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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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Made this last night to serve while we watched a movie set in Paris. It was a hit! I thought it was a little salty, but no one else did. Nevertheless, next time, I may cut the salt to 1/2 tsp. All and all, it was very tasty and is now my go-to for Spinach Quiche!
Hi Jenn:
Made your classic French quiche last night. Had it for breakfast this morning and having it again for dinner tonight. So light, fluffy, and delicious. Love the addition of the shallots. Might put extra next time. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.
I tried this quiche recipe a few weeks ago and fell deeply in love with it. I served it with homemade hash browns and an arugula tossed salad. I enjoyed it so much, I made it again when family visited last week. I made it with half n half the first time and the heavy cream the 2nd time. It is the best tasting quiche I’ve ever had and I am a foodie! Well done!
Was there a noticeable difference between the half n half version and the heavy cream? Thanks:)
I have been making this recipe for years now, and always to rave reviews. We love it! I own both of your cookbooks and I think they are the only cookbooks I’ve ever actually used…
I’m getting ready to start prepping lots of postpartum food for the freezer in advance of a new arrival in October, and am trying to stock up on lots of one-handed breakfast/snack options. If I were to prepare the filling as written, but cook in muffin tins, can you recommend a cook time/temp? Or would it be better just to cut, wrap and freeze individual pieces to reheat? Any other suggestions are welcome! Thank you!
Congrats on your impending arrival (and I love that you’re thinking ahead enough to know that you’ll need some one-handed options).💗
You can prepare these in a muffin tin without crust, but they would be fairly delicate. I’d bake them in a 325-degree oven for about 25 – 30 minutes or until the eggs are set. Another option you may want to consider is these egg bites. Hope that helps!
Tasty, delightful with a side salad. I made two because the crusts were sold in a 2-pack, so I thought, why not? Added some diced ham to half of one, but otherwise made it just as the recipe states, just blended the cheese/spinach/onion a bit to avoid the mouthful of spinach some readers commented on.
For the other one, I used half fresh spinach and half a mixture of red and orange peppers and cherry tomatoes, sauteed in EVO and a bit of butter, tossing the spinach in the pan just at the end, after all the moisture had evaporated. Note that this veggie mixture was dry (i.e. no runny liquid), as I did not want to compromise the custardy texture and because the original recipe stresses the need to eliminate as much moisture as possible from the spinach.
Gee, this is a great recipe!
I have made a recipie almost identical but you add a 1/4 cup of creme fresh as well delicious…..my favorite Quiche I even like it cold
Made this quiche for dinner last night and it was very good! Had a slice for breakfast too!!! Thank you for it
Every time I’ve followed this recipe, it’s come out perfectly! And every time, my kids say the same thing: “Mom! How could you do this to us? We’re not supposed to like spinach! How could you make spinach taste so good?” LOL. It NEVER fails. I figured it was high time to let you know how much we all enjoy this quiche! It’s superb! 👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻
Hi Chef!
I am new to your website and am excited to try other recipes. I am making 5 of these for a party. Can I combine the eggs and cream (x5) and just after whisking, pour it into each pie? Thanks!
Hi Molly, Happy you found the website! I just want to make sure I understand your question — are you asking if you can add the cream/egg mixture to the pie crust before putting the shallots, cheese, and spinach in? If so, I’d recommend adding those other layers first. If I’ve misunderstood your question, please let me know!
Outstanding recipe. But what else would you expect from Jenn Segal! Next time I’ll try this with the mini muffin tin for bite size quiche.