quiche over the Leek and Parmesan — it’s a bit more substantial.
This is easy and delicious! Made it with a smoked Gruyere and no-fat Half & Half, and it was heavenly. My go-to quiche recipe from now on. Thank you, Jenn!
This was the best Quiche that I and/or my girlfriends have ever had. The secret has to be in the Gruyere cheese! We didn’t miss the crust at all. Simple to make and if you follow the recipe to a “T” you will NOT be disappointed. Hint: Use a French Gruyere~Trader Joe’s has one that is excellent.
I’m having friends for brunch on Sunday and saw this recipe, so made a test run last night. It is every bit as spectacular as others have said and a slam dunk to serve company. I didn’t have quite enough broccoli, so I added mushrooms and a sprinkle of chopped pancetta and did have to drain liquid after sauteing. That was most likely caused by adding mushrooms, but they were a nice addition. This reheats beautiful, looks scrumptious and is easy to make. A real winner.
What temperature should the dish be reheated at in the oven and for how long? Also does it need to be covered with tin foil while reheating?
Hi Laura, To reheat the quiche, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 325°F oven until hot in the center, about 30 minutes.
I made this to go with the tomato soup recipe. It was a big hit! All the carb counting friends loved it and so did I. Perfectly easy and perfectly delicious.
Just made this tonight and my “meat loving” husband loved it! It’s delicious – definitely a keeper. Thank you, Jenn for another fantastic recipe!
Hi Jenn, Could I substitute milk or low-fat milk for the heavy cream? I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one!
Hi Maria, So glad you like the recipes! 🙂 I think you could get away with half & half in place of the heavy cream here, but I wouldn’t recommend milk – sorry!
So so good–we loved it!
The broccoli alone is also really good 🙂 I prepared it like you did for this recipe, but used it as a side dish–rave reviews!
Thanks again!
Hi,
Baked the broccoli quiche this morning for New Year’s. It was delicious.
My husband does not like broccoli, could I make this with mushrooms?
I love your recipes. Keep up the hard work.
Glad you liked it! Yes, you can definitely use mushrooms in place of the broccoli – just keep the ratio of mushrooms to custard the same – and cook and season them before adding.
I want to tell you, this was so delicious! I did not make any changes. I loved the gruyere cheese, and love the low carb as this is our new way of eating to keep healthy. Thank you for sharing your gift of cooking with others like me who need help!
I’m not a huge quiche fan (too eggy) but this one was different. Creamy, yummy and not the heavy eggy taste. Thanks Jen, for another recipe hit!
I made with cheddar and green onion instead of shallot and Gruyere and it was still delicious!! Baked nicely and did not have any water in the bottom!
Hi Jenn,
I’ve made this several times, and it’s really good. I notice there’s a tiny bit of water on the bottom of the dish, though. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but it always tastes delicious anyway! Thanks for another easy, great recipe.
I am going to make ahead of time for overnight guest. What is the best way to warm this up (temp and time)? Thank you.
Hi Lisa, the microwave would be perfect for reheating this. Enjoy!
I’d love to make this as muffins, would I need paper cups? and do I need to adjust the baking time? Thanks, Natasja
Hi Natasja, you could try these as muffins, but they will be quite delicate. I’d suggest using an offset spatula to remove them from the muffin tin. They will take less time to bake – I’m not certain how long but I’d start checking them at 25 – 30 minutes.
I’m planning to make this for a lunch in a few days but wondered how it comes out if made with a crust?
Thanks,
Teri
Hi Teri, I haven’t made this without a crust, but I suspect it should work. Just make sure to pre-bake it like indicated in this recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This was delicious! I subbed onion for shallots and cheddar cheese for gruyere one night when I needed a quick dinner! Delicious. Our family of 4 ate the entire thing in one meal! lol!
Love how versatile this recipe is! Decided to use a refrigerator crust and pre-baked it per directions with leek quiche. I added diced ham and followed the rest of the recipe. So delicious! Also I have used 1/2&1/2 instead of heavy cream with great results.
I made the crustless broccoli quiche and although everyone loved it, I was very unhappy that there was quite a lot of water in the bottom of the pan. What can be done to eliminate this and what causes it
I have made your spinach gruyere quiche with a crust many times and it has always come out perfect.
Please advise.
Thank you.
Susan
Hi Susan, sorry to hear this was a bit watery for you. Did you make any changes to the recipe?
Thank you for your response.
No changes were made. I made it exactly as the recipe said.
I have made the spinach gruyere quiche before with crust and it was perfect.
For the broccoli, I used fresh broccoli and drained it until there was no water.
Although everyone loved it, it was a poor presentation.
If you have any suggestions, please advise.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Susan
Hi Susan, you mentioned you drained the broccoli — did you cook it with just the 1/3 cup of water that the recipe specifies? (I ask b/c I’ve never needed the drain the broccoli after cooking it – it’s a small amount of water that just cooks off for me.)
I do not really recall, but perhaps that is the reason.
I will try again and see what happens.
Thank you.
Susan
This was soooo good! Didn’t change a single thing. Even my “where’s the meat” hubby was satisfied with this delish quiche and a salad for dinner. Um, guess who got to take the leftovers to lunch?
This quiche is a favorite especially since it has no crust.
Used Swiss cheese and garden fresh broccoli.
A great recipe for high protein, high veg and low carb. I also appreciated the tip on baking at a lower temp; had not known that before. And the direction to put the cheese on and pour over the custard. Had been mixing cheese in with custard; this works much better. I make it for low-carb spouse and family.
I used to make quiche all the time, but stopped making it because i was never happy with the crust. Who knew CRUST IS NOT NECESSARY! This is a fantastic recipe and is now one of my favorites. Thank you, Once upon a Chef!
Hi Jen. I need to make a broccoli cheddar quiche for 300 people (yes 300) this weekend. I am wondering if I could make it in those large disposable aluminum pans. Would I double the recipe for each pan?
Hi Ada, I’m not sure how well this would translate to big aluminum pans; I’m a little concerned that it wouldn’t set up as it should and would be hard to serve. If you do want to try it this way, I’d bake it for a bit longer. Would you be open to a different egg dish? I think this Spinach and Cheese Strata would work nicely.
Do you think this recipe would come out the same if I used frozen broccoli instead of fresh?
* I haven’t tried making this recipe yet, but I’ve made the quiche Lorainne and loved it.
Sure, Taryn – just skip the step of cooking the broccoli since frozen broccoli is already cooked.
We made this quiche today for supper/dinner for a meatless Monday meal. Easy to make & flavour was really nice. It was the first quiche I ever made. I normally by store bought because I thought it would be too hard to make myself. Such a simple recipe & flavour is awesome! I made recipe as written! I had never tried gruyere cheese so I went & bought some & when I first opened the package to grate we thought it smelled horrible but the taste was nice & once cooked it added such amazing flavour – I would absolutely buy gruyere again. My 2.5 year old loved this! My 6 year old tolerated it but he doesn’t care for eggs, cheese or broccoli & he ate most of it so I thought that was a success still. Jenn your amazing-love your site!!!!
Can you use whole milk instead of cream?
Hi Carol, I think you could get away with half & half here, but I wouldn’t recommend milk– sorry!
Can you substitute another vegetable for the broccoli?
Hi Diana, Feel free to substitute other vegetables (I like the sound of asparagus or mushrooms). Just make sure to season and cook the veggies and keep the ratio of vegetables to custard the same. Enjoy!
The crustless broccoli quiche is a WOW! Remarkably light mouth feel with a delicate custard and even delicious broccoli! It doesn’t get any better than that. I give this one an easy 5 stars.
Jennifer I really appreciate and trust your attention to detail. For me, as a home cook, your recipes make success easy and rewarding.
So glad you enjoyed it, Del 😊
Absolutely Delicious! Didn’t change a thing. Perfection!
Hi Jen,
Can you make it without the cheese?
Thanks.
Hi Lisa, I don’t think this would work without the cheese; I suspect it would be too delicate. Sorry
Hi Jennifer,
I’m interested in making the crustless broccoli quiche but I’m not sure what heavy cream is (I’m in Australia). We have a product called thickened cream – would that be what I use? Thanks for your help. Anne
Hi Anne, I’m not familiar with thickened cream. Heavy cream contains 36% milk fat, and it’s what we’d use to make whipped cream to top a dessert – is that what thickened cream is used for?
Perfect dish for when my vegetarian, gluten-free friend visits! Thank you so much!
Excellent quiche…had it for dinner this evening…perfect as written..but would be great with other variations…it’s a keeper