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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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I made this using half gruyere and half swiss cheese, added 3 pieces of bacon crumbled (cooked first), and substituted cooked seasoned greens for spinach. The in-laws went crazy over it!
I’ve used this recipe over and over again. It always turns out perfect!! My son and his wife love when I make this for them. Thanks for posting!
Excellent recipe!!!!
Hi. Is it possible to get the recipe in grams and milliliters? That would be amazing. Can’t wait to try it out! Thank you
Hi Jeni, The great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the quiche!
Great instructions for a late in life beginner cook. Great taste!
Pasted the Husband’s approve. He is usually the cook.
Thanks
Please check the ingredients in your recipe. It reads “l cup (4 oz) ” of Gruyere cheese. One cup is not 4 oz, 1 cup is 8 oz. So, which is it? I am surprised nobody noticed and nobody wrote to ask. So many reviews, and no one asked.
Thank you for your recipes,
BigBear
Hi Sally, 1 cup is the volume you’ll need and it’s the equivalent of 4 ounces. (The one cup is volume whereas the 4 ounces is what it would weigh if you put it on a scale.) Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy the quiche!
Jenn, sorry I doubted you, and thank you for the explanation. All your recipes are just wonderful. Thank you.
Sally
No need to apologize! I’m glad I could clear it up for you. 🙂
Can I substitute Swiss cheese for making your quiches? It can be hard to find gruyere cheese where I live.
Sure, Carolyn, that’s fine. 🙂
Ooooh yea, the best & getting ready to make 4 more. Making a few more than you need then freezing is the way to go. Will always be making this quiche.
Thanks & thanks
I never rate recipes but this was so incredibly good that I had to! I made it exactly as stated – no changes. My husband loved it! Thanks for a great quiche recipe!
Can’t say enough good things about not just this recipe but what it has meant to me and my community. I make this quiche for neighbors who are struggling (surgery, loss of a loved one, tough time) and everyone RAVES! Cooking for someone is such a love and speaks volumes IMO. My tweaks are as follows: -I use half/half trying to be good 😉 -I often sub broccoli for spinach (cut into very small pieces) -I always add a little fresh nutmeg for both versions. It offers so many such comfort and yummy brunch/dinner at the same time. Thank you!
So glad you like this and I love that you’ve used it many times to help people who need a little boost!?