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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This is a wonderful dish, and it is so flexible. I have used sweet onions instead of shallots, frozen broccoli instead of fresh, and cheddar or even parmesan instead of Gruyère. It is beautiful when it comes out of the oven, and it is perfect for a low-carb diet, too. It’s great for using up the extra cream you may have bought for the holidays. Honestly, the hardest part is grating the cheese, and I only do that because I’m too lazy to get out the food processor. Simple and delicious!
This recipe is delicious! Once you try this, it’s unlikely you will ever again make quiche with a crust. I have made this quiche several times for family and for friends, and everyone loves it.
I had this at my friend’s house, TO DIE FOR. Then I made it and used a cast iron pan, the bottom got too brown. Making it tomorrow using a proper deep pie pan, can’t wait. Question: All the “make ahead” instructions talk about making the quiche the whole way (including baking it) then cooling and reheating it later. Can I mix the whole thing up and put it in the fridge without baking, and then bake in the morning? I know sometimes custards need to be at precise temp, and I’m worried it won’t turn out as wonderful if I do it this way
Hi Terri, I think your method will work well – it may just require a bit more time in the oven. Hope that helps and so glad you like the recipe!
I have made this several times and it’s always delicious, sometimes I will add sausage or bacon and that is yummy as well!
I love this recipe. It’s so simple to make really and I don’t miss the crust at all. I had frozen broccoli florettes and they worked beautifully. I also did not have shallots but had a mild yellow onion and I did not have Gruyere cheese but I had a mild Irish cheddar. The recipe came out wonderful. It comes out of the pie plate easily and I am convinced I will make this recipe again and again. I live alone so I cut it into six pieces and put it in a storage container after it had completely cooled and it makes an awesome snack or a meal. It kept for several days in the fridge quite nicely and reheated in the microwave nicely.
This recipe was so easy and delicious! I didn’t have shallots so I used onions. Another great recipe! Thank you for sharing Jenn.
So Easy! So Good!!!!!!!
This was so lovely! I made as written, and it turned out beautifully. We didn’t miss the crust (and we love crust!). I often look for ways to cut back on carbs, so this will be a go-to for me and my family, for sure. Delicious!
Due to recent dental work my friend could not eat the broccoli as she is not allowed to chew for one month, can I still make this crustless and how? Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. Ann B.
Hi Ann, I guess I’m not fully understanding your question. Are you saying you’d like to make this quiche but without the broccoli?
This quiche is so delicious! Love that it is gluten-free and crustless (that was always my least favorite part of quiche!) I only had gruyere cheese, so that is what I used. Amazing, and will be making it for my next Holiday brunch!