Crustless Quiche: Basic Recipe + Variations

This is a simple yet flavorful dish great for weekend brunch or a light lunch. It's egg-based and very versatile, just like regular quiche. Add your favorite vegetables or cold meats, a mix of cheeses or even smoked salmon. Easy to make, it's ready in less than an hour, and it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator!

As much as I love regular quiche with homemade pie crust, this recipe is my go-to for light lunches or early dinners when I don't have much time or energy to make my favorite Mushroom Leek Quiche.

Two steps

There are 2 parts to this basic crustless quiche recipe:

The cream: as with any quiche, we need a binding cream that solidifies as it bakes.

The filling: or add-ins. The possibilities are many and it can be adapted to leftovers you might have.

Main ingredients

I love how this crustless quiche basic recipe can be adapted.

I give you a basic vegetarian idea and several others below. Let your imagination go and use what you have in your house, even leftovers!

Binding cream

• Eggs - they are essential, but you can adapt the amount. You can use 3 as this recipe calls for, but you can add a fourth and it will turn out great also. A bit eggier (is that a word?) but not very much. If you only have 2 eggs, you can balance that with a teaspoon or two of cornstarch, or use more cream and less milk.
• Cream, yogurt, milk - you can use two or all of them in different proportions. More milk or yogurt and it will be a more airy preparation. Use more cream and it will be a richer, denser quiche. I don't recommend using only one of them unless you use more eggs to balance the structure out.
• Sour cream, cream cheese - it's a small amount but it adds richness and creaminess to the crustless quiche. I love the tanginess the first option adds, but cream cheese gives it structure and a great flavor. You can also use creme fraiche or mascarpone.

As you can see, the first two balance the structure together, so you can increase or decrease their amounts and play around with the ingredients you have at home.

Filling ideas

Almost anything that can go into a frittata, a regular quiche, egg bake, omelet, or even a risotto can be used as a filling for a crustless quiche.

Vintage Kitchen Tip

And that is not limited to vegetables.

• Ham and cheese - you can use cold meats in general paired with almost any cheese you have in your fridge. Similar to the Leftover Ham and Cheese Quiche filling.
• Sausage and zucchini - super flavorful, you can use any sausage you like. Cook it without casing and leave out excess fat. Mix with roasted zucchini and cheese.
• Caprese - this is the traditional tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Roast the tomatoes as we do in this recipe today. The result is fantastic.
• Tomatoes and corn - another great combination, it can be made with frozen corn so it's a breeze to put together.
• Mushrooms - cook them in a little oil first (sauteeing). They pair very well with leeks (like the Mushroom Leek Quiche), green onions or chives. And with soft brie cheese.
• Broccoli and parmesan - with or without garlic, this is a fantastic combination and you can use frozen broccoli.
• Smoked salmon - make it with mostly cream and add chopped chives.

Make-ahead vegetables

You can roast vegetables and keep in the refrigerator. Roasting concentrates the flavors so they are more intense, more vibrant. Wash, dry and put in an oiled foil and roast until slightly charred and shrunk (image above).

They last for a week, sometimes more. I like to put them in jars with olive oil and tight-fitting lids. This way they are ready to be used in quiche, frittatas, or as a platter for a brunch table.

Baking

You need to make sure this quiche recipe is correctly baked so that there's no unbaked center that will be too soft to cut.

But, at the same time, it's important not to over bake it.

That means that the center has to be just set, or barely jiggly. That way we can ensure a creamy but moist and fluffy crustless quiche.

Serving

I like this as a light lunch or dinner alongside a green salad.

You can make a large dish or individual quiches. I like to use ramekins because they have high sides and flat bottoms. Don't use bowls for this. See Notes below, in the recipe card, for links to buying them online.

Storing

Refrigerator: well wrapped it keeps for at least a week. Warm in a 350°F oven or in the microwave before eating.

Freezer: it can be frozen though it's not my first option. Why? Because it adds water that stays in the crustless quiche when defrosted.

Other recipes you might like:
Mushroom Leek Quiche
Ham and Cheese French Toast
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Mozzarella Pesto Naan Bread
Baked Ricotta with Roasted Tomatoes and Onions
Corn Basil Empanadas

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Crustless Quiche: Basic recipe + variations

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Pies & Tarts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: International

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Description

Crustless Quiche is a simple, flavorful dish great for weekend brunch or a light lunch. It's egg-based and very versatile with the fillings. Ready in less than an hour, it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup (200g) natural yogurt or double/whipping cream 
• 3/4 cup (200g) milk (lowfat or whole)
• 1/2 cup (80g) sour cream or cream cheese
• 2 1/2 cups roasted vegetables (I used roasted eggplant, tomatoes, onion and garlic)
• 1/2 cup (60g) cheddar or parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried herbs (thyme, oregano, basil)

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Instructions

1. Have ready roasted vegetables or other add-ins (see Notes, below)
2. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
3. Oil or butter an 8-inch ceramic or glass dish and dust with fine dry breadcrumbs. 
4. In a bowl lightly mix eggs, you don’t need to beat them. 
5. Add yogurt, milk and sour cream. Mix until it’s smooth but don’t beat. 
6. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and herbs. 
7. You can add a dash of something spicy like jalapeño powder or smoked paprika.
8. Add grated cheese and mix. 
9. Put the vegetables in the prepared dish. You can cut them in bites or put them whole. Or making a pattern. 
10. Carefully pour the binding cream over, covering the whole surface. 
11. Some vegetables might pop to the surface, that is fine. 
12. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set but be careful not to overbake it. It will be golden and might have risen a bit. 
13. Serve hot with a side salad if you like. 
14. Refrigerate leftovers, covered. Reheat in a medium oven before serving. 
15. Can be frozen, well wrapped. 

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Notes

Roasting vegetables: 

• Wash and dry vegetables. Cut them in large pieces or chunks. Arrange them on a foil-lined oven pan, drizzled with oil (I use olive), separating them by vegetable. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with some extra oil.
• Bake at medium/low temperature, 300°F/150°C, until slightly charred and crinkled. It may take more or less depending on the vegetable and how large the chunks are. You can cut them in small pieces and it will take much less time. Store them in the refrigerator, in containers (jars are great) with tight-fitting lids and covered in oil. They last a week for sure.
• Eggplants - I recommend removing excess water before roasting it. Simply cut it and put in a flat dish with coarse salt. Leave at room t° for about 30 minutes and you will see it released a lot of water (image above). Drain, wipe out the excess salt left (or wash and dry thoroughly) and roast as directed above.

Filling ideas:

• Ham and cheese - you can use cold meats in general paired with almost any cheese you have in your fridge. Similar to the Leftover Ham and Cheese Quiche filling.
• Sausage and zucchini - super flavorful, you can use any sausage you like. Cook it without casing and leave out excess fat. Mix with roasted zucchini and cheese.
• Caprese - this is the traditional tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Roast the tomatoes as we do in this recipe today. The result is fantastic.
• Tomatoes and corn - another great combination, it can be made with frozen corn so it's a breeze to put together.
• Mushrooms - cook them in a little oil first (sauteeing) or roast in the oven (how-to in the Mushroom Quiche post). They pair very well with leeks (like the Mushroom Leek Quiche), green onions or chives. And with soft brie cheese.
• Broccoli and parmesan - with or without garlic, this is a fantastic combination and you can use frozen broccoli.
• Smoked salmon - make it with mostly cream and add chopped chives. 

Storing: well wrapped, it keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week. Warm in a 350°F oven or in the microwave before eating.

Individual ramekins: you can buy these white oval ramekins online, or round porcelain souffle cups which are deeper. 

Keywords: crustless quiche

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.