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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Delicious in the every way esp. the classical sense of a Quiche Lorraine. Merci. My only divergence from the recipe was that I by no means needed a deep dish pie crust.
I want to make today but only have 2% milk. What adjustments should I make?
Sandie C
Hi Sandie, I really recommend using the cream here but a few readers have commented that they’ve used reduced-fat milk successfully. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I decided to use about 5 oz. of fresh spinach, but I forgot to check the comment section ahead of time to find out how to substitute fresh for frozen. It wasn’t until my quiche was in the oven did I read the comments to learn that I was supposed to lightly saute my fresh spinach and drain out any excess moisture before adding it to my pie. I just knew I had ruined my beautiful quiche. I scurried to find a way to save it! After following the regular baking instructions (baked for 55 min.), I removed the pie from the oven, moved the oven rack down one notch, increased the temperature to 425 degrees, covered it with foil, and baked it for another 10 minutes. Then, I took it out of the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Perfection! Delicious! The custard set beautifully and wasn’t watery at all. Also, I used yellow onion instead of shallots because that’s what I had on hand. I added mushrooms and a bit of garlic to my onion mixture. I didn’t have any nutmeg or cayenne pepper, so I substituted those ingredients for cinnamon and chili powder. I will definitely be making this fabulous dish again!
I have made this quiche twice in the last week. My husband absolutely begged me to make it again. It is in my oven as I type this comment.
Having made both your quiche Lorraine and spinach quiche, I can say that you’ve given me two incredible quiches to add to my collection. I’ve baked so many quiches in the past for brunches or for my family. Many times they come out of the oven looking nice, then partially collapse after cooling. Not your recipes! Lovely coming out of oven, lovely when served….and delicious. Thank you.
This the best quiche I have ever made or tasted. Fantastic!!
I’ve made this several times already. My family of three loves it! There’s never leftovers.
Made your spinach quiche twice for guests and it was such a hit. I went by your recipe and thank you Doni for the hint of using my potato ricer to squeeze the spinach, was great. Loved the quiche, thank you so much.
Absolutely delish!!
I made this last night and I have to say it was the best quiche I’ve ever tasted! I added some mushrooms and used fresh spinach and it was just fabulous! Jenn…..thank you so much for sharing your recipes. You make us look like kitchen rock stars to our family and friends.
Jenn – can you use fresh spinach that you’ve cooked down?
Sure, just make sure to squeeze all the excess water out of it. Enjoy!
Amazing recipe.
Hi Jenn, my deep pan baking dish will hold 2L volume of filling – do you know what volume this recipe makes?
Thank you
Hi Stephanie, I don’t know the volume that this makes, but assuming your pie plate is deep dish, it should fit. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! Just letting you know how I went. I roughly doubled the filling ingredients- I used 8 eggs, 600ml cream, 150g onion, not quite double the cheese, and 500g frozen spinach (that came down to only 210g of spinach once I had thawed in and squeezed the water out!). This volume fit perfectly into my deep baking dish(2L capacity) lined with pastry. I made the pastry from scratch. It took nearly 1.5 hrs to cook through. The filling was amazing!! Will definitely make again.
So glad it worked out nicely — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
If you add mushrooms do they have to be cooked before you add them?
Yes, I would saute them first. 🙂
Excellent quiche, easy and absolutely delicious. The proportions are perfect. I make this regularly, usually with spinach but also mushrooms, asparagus or broccoli. I also substitute some milk for the cream, as it’s quite rich, but still at least two-thirds cream. Always delicious.
A really delicious Quiche. The layering of ingredients was absolutely perfect. Followed the recipe exactly with the exception of adding more spinach, a 16 oz bag of chopped organic frozen spinach. This quiche will not disappoint. Thank you Jenn!
The best quiche I’ve ever made. Thank you, all your recipes so far have been excellent. Your cookbook is great too.
So glad you enjoy the recipes! 🙂
Came out perfect. It’s hard to not love this recipe given the amount of heavy cream and cheese. Would welcome some ‘healthier’ modifications that do not sacrifice too much on the flavor.
Glad you enjoyed it! If you’d like to cut back on the indulgence a bit, you could use half and half in place of the cream. It won’t be quite as rich as with the cream, but still delicious.
This recipe looks yummy. Making it today. I have spinach gratin recipe that calls for 5 packages of frozen spinach wrung dry. I discovered that my potato ricer makes short work of this task, gets all the water out, and my hands aren’t freezing from squeezing cold spinach.
I wrap the spinach in a tea towel and twist it dry
Can I prepare and fill the quiche pastry the day before, leave it in the fridge and then bake it the next day so that it is served hot and less work to do the morning of my brunch???
Hi Livia, I haven’t assembled a quiche in advance without baking it, but I think it should work. You could also layer all of the ingredients with the exception of the egg mixture in the crust and right before putting the quiche in the oven, pour the egg mixture in. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Super tasty! I made this tonight and my husband (who has never ate quiche) LOVED it! Very easy recipe with great results
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe and added Sautéed mushrooms to the onion and spinach mixture. This quiche was a hit with my entire family. We had leftovers for breakfast the next morning
My husband has been saying he doesn’t like quiche, but he said this was good. I made two like this using cheddar cheese, one with bacon and one with mushrooms, peppers, Monterey Jack and onions. Absolutely delicious.
This is the best quiche Lorraine recipe that I have tried. Thank you 🙂
Hello Chef Jen. I would like to make this for a large group this weekend. Can I double this and prepare in a larger deep pan or do I need to make individually.
Thank you.
Hi Victoria, If you double the filling, it won’t all fit — I’d make two separate ones. Hope everyone enjoys!
Is there an acceptable substitute for the cream of tartar?
Hi Rona, There is no cream of tartar in this recipe? Are you referring to another recipe?
I’m confused about the cheese measurement. The recipe says 4 ounces but it also says 1 cup packed. It is 4 ounces before grating? Please help; I want to make this tomorrow. Thanks!
Hi Betty, 1 cup is the volume you’ll need and it’s the equivalent of 4 ounces. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy!
Loved this recipe. Never made quiche before but I made it for Christmas morning breakfast and it was a hit! Easy, light, and delicious!
I LOVE this recipe. I made it for the first time today, didn’t change anything, and the result was phenomenal! My best friend and mom both agree it was delicious. Thank you so so much for sharing this! I have added it to my recipe book!
When freezing the quiche for future do you cook it first then freeze?
Yep!
Wonderful!
Like all your recipes Jenn!
So yummy. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
I use a Le Creuset pie dish and the amount of filling was inadequate. I added 2 more eggs and an extra 1/2 cup cream and the filling still didn’t fill the container. ( And I had a cup of sliced and sautéed mushrooms plus the shallots and spinach.). Very tasty but cannot give 5 stars. If you use a prepared pie crust, I’m sure the recipe would great as written.
lol the recipe clearly calls for a prepared pie crust. You concede that “the recipe would be great as written,” but you punish the rating because you chose the wrong size pan?
Hello. I am in awe at the wonderful ratings this quiche got and cannot wait to make it. What can I use instead of double cream? I can get single cream, but do I have to use extra egg or another ingredient? Many thanks. Jenifer (Madrid, Spain)
Hi Jenifer, you can get away with using single cream here with no other modifications. It won’t be quite as rich but will still be good – enjoy!
Delicious! I forgot to buy the cream, so I used whole milk, half gruyere half cheddar. Used fresh sautéed spinach and a little bacon. The nutmeg and cayenne are perfect. Loved it!
Really delicious quiche. I normally use half and half for my quiches but the heavy cream was wonderful! I always use a store-bought pie crust. And, I used fresh spinach that I sautéed a bit.
BEST quiche ever, even those who aren’t “quiche lovers” love it! Ruth
I made it following the instruction and did not have any problems. It is flavorful and smooth. Everybody loved it. I will do it again!
Awesome Recipe
Seriously, every recipe I’ve tried from Jenn is 5 stars. There are several I’ve passed along to friends and some we have added to our monthly rotation! This quiche was awesome for my family’s Christmas brunch. I made up the crust (I used pillsbury refrigerated crust and baked as THIS recipe states) then added the shallots, cheese, and spinach and popped it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I made up the custard. Soo good!! I might try adding mushrooms next time too. Thanks!!
Hi Jenn! Was wondering if I could substitute Fontina for the Gruyere? I only ask because I have it in on hand.
Hi Kerry, It will work but the flavor will be a bit milder. Hope you enjoy it!
Chef Jenn~I prefer to use glass pie pans…will that impact the cooking temperature or time? Thanks!
PS I haven’t made it yet, so I cannot rate it, but I expect it to be wonderful based on the reviews of others!
Hi Barbara, You may want to check it a bit early, but I don’t think a glass pan will make a big difference with this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
This is my goto recipe for spinach quiche. I have made this no less than a dozen times and change it up every time depending on time and what I have in the house. I have subbed out every possible allium. I have subbed half&half or milk for cream. I almost always use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen and just toss cook it with the allium. I’ve used store-bought and homemade. I’ve changed up the cheeses or added mushrooms and no matter what you do, the recipe comes out perfect every time. My only change is that 1 cup of liquid is plenty. 1 1/4 would overflow the crust but it’s easy enough to judge when you fill it…
Hi, I accidentally forgot to buy the deep dish pie pie and just bought 9inch pie crust and prepared my mixture but doesn’t seem like it will fit. I am making this for a potluck tonight and put it in the fridge any advice? Should I separate the mixture into the two pie crusts since it came in a pack of two? Thanks
Hi Aarti, the mixture won’t make enough to fill two pie crusts, so I’d fill one pie crust – you may have just a bit of custard leftover; just fill the shell as high as possible.
Okay thanks so much!! Merry Christmas!
This recipe is fabulous! I’ve made it twice now and will also make for Christmas lunch. We have silverbeet growing in our garden, which is what I use. The shallots and sharp cheese combo really make for a tasty quiche.
Jenn,
This quiche is heavenly. I cannot tell you the number of times I have made it. Each time it was a huge success. I love the fact it is so simple yet tastes more complex.
Making your recipes are always a joy because they are clear and concise.
Thank you,
Candace
My family said this was delicious! I also used your flaky pie crust recipe. It’s the best one that I’ve ever made. Your recipes are wonderful! My family agrees! 🙂
Making my Thanksgiving shopping list and this quiche is what I always serve on Thanksgiving (and Christmas) mornings. My family LOVES it, even the picky eaters. Fantastic recipe, don’t chnage a thing! Thanks!!
Jen, for make ahead instructions, when you say to take cooked quiche out of the freezer 24 hours before you reheat it, is the frozen quiche at room temperature for 24 hours or in the refrigerator? Thank you! Joy
In the fridge. 🙂
I have been making this recipe for years! It’s simply perfect! Thank you so much for feeding us!
Delicious- used onion in place of shallot and sharp cheddar.
Can you use fresh spinich?
Hi Jennifer, Using fresh spinach is fine; you’d just need to cook the spinach first and then squeeze out any excess water. Enjoy!
Jen I’m planning on serving this as a breakfast for dinner item but can’t think of what to serve with it. Any suggestions?
Hi Debbie, this would be nice with a fruit salad like this one. This bacon would also be great with it. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
The first time I made this I made it exactly as written, except that I always make my own piecrust. But the quiche turned out a little too “spinachy” for my taste and was a bit lacking in flavor. So now I make a ham and spinach quiche using this as my basic recipe. I add 1 cup of diced ham on top of the cheese before adding the spinach, up the salt to 1 teaspoon and also add freshly ground pepper. The other ingredients remain the same. For convenience sake, I buy a thick slice of ham from the meat case, dice it and freeze 1 cup portions in small freezer bags.
Excellent! Easy to prepare. Big success for Yom Kippur Break Fast
I made this using broccoli and mushrooms instead of spinach. It came out great. My husband loved it but did tell me next time to use more Gruyere. I think the broccoli may have overpowered it a bit. Definitely a keeper and so much easier than I expected it to be. All of your recipes have been a hit. Thanks Jen.
I love a good spinach quiche recipe, and with silverbeat and shallots growing in abundance in our garden, I found your recipe and decided to whip it up. It’s currently in the oven, and we can’t wait to eat it shortly.
Fabulous recipe. Suggestion – use a mesh lingerie bag to wring out spinach. Works wonderfully.
Can I store partially assembled quiche in refrigerator (crust, shallots, spinach, cheese) before cooking with store milk cream mixture separately in refrigerator – combine 6 hours later than cook?
Sure, Susan, that will work. Hope you enjoy!
I often make tuna quiche and recipe calls for a small amount of sauteed onions, salt, pepper, and tuna, sprinkled liberally with Gruyere cheese. I make ahead of time and store in fridge until ready to add to crust then top with egg/milk mixture. Always turns out well.
This has always been my favorite quiche recipe. It’s hard to believe how delicious it tastes given how simple the ingredients are. This time I made it with a Keto friendly almond flour crust and it was just as outstanding as ever. I’m so glad I can enjoy this delicious recipe while on a low carb diet. Thank you for sharing your talents.
💓
Made this a couple of nights ago and it turned out great. I’d been in a quiche rut going with Jeff Smith’s (The Frugal Gourmet) broccoli and swiss quiche forever and a day and it was time to break out (I still used his recipe for the crust though). The method of handling the frozen spinach was great, but I subbed 1/2 and 1/2 for the cream. The quiche was still liquid in the center after the 50 minutes, so I cranked up the temp to 350 and after another 30 it had started to fully set. I’m thinking that the cream would have set in the proper amount of time. Great recipe though!
I just made this spinach quiche. I had forgotten to buy a pie crust. Read that others have made this as crustless, so proceeded to make as crustless. Sprayed my 8 x 8 glass with avocado spray. spread the spinach, then shalotts and cheese, then egg mixture last. Baked as instructed. This came out FABULOUS… I’m very thankful to the author “Jenn Segal” . I’m now making the crustless broccoli quiche in preparation for my in-laws since both quiches can be frozen and served later! Thanks Jenn.. You and your recipes are such a blessing to me!
So glad you enjoyed this Jeannie — hope you like the broccoli quiche just as much! 🙂