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Crustless Broccoli Quiche

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Crustless Broccoli Quiche

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Omitting the crust in this crustless broccoli quiche cuts down on prep time, cook time, and carbs — and the cheesy custard is the best part anyway.

crustless broccoli quiche

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 everyone knows 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 any 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. Finally, this quiche reheats beautifully so don’t hesitate to make it ahead of time and warm up as needed.

What you’ll need To Make Crustless Broccoli Quiche

Quiche ingredients including heavy whipping cream, broccoli, and shallots.

How To Make Crustless Broccoli Quiche

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.

Shallots and butter in a skillet.

Add the broccoli, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/3 cup water.

Broccoli in a skillet with shallots.

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.

Skillet of steamed broccoli.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.

Whisk in a bowl of egg and cream mixture.

Spread the broccoli and shallots evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie plate.

Broccoli and shallots in a pie pan.

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.

Shredded cheese in a pie pan with broccoli.

Then pour the egg mixture over the cheese.

Egg mixture in a pie pan.

Bake for about an hour, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.

Crustless broccoli quiche in a pie pan.

Let cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve. For more quiche recipes, check out my spinach quiche and my leek and parmesan quiche. Enjoy!

Slice of crustless broccoli quiche on a plate.

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Crustless Broccoli Quiche

Omitting the crust in this crustless broccoli quiche cuts down on prep time, cook time, and carbs — and the cheesy custard is the best part anyway.

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

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-inch 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

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with butter.
  2. 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 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.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Make Ahead: This quiche can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To warm up individual slices, simply reheat in the microwave for about a minute. To reheat the entire quiche, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven until hot in the center, about 30 minutes.
  7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooled quiche may also be wrapped tightly in foil and frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 483
  • Fat: 43 g
  • Saturated fat: 25 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8 g
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 17 g
  • Sodium: 492 mg
  • Cholesterol: 321 mg

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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Comments

  • This is a perfect low carb dish!! I love the combination of broccoli and cheese with eggs so I knew it would be a keeper! I like to mix a little cheddar cheese with the gruyere as a change up sometimes but it is certainly delicious as is!

  • I am so excited to try this recipe! Mornings are always so busy and this looks perfect for meal prep. I love the idea of crust less quiche since the crust usually falls off of mine anyway 🤦‍♀️ thank you for sharing this!

  • I had to make a few subs based on what I had in the cupboard – onions instead of shallot, chopped cheddar slices instead of shredded cheese. I can tell this would have been better had I followed the recipe. But, it was still a tasty, filling meal. Five stars for the recipe as written.

  • I made this last week and it was delicious! I loved the explanation regarding the importance of the oven temperature. The egg custard turned out so creamy and I didn’t miss the crust at all. The recipe was also fun to make! Thanks!

  • My kids who are not the biggest fan of broccoli ask for this whenever I make breakfast foods for dinner. It is super easy to make. IF there is any left for the next day, it tastes just as yummy as it was freshly made.

  • Love this recipe- make it at least once a month. Prefer this to a quiche with crust. Small florets of broccoli give the quiche great structure. Ratios work with other veggie combos but we prefer the original broccoli and shallot. It is classic with the gruyere, but we usually use goat cheddar for a little tang. Don’t skip the recommended pairing with the carrot salad- truly a case where the flavor combinations elevate both dishes.

  • I love this recipe. I have made this recipe about 10 times. It’s my go recipe. Sometimes I use different vegetables in place of the broccoli when I make this quiche. We find this recipe delicious and we don’t feel like we are missing the crust at all.

  • This is my go to quiche, and I make it every few weeks. It is wonderfully flexible for use of leftover or about to be tossed vegetables and works with lots of different cheese combinations. Great to make ahead, slice and take a piece out for breakfast or lunch. Zap in the microwave for 60 seconds and you have a wonderfully delicious meal with zero mess. Perfect recipe!

  • This quiche is so easy and delicious it is sinful!!! Great for brunch or dinner!!!

  • This is my go to recipe for company. Easy, delicious and GF. Just add salad or other steamed vegetables for a quick lunch or evening meal. Everyone who eats this asks for the recipe which I’m glad to share.

    • — Melanie Humphreys
    • Reply
  • I love this quiche. It is so easy and so delicious and perfect every time.
    Are usually follow it to a T but sometimes I will replace the cheese with Swiss if I’m trying to save a little money. Try it you’ll love it !!!

    • — Priscilla Lebold
    • Reply
  • I do love my crust but I thought I would give this recipe a try and I’m so glad I did! It was so easy to cook and truly yummy! I will be making this for my crust-loving mom when she is able to visit because I know she will end up loving it too!

  • This is a favorite in our house. Any time I have broccoli to use, I either make this or the broccoli and sausage orecchiette. Both are easy and delicious! Thanks for such great recipes!

  • This quiche is fluffy and full of flavor. It doesn’t need the crust which is great for those who are gluten- free and doesn’t depend on bacon for taste. The scallions are delicate, not overpowering as onions might be.
    I always make a recipe as written the first time, then adjust as needed. I’ve never made any changes to this one and I’ve made it often.
    Thanks for a great recipe!

  • I had never made a quiche before, but decided to give this one a chance. I was not disappointed. This was loaded with broccoli and gruyere and was just so delicious. Cools well (actually tastes better the day after baking it) and has been a great lunch during my time working from home.

  • Made this for dinner last week and the whole family loved it, great recipe and easy to make will definitely be adding this to my favourite recipes, thank you

  • The very best quiche! So rich yet light. I didn’t have Gruyere cheese so I used feta and added a few mushrooms to the shallot mixture and it is divine! Thank you!

  • Thanks for this great recipe. My first quiche and a great success. My daughter is Celiac so the crustless part was essential. Everyone really enjoyed it.

  • I can’t recall if I have sent a review or not and there are SO MANY I couldn’t look through them all. But THIS IS WONDERFUL. I have made it many times and tonight my daughter wanted the recipe.

    I made the mistake of using spray on the pan last time. It was a mess, so butter this time and clean-up was a breeze. Thanks again, Jen. A keeper.

  • Followed the recipe exactly, used gruyere cheese, and it turned out great.

  • This quiche is delicious and has a perfectly delicate texture. I lined the bottom of the dish with sour dough bread, and I added a few sauteed mushrooms and an Italian sausage, which I sauteed with the broccoli after thoroughly breaking up the sausage. It was so good that I shared it with a friend. She made and loved it, too. She also added the sour dough and Italian sausage, but I’m sure the recipe is also great without the changes. Thanks for the recipe. This one is a keeper. I thank you, too, for the tip on cooking a quiche at a lower temperature (325º instead of 350º) to keep the egg mixture delicate.

  • Delicious! Surprisingly light considering all the cream and cheese. I did not have gruyere cheese so used 1 c regular Swiss and 1/2 c Monterey Jack. Definitely a keeper!

  • What temperature is this cooked at?

    • — Gloria C Schulman
    • Reply
    • Hi Gloria, It gets baked at 325°F/160°C. Hope you enjoy!

  • Absolutely wonderful! I first made with Gouda but then used Gruyere the next time I made it. Creamy, smooth, delicious!

  • Jen, your quiche rivals the best we have here in France. Délicieux! Thank you for helping us all during these days where so much more cooking takes place in our homes as we feed and nourish our loved ones. I will be forever grateful for all your recipes and kind help; and know I am not the only one to say Merci Once Upon a Chef! Un grand merci from my family as well! All the best to you and your family Jen.

    • — Damienne Dunham
    • Reply
    • You’re so welcome, Damienne!! 🙂

  • Jenn, you never fail to disappoint. I had been wanting to try this recipe for awhile now. I don’t know why I waited so long. It is amazing.

  • Imagine sitting at an outdoor cafe in France, white linens on the table, overlooking the water on a perfectly sunny day. A piece of Jenn’s crustless quiche served on a fancy, flowered bone china plate. One bite of this creamy, delicious, decadent quiche sends you into oblivion! SERIOUSLY AMAZING!!!
    During this challenging time, our imagination has to be at its best. Jenn’s quiche transported me there! ❤️
    I doubled the recipe to share one quiche with a new Mom and the other with my daughter, also a new Mom! RAVE REVIEWS! Absolutely PERFECT! Thank you Jenn once more for sharing your gift with us 🥰

    • — LINDA HALVERSON
    • Reply
  • I followed this recipe exactly and my quiche was over baked in 30 mins. I make custards all the time in my oven – it does not run hot. The recipe was very disappointing.

  • This was absolutely delicious! Really lovely, creamy deliciousness! I did not miss having a crust. We had it for dinner with a salad and it was a nice change from our usual dinners. I would definately make this for a ladies lunch or anytime, really. My husband enjoyed it too. The gruyere gave it a nice nutty taste and the cream added to the richness making it satisfying but you did not leave the table feeling stuffed like you do when you eat some rich dishes. I would not change a thing.

  • Hi Jen, I have been making your quiche recipes for the past year; with the crust and without crust. I always have used the heavy cream and they ALWAYS came out perfectly yummy!

  • I only have sour cream and 2% milk. Can I use those instead of heavy cream? If so, what amount of each would you recommend?

    • Hi Penny, the sour cream will give the quiche a bit of a different flavor but a few readers have commented that they’ve made substitutions like that successfully. I’m not sure what the ratios would be; you’re basically looking to achieve the consistency of heavy cream so you may need to play around with it a little. Please LMK how it turns out!

  • 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.

    • — Queen of this place
    • Reply
  • 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.

  • OMG! This is so delicious! I’ve made this a variety of ways from the way the recipe reads, to adding chopped kale, green chiles, bacon, etc. – whatever I have on hand and it always turns out fabulous!

  • I’ve made this recipe a dozen times and it’s always a hit. I usually deviate from peoples original recipes but not this time it’s perfect. Thanks!

  • Wow! This is so good! For years I have made a crustless quiche, but have found it to be a bit heavy. This recipe is perfect – light, flavorful, easy to put together and quick.

  • Jenn- This recipe’s fantastic! I make the quiches two at a time for our hungry household. All enjoy them, even the brother who avoids veggies. 😉

    I also love how customizable this recipe is. Personally, I’ve made the following changes with success.
    – Using a 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli microwaved for 4 min on high. I squeeze the water out before adding it in with the butter & shallots. Works beautifully and saves time.
    – Onions instead of shallots depending on what’s on hand.
    – For the custard mixture, I vary up the spices. For one quiche, I’ll use 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, 3/4 tsp. paprika, 3/4 tsp. oregano, and about 1-1.5 tsp. each of parsley and chives.
    – Another combo involves a sauteed mushroom seasoning we have on hand. The top ingredient is thyme. I also had the paprika and salt in.
    – Cheese-wise, I’ll use a mix of cheddar and Pecorino Romano.
    – I’ll top off the prepared quiches (prior to baking) with some chopped up mushrooms and a sprinkling of paprika.
    – Finally, I’ll bake the quiches at 300 conv. for an hr.

    The quiches turn out great every time. Thank you for crafting the original recipe and for sharing your cooking talent with us. 😊

  • 🙌

  • Will light cream work? Heavy cream and cheese is too rich for me.
    Thanks.

    • Yes – it won’t be quite as sturdy, but it will work. Hope you enjoy!

  • Excellent quiche! I made for my family last night and they loved it. I only had frozen broccoli, and it came out a bit more watery than I think it would have if I’d used fresh broccoli. Tasted great, nonetheless.

  • One of my favorite recipes. Just so so delicious!

  • Yes, INSANELY DELICIOUS!!!

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