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 made this for my daughter and it was wonderful. I added 6-8 fresh asparagus and a handful of spinach to the broccoli but otherwise followed the recipe. Mine too had a bit of excess moisture but not enough to affect taste or presentation. Great recipe! Another home run for Jenn.
Made this for the first time yesterday and had for breakfast this morning. Great flavor but it was a bit watery. I’m thinking it’s from the broccoli absorbing the water from the sauté pan. Next time I may just squeeze the broccoli and sautéed shallot in a flour sack then out into our plate.
In the freezing instructions, it says to remove from freezer 24 hours before baking, Do you defrost at room temperature or refrigerator for those 24 hours? Thank you.
The fridge. Hope you enjoy!
If I wanted to make this with a crust, would I use 4 eggs like your other quiche recipes? I made it a couple of years ago and can’t remember the changes I made. I do remember how amazing it turned out!
Yes, I would use the ratios in one of my other quiche recipes. Enjoy!
Jenn – If I were to use frozen broccoli, would anything change in the recipe?
Hi Terri, If you’re using frozen broccoli, I’d cut it into 1-inch pieces. Just skip the step of cooking the it since frozen broccoli is already cooked. Please LMK how it turns out!
OMG Jenn this was amazing! My first time making a quiche and I hit it out of the park with your awesome instructions. My wife was blown away and said this was the best quiche she had ever tasted. Thank you so much!
I did add some chopped mushrooms but kept the veggie ratio similar to your suggestion. Simply amazing and would make it again…. and again!
Hi Jenn,
I’ve made your crustless quiche several times and turns out perfect. Never have tried with half-n-half or milk but may do so. This time halved the recipe because I used a miniature pie pan and baked in our RV oven. I scattered sautéed bacon on the bottom, added gruyere cheese and topped with spinach then poured the custard over and baked at 325 degrees, It took about 35 minutes. Magnifique!!! I would attach a photo but doesn’t seem to be an option here, I’ll see you on instagram.
Ruth Beckett
Hillsboro, Oregon
I’ve made this a half-dozen times or more, always excellent, it’s my go-to recipe for quiche. The gruyere really makes a difference.
Wow – what an amazing quiche recipe! We did not miss the crust, in fact loved the flavor and lightness without the heaviness of a crust. I used sharp cheddar and it tasted great, but plan to try Gruyère the next time I make it. Believe me it will be soon as this is a keeper recipe and a meal you can eat any time of the day.
Very good and customizable to what you have on hand. I didn’t have as much heavy cream so I used a combo of heavy cream and half and half. I had leeks so I used those along with some shredded carrots for color and the broccoli and added some parsley, a little basil, the cayenne ground pepper, and nutmeg. I also had a little leftover ham and threw that in with a mix of shredded cheddar and parmesan and a dollop of ricotta. It came out great! I love gruyere but I didn’t have it so next time I will try that.