Spinach Quiche
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Made with heavy cream and Gruyère, this rich spinach quiche is classic French.
Of all the spinach quiches I’ve tried over the years, this classic French version is my favorite. The recipe comes from my childhood friend Trish, who is not only one of the funniest people I know, but also a stunning hostess. When Trish entertains, she goes all out – beautiful table settings, seasonal cocktails, fabulous food, and (best of all) hilarious party games. She once created an entire game of Jeopardy! for our old high school gang, complete with categories like Prom Dates, ’80s Pop Stars, and Senior Superlatives.
This spinach quiche is Trish’s “go-to” brunch dish. The combination of heavy cream and Gruyère makes it rich and flavorful. There’s also a good bit of spinach, which balances out all that richness and makes it just a little bit healthier. If you’d like to try another traditional French quiche, my quiche Lorraine made with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, and shallots is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
“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 – its nutty flavor works nicely in egg dishes, like strata, egg bites, omelettes, and more – but if you can’t find it, Cheddar may be substituted.
How To Make Spinach Quiche
Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Bake on center rack until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. If your crust cracks in the oven (or if it was cracked when you opened the package), make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of 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.
Set the crust aside and turn the oven down to 325°F. Sauté the shallots in a bit of butter over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Place cooked pie shell on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of oven) and spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top.
Scatter spinach evenly over cheese (breaking up clumps as best you can).
Then pour the egg mixture carefully over top.
Bake at 325°F for 50 to 55 minutes until custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
How To Freeze Spinach Quiche
This spinach quiche freezes beautifully for up to three months. After cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
You May Also Like
- Quiche Lorraine
- Cheese Soufflé
- Spinach & Cheese Strata
- Spinach Frittata
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Spinach Egg Bites
Video Tutorial
Spinach Quiche
Made with heavy cream and Gruyère, this rich spinach quiche is classic French.
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup thinly sliced 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-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (pricking about an inch apart). Bake until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it...if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don't worry if the crust cracks while baking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set aside and turn oven down to 325°F.
- 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 (this makes it easy to move in and out of 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 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
- Note: 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. Be patient...you need the spinach completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be watery.
- Note: 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.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be 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.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 504
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Sodium: 472 mg
- Cholesterol: 218 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.
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This has become my favorite quiche recipe. The ratio of egg to cream is perfect and makes a velvety mixture that cooks up beautifully.
This is absolutely my favorite quiche recipe. I double it and use a spring form pan to make it a deep dish… I run the crust up the sides of the pan… it’s beautiful and tastes amazing! It’s always the biggest hit with everyone… and serves many… however, there are never any leftovers!
Plans came up and I wasn’t able to make this to finish making this dish. But I’ve already mixed the cream and eggs. Do you happen to know if I’d be able to use it tomorrow or if it will go bad as it sits?
It’s perfectly fine, Amber — just store it in the fridge. Enjoy! 🙂
Friends and family loved this!
Rich and delicious.
True French style!
Sounds perfect – could you use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
Sure, Diane, using fresh spinach is fine; you’ll just need to cook the spinach first and then squeeze out any excess water. Hope you enjoy!
Have made this several times and everyone has always enjoyed. I can’t get shallots or Gruyere cheese where I live so must sub mild onion and Swiss cheese. Still a hit. Just starting one now for 88 y/o friend who does not cook for herself. This will give her about 6 meals and only requires re-heating. Thanks for great recipe.
TOO MUCH SPINACH- it basically tastes like old broccoli. I am so disappointed. I knew i should have trusted my gut but no, i followed the recipe but with fresh spinach and its so overwhelming. Its AWFUL. I dont know if its the recipe or if my sister miffed the measurements. But either way im so sad. I will however be trying this again, just with different types of fillings. Will let u know how that works and will change my rating if it was just bad luck.
Uh because you used fresh spinach instead of frozen and expected the same results? Read the replies she says to cook fresh spinach first and squeeze out the excess water before cooking. Using fresh spinach adds way too much water and changes the recipe completely…
A really good way to remove water from frozen spinach is to give the spinach a whirl in your salad spinner.
Just made this today and ohhhh, it’s divine! Made exactly as described, no substitutions or anything. A new favorite at my house!
can this be made crustless?
Sure!
Absolutely delicious! This is the best quiche recipe I’ve made thus far. I used fresh spinach that I sautéed in a pan until all the water cooked out and I added a sliced Roma tomato on top. I brought this to a ladies luncheon and everyone raved about it!
I substituted 2% milk for the heavy cream (because that’s what I drink), I substituted crumbled bacon for the spinach, and I also used a Marie Calendar frozen pie crust. Perfect and easy! Yes, I took the easy way out. Jenn, all the recipes of yours that I’ve tried have been perfect and have become favorites or mine. Thank you!
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Second time making and I’m reminded how good this is. This time I sauteed about 4 oz sliced crimini mushrooms in the butter first until lightly browned then added the shallots and followed recipe as written. I used Marie Calendar frozen crust which I recommend. Delicious and husband approved!
I have made this delicious quiche numerous times and have submitted an earlier review. The following comments might be helpful to readers who are interested in preparing a larger version of this recipe. I “scale up” this recipe to create a version that is both larger and deeper than the original recipe. I use a tart pan, with a removable bottom, that measures 9 1/2″ in diameter, 2″ deep. I prepare my own crust. After par-baking, I include an egg wash to brush interior of tart shell and pop it back into the oven for 1 -2 minutes as extra protection from “leaking custard”. All the ingredients are increased proportionally. When filling the crust for this larger version, I create two sets of layers: shallots-spinach-cheese-custard and then repeat this layering. I like to fill the tart shell very close to the top! Baking time is adjusted (1 hour, 20 minutes) until internal temperature reaches mid 170’s. After the quiche has cooled, removing the outer rim is easy. The tart pan bottom requires a little more effort, but it makes for such an impressive presentation. (I usually transfer the quiche to parchment paper and then position it on a wooden board for serving).
This quiche slices beautifully and tastes amazing–don’t expect many leftovers!
I just discovered your site and I love it; great recipes, tips and new ideas .I made this quiche it is fabulous; but mine is crustless; I found a wonderful way to make a thin crust without the pastry.
Girl…OMG!!!! This was absolutely fantastic. I added diced bacon using the technique from your quiche lorraine recipe. My taste buds are exploding from the amazing flavor. Thank you so very much Chef for sharing your knowledge. It’s greatly appreciated!
This quiche is superb. The ready-made crust I chose tasted like homemade, but I’ll admit I’m not very good at rolling out pie dough… For all of you trying to lower the fat content by using milk (even 2%?), come on. Yes, this is decadent, but it isn’t something you eat every day. Allow yourself the quality of this luscious French Spinach Quiche as written, even if you have only a small slice, savor it and enjoy. You can take a spinning class tomorrow and burn off 500 calories! You owe yourself a treat once in awhile. This one happens to be savory. 🙂
I haven’t tried this, but it looks so delicious. I just wanted to make a comment on a good way to remove the water from the spinach. When I had a garden at a community garden, one of the wiser gardeners suggested this and I have used it ever since.
Put the spinach in a potato ricer, squeeze and you will get the driest spinach. It still isn’t particularly neat, but it takes so much less time and no dirty dishtowel to clean if you use one.
I made this dish following the recipe exactly the first time and it was great. The second time, I made it without the crust (my husband has to watch his carbs) and used parmesan cheese I had on hand. I cut back on the salt a bit. It only took about 50 minutes to cook. It was still great! My husband said it was the best quiche he ever had! Very easy to make, too. Thanks for this and all the lovely recipes you share with us.
I had family guests during 4th of July week and made this quiche for breakfast.
I impressed everyone at the table and talked about how good my quiche was for a week.
It’s easy to make and so delicious.
I’ve made this quiche no less than a dozen times. It is a favorite of everyone in my family and it is always quick and easy. I usually make it fresh baby spinach instead of thawing and squeezing frozen. (Actually takes less time and the spinach is more tender. Just throw it in the pan with the shallots/onions.) Sometimes I make a crust from scratch or use a few scrapes of fresh nutmeg.
Today, I was in a big hurry to make something with ingredients already in the house… So I prepped everything and preheated the oven. When I took the crust from the freezer, it was cracked — badly! I heated it 10 minutes and followed the recipe note about “pasting” the crust… It worked perfectly!!!! WOW! This is 5 stars on ease and flavor. Bonus for sharing how to save the crust. Thank you!
I made this quiche and the Lorraine recipe on your website for brunch yesterday, and this one was the first to go. It was so good!!! I’m planning to make this again tomorrow. Thank you.
I made this for a brunch…unbelievable!!! Used the frozen crust you recommended, and it was lovely. The Gruyere was everything! Furthermore, I made the quiche several days ahead and froze it. I’ve rarely made anything so easy, and so spectacularly delicious! Can’t wait to serve it again.
3 words from a Boston girl “Best Quiche Evah!”
We love the spinach and cheese strata. I’d never seen a recipe with such a high concentration of heavy cream before, but it baked up so fluffy and delicious! Great recipe for any meal.
The quiche was wonderful and looked so pretty. Can you freeze individual pieces of the quiche for a night when no one else is home?
Glad you liked it, Cheryl! And yes, I think you could freeze individual slices. 🙂
Thank you for getting back to me! Love your cookbook!
Hi Jen, can sour cream be used instead of heavy cream in this recipe? I don’t have any on hand and I need to finish a tub of sour cream. Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t recommend it, NJ – sorry!
I see. Thanks for the quick reply!
This recipe looked wonderful and I had all the ingredients on hand except the pie crust. Being too lazy, and hungry, to make one from scratch I simply cooked the filling in a pyrex dish and it was amazing, rich and flavourful and very easy to prepare. I will definitely make this again, and often. Thank you!
I made this quiche and it turned great. I loved being able to use a frozen pie crust. I did prick the pie crust but it still puffed up. When I pricked it while baking I got a small tear but I used your patching recipe quick and finished baking it. The gruyere adds a really rich flavor to the quiche. Reheating in the oven takes longer than the microwave but it is so worth it to keep the crust crispy. The texture of this quiche is so creamy. I will make this again.
I’m planning to use a store bought pillsbury pie crust for this recipe. The instructions on the box say to “Do not prick. Bake as directed in recipe” for a pumpkin pie or a quiche. Should I still prick as your recipe says? Not sure why the pillsbury instructions say not to for a quiche.
Hi Emily, Yes, I would still prick. The holes prevent it from puffing up and will close up once baked. (The instructions might assume that you are not going to blind bake the crust.)
Mind-blowing delicious!! I impressed everyone and now planning to make it for Easter brunch. So so good!
With Easter approaching, this recipe is PERFECT. I’ve made it many times, and each time it turns out wonderful and everyone asks for it again and again. It’s easy, uses good ingredients, and I love the use of gruyere. It elevates this just enough to taste fussy but it’s not.
I’ve been a subscriber for YEARS, and this year Santa brought me the cookbook, so now excited to try even more recipes. Thanks Jen. Your recipes have become–without a doubt–my go-to recipes. Thank you thank you
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This has become a go to for our home. I have served it just as described at brunch gatherings, family meals, and late afternoon “light fare” gatherings that I have hosted. It always gets many complements. The bite of the Gruyere pairs very well with the spinach. I have added to or completely substituted leeks for the shallots due to what I had on hand and have been pleased either way. I return to this dish around Easter time and other spring family gatherings. My husband will even grab a leftover slice straight from the frig for an on the run breakfast!
I love this quiche and make it often. Gruyere is delicious but pretty expensive, so sometimes I’ll use another cheese. It’s pretty quick to make up for dinner and tastes like you spent lots of time on it.
I made this with light cream and chopped fresh baby spinach. It’s so delicious! It’s my go to quiche when we have company too and it always gets rave reviews! Jenn, thanks for your amazing recipes.
The very best quiche I have eaten. I have also prepared it using Swiss cheese, four ounces of spinach and eight ounces of hot Neeses Country Sausage. So goooooooood. My husband loves it and my neighbor too.
This quiche was absolutely delicious. I used fresh chopped spinach and made it crustless by just spraying oil onto the baking dish.
Did you adjust baking time at all?
This is a fabulous recipe and is so easy to prepare. I prep the spinach and cut the shallots ahead of time and then throw it together when I get home. I’m lucky to have a “coop” grocery store that offers wonderful flacky frozen crusts that also saves time. I’ve also used whole milk instead of heavy cream and just make sure to drain the spinach completely. My secret to draining the spinach is to do a final check for any extra liquid between layers of paper towels. I then wrap it between fresh paper towels and place in a ziplock sandwich bag in my refrigerator veggie drawer. Ive never had a problem with a runny quiche doing it this way. Ive also sautéed the shallots ahead of time and kept them in a plastic container with a little EVOO in the frig. When I’m ready to make the quiche, I take out the container with the shallots and put them in the microwave for 15-20 sec to separate the shallots in the solidified EVOO. All these tips work great when I’m in a pinch for time after work.
Can half and half or fat free half and half be substituted for the heayy cream?
Hi Kelley, If you want to go with half and half, I’d recommend the regular version as opposed to the fat-free. The quiche won’t be quite as rich as with the cream, but still delicious. 🙂
Love love this recipe! (And many more of Jen’s recipes). This is perfect as is but I still like to add bacon after putting the onions in the shell. You gotta try this! Harris Teeter sells a Greyere and Swiss mix pack and its perfect for this recipe.
I made this for my wife to take to work for the ladies she works with. The only thing I changed was to make my own crust and do it it an 11″ tart pan. This was the first time I used Gruyere in a quiche and it was the best from now on I will always use it, it adds so much more to the dish. I got e-mails from most of the ladies telling me it was the best quiche that they ever ate and asking me for the recipe. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for the recipe
Jim
I made this exactly as described and it was PERFECT.
Looks like way more than 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper in the photo. Is that just an optical illusion? I have made the recipe following written instructions and it’s great.
Yes, that must be an optical illusion! 🙂
I love this recipe. I have made it many times as written. I have also made it with a combination of half and half and 1% milk and it still comes out very good. Next time I will make it crustless to cut down on calories and fat.
absolutely delicious!
I must say i made some cheaper substituations (like a different cheese) but overall i really enjoyed this recipe. a little time consuming but makes for a very fancy main dish.
thank you!
As always, I read many of these reviews before making this quiche for company. I know it received five stars, but I just did not think it was that good. Although it baked for an hour, the gruyere did not melt completely and was still partly in shreds when cut. I didn’t think the flavor was anything special. I would not make this again.
So sorry you had trouble, Marianne. Was the cheese finely shredded? If it’s coarsely shredded, the cheese won’t melt as well.
Hi- This is consistently so good! It’s gone as soon as it’s served. I’d like to make a larger one. I have a deep, 11” pie plate. Was thinking about doubling the filling…What would you recommend for increasing the filling? And baking time? Thanks Jenn
So glad you like this! I don’t think you’d be able to fit double the recipe into an 11-inch pie plate. Instead, I suggest making 1.5 times the filling. Bake time will be a bit longer but I’m not quite sure how much. (I would guess about 15 – 20 minutes but keep an eye on it. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe for a food snob friend of mine. Not only was my very first quiche, my friend said it was very good and they had seconds. Paired it with the strawberry and orange fruit salad (also amazing). Huge hit. Thanks again for making me look like I can cook!
Made this quiche this morning and it was excellent! Perfect ratio of eggs to cream. Definitely my new go to recipe.
Hi Jenn, I was wondering if you think I could make this recipe as crustless mini quiches in a standard muffin pan. If so do you have any tips for temp/cooking time? Thanks 🙂
(I would also like to use fresh spinach and shredded gruyere if that would work)
Hi Kim, I think you could prepare these in a muffin tin, 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. Using fresh spinach is fine; you’d just need to cook the spinach first and then squeeze out any excess water. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
They turned out wonderful!! Thank you for the awesome recipe 😃
So glad, Kim — thanks for the follow-up!!
Hey Jen I was wondering If I made these as mini quiches (in a mini muffin pan) whats the best way to reheat? Place on a cookie sheet, covered with foil for 15-20 min at 350?
Hi Sharmila, I think that would work nicely. You could also get away with microwaving them. Hope you enjoy!
Can fresh spinach be substituted for frozen? If so, how much. Can I put the fresh spinach in the pan raw? Thanks.
Ellen Young
Hi Ellen, Using fresh spinach is fine; you’d just need to cook the spinach first and then squeeze out any excess water. I’m guessing you’ll need 1 – 1.5 lbs to yield 1.5 cups cooked spinach. Hope you enjoy!
Kim I was planning on doing that for a baby shower and wondering how the mini quiches turned out?
Made this last night and it was delicious! I only had 3/4 cup cream, so I subbed 1/2 cup whole milk, and it still turned out great. Just needed a few extra minutes in the oven to set. Great recipe!
Absolutely fabulous. Will be my go-to quiche recipe. Made as is except crustless for my friend with celiac disease. Next time, I will add extra ingredients because I like a thicker quiche. Thank you.