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With its flaky, buttery crust and rich, creamy filling, this spinach quiche is delicious served warm or at room temperature. It’s just as good the next day, too!
Of all the spinach quiche recipes I’ve tried over the years, this classic French version is my favorite. The recipe comes from my childhood friend Trish, who is a great host and knows how to throw a good party. This spinach quiche is her go-to for brunch, and it’s easy to see why. With plenty of spinach, heavy cream, and nutty Gruyère, it strikes just the right balance between rich and light.
“This is the best spinach quiche I’ve had! It was a hit at our Easter brunch and I got several requests for the recipe. It came out perfect making ahead, freezing, and defrosting. This is a keeper!”
Ingredients For Spinach Quiche
To simplify things, I recommend using a store-bought crust. When buying frozen pie crust, be sure to check it carefully at the store for cracks. (If you unpack it and find that it’s cracked, no worries—there’s a fix below.) Also, make sure to buy a deep-dish crust; a regular pie shell is not deep enough to hold all the fillings.
Frozen chopped spinach also makes the recipe easy. It’s important to wring out all the moisture from the spinach before using. I usually gather it into a ball in my hands and squeeze it until dry. It takes a few minutes of squeezing to get all the water out. Be patient; you need the spinach completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be watery.
Gruyère is my first choice for this quiche because its nutty flavor works nicely with the eggs and spinach. If you can’t find it, Cheddar may be substituted.
How To Make Spinach Quiche
Bake the crust and cook the shallots: Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake until lightly golden. While it’s in the oven, cook the shallots in butter until soft and translucent, without letting them brown. Set aside to cool.
Pro tip: Don’t worry if the crust puffs up a bit—just gently prick it again to release the air. And if the crust cracks while baking, don’t worry—it’s easy to patch; see the recipe card below for instructions.
Make the custard: Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
Assemble the quiche: Set the baked crust on a sheet pan—this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven—then layer in the shallots, Gruyère, and spinach. Make sure the spinach is very dry and break up any clumps as you scatter it over the cheese. Slowly pour the custard over the top, letting it settle evenly.
Bake: Bake until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden. Let the quiche cool for a bit before slicing.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing
Spinach quiche is perfect for making ahead. You can bake it up to a day in advance, let it cool, and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover the quiche with aluminum foil and warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
The baked quiche can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then remove the plastic wrap and reheat as directed above.
Video Tutorial
Spinach Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 (9-in) deep dish frozen pie crust
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, from 2 medium shallots
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded Gruyère, packed
- 1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and let it thaw for about 10 minutes, or until soft enough to prick with a fork. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork, making fork marks about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is fully cooked and lightly golden. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up, gently prick it with a fork to deflate it. Don't worry if the crust cracks during baking—see the note below for how to fix it. Set the crust aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).
- Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
- Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere over top. Scatter the spinach evenly over cheese, breaking up the clumps as best you can.
- Pour the egg and cream mixture over top.
- Bake at 325°F (165°) for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- Don’t panic if your crust cracks—you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1½ tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- I usually defrost the frozen spinach quickly by placing it in a fine mesh strainer and running hot water over it. I then gather the spinach into a ball and squeeze it dry. It takes a few minutes of squeezing and re-squeezing to get all the water out. You need the spinach completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be watery.
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.
What to Serve With Spinach Quiche
Spinach quiche is lovely for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner. For a simple meal, pair it with a French carrot salad or a green salad tossed with my French vinaigrette. For brunch, add a platter of fresh seasonal fruit and some blueberry muffins to round out the spread.
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How do the proportions change if I only have traditional pie crusts? I don’t want to overdo the fillings and not have space for the custard!
Hi Erica, I’m not sure how much the proportions would need to change for a traditional pie crust. I’d just use the recipe; – you’ll likely have a bit of custard leftover; just fill the shell as high as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Stumbled onto this via Pinterest search for spinach quiche – I seriously think this is the best quiche I’ve ever had, let alone made. I think it’s the particular cheese and the heavy cream that make the difference, as I’ve made plenty of spinach quiches before. You’re spot on in calling it a ‘custard’ filling – so light and fluffy!! I did a test run last weekend and am looking forward to making another for Easter, thanks for sharing!
This is the most delicious quiche!! I copied the suggestion from the comments to add some chopped roasted peppers on top and it was sooo soooo delicious!
I always add fresh spinach, but otherwise follow exactly, and this is an absolutely delicious recipe! Have made this multiple times for different occasions, it always comes out the same, and everyone always wants the recipe. Thank you!!
So delicious. I ended up using the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust that you roll out because it is much bigger than the frozen deep dish crust. I added mushrooms and sautéed fresh spinach. So easy. Nothing left to freeze! I am excited to have found out about your recipes and plan on trying others. Thank you
I plan to make this for Easter brunch and will make it ahead and freeze it. Do I defrost it at room temperature or in the refrigerator 24 hours ahead of serving? Will the spinach get watery as it defrosts and create a soggy crust? Thank you!
Hi Jen, I’d defrost it in the fridge. And, no, thawing it shouldn’t make the crust soggy. Hope you enjoy!
This is the best spinach quiche I’ve had! It was a hit at our Easter brunch and I got several requests for the recipe. It came out perfect making ahead, freezing and defrosting. This is a keeper!
I made this recipe last night and it was fantastic. The only variation from your recipe was that I prepared a homemade crust. My parents, my husband, and I loved it. I do have a quick question, I would like to branch out and add different meats… Have you ever added chicken and pecans to this base? Most recipes I found online with chicken and pecans have sour cream and different sorts of ingredients that I would prefer not to add. I would like to add them to your base if possible? Any help/suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you! Lori Kfoury
Hi Lori, I haven’t but don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work; the recipe is very flexible. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
Delicious spinach quiche!! I followed the recipe except I used pie weights instead of pricking with a fork. I find the pie weights works better. I also added 2oz of pancetta and only added 1/4 t of salt. It was rich and delightful! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Planning to make this tomorrow and am wondering why you prick the crust instead of using pie weight. Don’t the holes end up letting the the liquid seep through?
Hi Jackie, The pre-made frozen crusts don’t shrink the same way a homemade one does, so the pie weights aren’t necessary; it’s easier to just prick the crust. The holes mostly close up during the blind baking process, so you don’t have to worry about the filling seeping through. Hope that helps!
Loved it! Used half and half instead of cream. I think I’ll try it crustless next time. Thanks for a great recipe:) My picky 14 year-old gobbled it down so it’s a double win!
I volunteered to make spinach quiche for a church potluck. I had never made spinach quiche before, but I came across your recipe and decided to try it. I made 3 for the event and 1 for us since the pie crusts were 2 to a package. I used a mixture of gruyere and British white cheddar. My husband and I thought we’d better try it before serving it to others, so we had some for breakfast the day of the event. He is a picky eater and wrinkled his nose when I said we should have some. He said it was really good! I loved it!