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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Could this be made with Stilton?
Hi Tina, I would use part Stilton and part Gruyère.
We LOVE this quiche at home. I found it when I was looking for a lighter carb but satisfying dinner and now I usually 1.5x the recipe and bake it in a casserole dish so we have lunch leftovers. It’s a treat since Gruyère is on the expensive side, but there’s simply no substitute for something so good. Thanks Jenn!
Amazing recipe, delicious and so easy to make for company – thanks Jenn for sharing this 🙂
Excellent and very light, very easy too! Would like to try a mushroom quiche using this recipe.
Best Quiche I have ever made, so says my family including my VERY FOODIE brother!!!
ANOTHE winner from Jenn ❣️
Wonderful recipe, I have made it too many times to count. I made it recently w/ cooked mushrooms. Great flavor, but the mushrooms ended up on the bottom. What do I do to have them more evenly dispersed in this outstanding quiche?
Hi Sandra, sounds like it would be delicious with mushrooms. I’d try dicing the mushrooms a bit smaller next time; hopefully that will keep them from sinking.
Thank you Jenn,
You’re the best!
Hi Jenn,
Your recipes are great and I never amend them! …but I do have a question about the flourless quiche, which is excellent! Would the recipe work if I did everything, except I just added the broccoli in small pieces without adding it while sautéing the shallots??
Thanks
Hi Joanne, I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
Can a quiche be made with protein powder? I have a no-sweetener, unflavored whey protein powder that I’d like to add to this recipe, but don’t want to mess it up. But, it could be that a quiche would never turn out good with protein powder, not sure. Thanks!
Hi Christine, I have no experience with protein powder so I really don’t know if/how it would impact the recipe — I’m sorry!
If I could give this 10 stars I would. Absolutely delicious. It was a hit at my Mother’s Day brunch.
Excellent quiche! I’ve made this countless times. I’ve also made it into individual quiches using a 6 well fluted tart pan. The mixture is perfect for 6 individual quiches. The individual quiches bake perfectly at 52 minutes. Thank you for the recipe.
I probably have commented about this wonderful quiche recipe before, but I have to say it is and always been a winning recipe. I have made it several time over the years and it is a family favorite! Today I made it with shallots, mushrooms (cooked ahead), Black Forest ham and gruyere. We took it for our contribution to the Easter dinner today and it was a hit! First time, my one sister-in-law every asked me for a recipe! That is a win for sure! Thank you and Happy Easter!