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 quiche its so goood! My in law & everyone in family rave about it. Thank you for this recipe!
This was delicious! It was my 1st attempt at quiche and the recipe was easy to follow.
I prepared the Crustless Broccoli Quiche two days ago .
I love quiche but had never made one. I always thought it was too complicated. This time I had to think about an appetizer for a coming up dinner with friends and wanted to do something special and different. This recipe was perfect, fast, easy and delicious, all my friends loved it! Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes! Cheers Stefania
Hi, I don’t have nutmeg. What can I substitute for it or can I just omit it without sacrificing taste?
I’d just leave it out. Enjoy!
I love making pie crust and quiche, but this recipe has become my go to recipe. It is elegant enough to serve at showers (guests tend to comment on the saved calories of no crust) and it makes a great food gift or dish to share at potlucks. The flavor is amazing!
I made this twice already. We love it. The first time I made it with a light cream (not heavy cream). It comes in a box from Trader Joe’s. It is a shelf stable cream and I keep it on the shelf until I need it. I used the 8 ounce box of light cream mixed with 3/4 cup half and half and the quiche was excellent. The second time I tried all half n half. It was good, but not as creamy as the light cream/half n half blend. It was almost “watery”, but it was still delicious and was gone in a day! The gruyere cheese and shallots really make it stand out from other quiche recipes. I also enjoy low carb recipes, so this one is a winner in my family.
This recipe is incredible. I wondered if it could really be as good as it was made out to be in reviews (without a crust). Absolutely perfect! My go-to quiche recipe now.
Wow, this was wonderful! Made this for our lazy Labor Day morning, and my family loved it! Didn’t get to experience how well this one reheats – cause it was gone before it had time to cool off 🙂
Hi Jenn, I am making up meals for the freezer in advance of my foot surgery. Would this quiche freeze well in separate servings? Also, is heavy cream the same as whipping cream?
Hi Mary, Yes, you can freeze the quiche in individual portions. And heavy cream and whipping cream are very similar but have different levels of milk fat. You could get away with using either one here.
Light, fluffy, easy & delicious! This quiche was a hit with my whole family!