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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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This was amazing. My husband said it’s the best quiche he’s ever had. I did however substitute broccoli for the spinach.
I have tried this recipe twice after trying the Quiche lorraine once. I did not like the gruyere cheese in the lorraine so I used emmental when I made the Spinach quiche. My first attempt at the spinach was very tasty but it was a nightmare to make. I followed the instructions exactly except for the cheese substitution. I used a deep dish pie shells, prebaked. The spinach layer, a 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed, was layered on then the egg and cream mixture was poured over. The spinach acted as a barrier and the egg mixture would not go down into the shredded cheese mixture. I moved the spinach to the side and waited for the egg to absorb. I still had to discard over 1/4 cup of the egg and cream mixture. The second time I made the spinach quiche, I used half the spinach, and put it underneath the cheese layer. That time I got almost all the egg/and cream mixture in. It was not as flavorful. Still tweaking my version of this. Next time I will stick with the emmental, go back to 10 ounce package of frozen spinach and reduce the cream and keep the spinach layer near the bottom.
5*. This was perfect! I made a homemade crust and used a mix of Gruyere and Cheddar (from Trader Joe’s) and served to company for brunch yesterday. Everyone raved about this quiche!
I made my quiche shell as well, but when I tried to fix the cracks with one tablespoon of water mixed with one tablespoon flour this just made a watery paste, not suitable at all. Are these proportions correct. Otherwise quiche turned out perfectly and I thank you for the recipe.
Hi Dellys, So glad you enjoyed the quiche but sorry you had trouble with the paste! It is thin but it should still be thick enough to patch — it may depend on how tightly you pack the flour when measuring. I’ll check the measurements again to be sure.
Delays Fry used flour and water instead of flour and butter, as per the recipe, to make the paste. That, I’m sure, was the issue.
Made this quiche for breakfast this morning and we loved it! Since I was unable to obtain a deep dish pie crust I modified the ingredient amounts in the custard so I wouldn’t have to throw away the excess or have it overflow the crust. I reduced the cream to 1 cup and used 3 eggs instead of 4. I also reduced the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. I wilted the fresh baby spinach that I had on hand in a skillet and it was perfect with no further drying or squeezing. The quiche was exactly what I was hoping for and my husband is looking forward to having it again soon. Thanks, Jenn for your many wonderful recipes.
I have made this quiche several times and it is always perfect. So Good
Although I really love the the great recipes here this site has crashed my iPad numerous times due to the prolific amount of advertising interference!!! I’ve stopped using it because it’s impossible to quickly pull up a recipe when I’m looking for something to cook for the evening! Takes 20 minutes or more and then BOOM crashes!
I can’t eat shallots or onions, can I use onion powder?
The quiche will come out slightly differently, but onion powder will work. Hope you enjoy!
I don’t understand the measurement for the cheese. You have 1 cup then in parentheses 4 oz. Isn’t a cup 8oz? Please explain 🙄
hi Debra, 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!
I figured it out and YES!! I’ve since made two of your quiche recipes and we love them!! I threw out my other recipes!! Thank you for your quick reply!
So glad you’ve enjoyed them! 😊
This recipe is fantastic! The only additions I made were adding Herbs de Province and fresh thyme. I used half smoked guryere and half Swiss so my boyfriend wouldn’t miss the bacon. Turned out excellent
The best quiche I’ve ever done. Just wish I could avoid the heavy cream. If anybody has a substitute for it woukd be really appreciated. Also used old cheddar and the taste was as good as gruyère and a whole lot less cheaper. Served it as a hors-d’oeuvre during the holidays and it was unanimously acclaimed. Cut it in squares and served it on a plateau. I will be making it again for sure. Was never crazy about that dish but many French guests were present thought I would give them a taste of home.
I always use Half & Half in lieu of heavy cream.