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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Hi Jenn,
The only 9″ pie plate I own is 75 qt. Since it’s not very deep, do you have any suggestions about how I could modify this recipe to fit everything in my pie plate? Should I halve the recipe? Thanks for your help.
Hi Nina, I’d fill the pie plate as high you can without risking it spilling over. You may just have a bit of custard left over. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this recipe numerous times. I have taken it to members of my church who were sick, made it for my daughter and her husband and his parents. Every single one has asked for the recipe. I love it and so do all the people I’ve made it for. The fact that it has no crust is a huge blessing for those of us are attempting to reduce our carb intake. I’ve used mustard greens, collards, and other greens than broccoli and I personally love the mustard greens and mixed collards more than broccoli. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. Judy Patrick, Greenville, SC
Excellent low carb quiche . I’m cooking for 2 and adapted to 4 eggs (scaling all ingredients). Added cheese and egg mixture into the skillet after the veggies were cooked and baked it in the skillet. So easy for a week night.
Can you use mozzarella?
That should work – hope you enjoy. 🙂
Delicious.
Hi Jenn,
Plan on making this quiche for dinner, but must substitute asparagus. What method should I use for cooking the asparagus before adding and how long do they need to cook?
Thank you,
Hi June, I’d use the same method that you’d use to cook the broccoli. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, I have to write to say that my DH loved this and he’s not a quiche lover. I must admit that I made a few changes because I wanted to use what I had in the house. So, frozen spinach instead of broccoli (although next time I’ll try it your way), used whole milk mixed with fat-free Greek plain yogurt to replace the heavy cream and the cheese was what I had on hand, as previously mentioned. It was a mixture of Jarlsberg, Swiss and Parmesan. Tasted amazing!!! And, I made it on Saturday for our always special Sunday morning breakfast – which is when we splurge. This recipe is a keeper and soooo flexible. Thanks Jenn! I love your recipes.
Having read your review and not having heavy cream on hand I substituted half and half and Greek yogurt and it came out perfectly. Thank you. I also used mostly gruyere and some cheddar. Great recipe and very flexible, love it!
I love this recipe and so does my husband! It’s so creamy! I usually use left over broccoli and add some crumbled bacon. We eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. It does reheat well! Thanks, Jenn!
Why so much cream? I’ve made your Spinach Frittata twice in the past month. I love that it only calls for 1/3 cup of cream.
Hi Cindy, Quiches have more cream than frittatas, and this also makes a thick quiche. Hope that clarifies. 🙂
My daughter made this quiche when we visited her. When she told me there was no crust I thought she had gone ape. However, all 5 of us ate that quiche & loved it. Next time I hope she makes 2 of them so that we can all have seconds. I’m planning on baking one as soon as I get to the store for a few of the ingredients I didn’t have on hand. Now I know what we will be serving next time we have guests.