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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Hello! I made the recipe but made it in a cupcake pan. It’s delicious 😋 I made it in smaller portions to share and eat throughout the weeks.
Hi Jennifer!
I’m trying to use up what I have in my freezer. Can I substitute homemade cashew cream and mozzarella?
Thanks!
Hi Iliana, The mozzarella will work, but not sure about cashew cream. (It may work with it, but I’ve never tried it so I can’t say for sure.) If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This is actually the best quiche I’ve ever made… I was hunting for a keto friendly recipe… it was so good …. I only had cheddar on hand but worked well …. thank you for testing and perfecting this delicious recipe
I am having a bridal brunch and want to serve individual servings of food. Can this be made in muffin tins and is so, how long would you suggest cooking them?
Thanks! Love your recipes.
Hi Nancy, You can make these as muffins, 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 everyone enjoys!
Hi, Jenn! I’ve made this probably a dozen times and LOVE it! I am making it ahead for the first time and have three questions.
First, if we’re eating it on, say, a Monday, how early could I make it ahead? Would Saturday be too early?
Second, what would you suggest for reheat instructions?
And third, I don’t see any review questions about adding meat. If I wanted to do, say sausage and mushroom, would you change anything?
Thanks so much! I’ve loved everything of yours!
Colleen
Hi Colleen, so glad you like this! You can probably get away with making the quiche on Saturday and serving it on Monday but I wouldn’t push it any longer than that. To reheat it, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven until hot in the center, about 30 minutes. And regarding using mushrooms, any veggie is fine to use in place of the broccoli; just keep the ratio of veggies to custard the same – and cook and season the vegetables before adding them. Same goes for sausage. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
This recipe was so easy and fantastic! I prepared exactly per the recipe and it came out creamy and so flavorful. I was surprised at how well the slices held together. This one is a definite keeper. Thanks Jenn!
Great quiche. Used the gruyere cheese and it was perfect substituted 2% milk and 1/2 cup of buttermilk in place of the heavy cream.
Amazing recipe. Made Quiche for the first time and it was a hit with the family. Thanks Jenn!
LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing it.
I have some BABY zucchini I need to use. Do you think I could just chop them up into 1/2″ or 1/4″ slices and substitute for the broccoli?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Glad you like it! Yes, you can use zucchini here. Just keep the ratio of veggies to custard the same – cook and season the zucchini before adding it. 🙂
Once again I have made this great crustless broccoli quiche. I had to modify some ingredients. No cream so I made a substitute out of milk and salt-free butter. No gruyere cheese, so used coastal cheddar. It was still very delightful. I paired it with your carrot salad as suggested and because I had to use up some of the 10 lbs of carrots I had to buy as there were no smaller packets available. It is always a pleasure to turn to your pages for meal recipes. Thanks