This crustless quiche with spinach and Gruyère cheese is one of my go-to brunch recipes when I’m entertaining. It’s incredibly easy, looks beautiful on the table, and is filled with the best savory flavors in every bite.
Why I Love This Crustless Quiche
When I’m hosting brunch I love making this crustless quiche. It feels a little special, maybe even a touch fancy, but it’s incredibly easy to make. And because it’s crustless, it comes together in less time than a classic quiche. The texture is silkier and creamier than a frittata, and I’ve layered this version with tender spinach, savory aromatics, and my favorite Gruyère cheese. I seriously love the nutty, salty, slightly sweet flavor Gruyère adds! But there’s plenty of room to play around with other filling ingredients. I’ll share more ideas below! I also love that it’s:
- A great make-ahead breakfast. Similar to my breakfast casserole or egg muffins, this is an easy baked egg dish that stores well in the fridge or freezer.
- Perfect for entertaining. I’ve served this for Easter brunch, Christmas breakfast, and Mother’s Day, and it never disappoints.
- Naturally gluten-free. This is such an easy way to enjoy a classic brunch recipe without needing a traditional crust.
Crustless Quiche Ingredients
- Baby spinach: There’s an entire carton of spinach in this recipe! It wilts quickly and adds a pop of green throughout.
- Shallots and garlic: These two ingredients create a savory, aromatic base that gives the quiche great flavor.
- Eggs: Eggs form the bulk of the quiche and they’re whisked until light and fluffy.
- Heavy cream: This is what gives the filling that creamy, luxurious texture. You can substitute half-and-half if needed, but I do love the richness of heavy cream.
- Gruyère cheese: My personal favorite! It melts beautifully and adds that nutty, slightly sweet flavor that makes the each slice feel elevated and restaurant-worthy.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How To Make A Crustless Quiche
First, grease the baking pan and then sauté the veggies. And if you’re interested, I’ve linked my favorite baking dish in the recipe card below! Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the shallots, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and baby spinach and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute, just until the spinach begins to wilt. Transfer the mixture to the greased pie dish and let it cool slightly.
Next, whisk the eggs. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk until light and slightly frothy, then stir in the Gruyère cheese.
Lastly, it’s time for baking! Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the pie dish and gently stir to evenly distribute everything. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center is just set. I always do the knife check and make sure it comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Tip: Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
My Favorite Filling Substitutions
- For the cheese: If I don’t have Gruyère on hand, I like using sharp white cheddar, Swiss, or even goat cheese for a tangier flavor.
- For the vegetables: Sautéed mushrooms, roasted asparagus, roasted broccoli florets, roasted red peppers, or caramelized onions would all be delicious here. Just be sure to cook off any excess moisture from vegetables before adding them to the egg mixture. That’s my little trick for keeping the quiche creamy rather than watery!
- For added protein: Bacon, diced ham, or crumbled breakfast sausage are great additions. In fact, bacon and Gruyère together make for a delicious quiche Lorraine!
Storage Tips
Once it’s fully cooled, just cover the pie dish tightly or transfer slices to an airtight container and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw any frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quite simply, a quiche has more dairy. The texture is more custard-like, while a frittata only has a little bit of dairy and it’s more egg-forward.
As mentioned above, quiches are really all about that creamy texture (that’s a combination of heavy cream and cheese). But a great dairy-free alternative would be my breakfast casserole recipe!
Yes, it sure does! Because there’s a good amount of moisture in a quiche, it doesn’t try out or go spongy when it’s reheated. It stays beautifully soft and silky! That’s why I love to make this recipe ahead of time, and then simply reheat it in the oven before an event.
More Brunch Ideas
- Shirred Eggs: Best creamy eggs for brunch!
- Lemon Ricotta Protein Pancakes: Always a crowd favorite.
- Shakshuka: Perfect for sharing with roasted potatoes.
- Turkish Eggs: Check out my post for serving these on a platter!
- Or browse through my list of healthy breakfast recipes!
If you make this crustless quiche, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here or follow me on Pinterest!
Description
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch pie dish and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and baby spinach and sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute, until the spinach is just starting to wilt. Transfer the veggies to the greased pie dish and let cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs. Add the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until light and fluffy. Add the cheese and stir together.
- Fill the pie dish. Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pie dish. Gently stir to mix with the vegetables.
- Bake the quiche. Bake the quiche for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: Once it’s fully cooled, just cover the pie dish tightly or transfer slices to an airtight container and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw any frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Ingredient substitutions: For swapping veggies and adding extra protein, see my tips above!
- This is my favorite 9-inch pie dish for this recipe!
Nutrition
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Behind The Scenes
While you can serve this with a side of toast, I love adding a few slices of avocado! The creamy texture of avocado pairs beautifully with the creamy texture of the quiche. It also adds a bit of fiber, which is always welcome!
Just made this quiche for a gathering. Very tasty. I tried increasing it by 1.5 x and spreading it across two quiche dishes but it came out a little thin. Recommend using a pie pan as the recipe calls for.
Glad this quiche worked out for everyone, Kasha!
I made this quiche this morning for the first time. It came out perfectly. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses. I was a little worried about putting garlic in because I thought it might overpower the dish. It did not.
You mentioned in your YouTube video that if there is an interest, you would make a Quiche Lorraine. I haven’t looked yet. So if you haven’t done it yet, I’d be interested. I’ll search to see if you’ve done it.
I watch several uTube cooking videos. You are in my top three. Thank you for developing and sharing your recipes.
Hi Debbie – I’m happy you loved it! And yes, the garlic is subtle in this quiche recipe and not overpowering at all. Thanks so much for watching my YouTube videos, I’m happy you love them. And I’ve definitely added the Quiche Lorraine to my content calendar for the future. :)
This was delicious
Happy to hear you loved this crustless quiche, Karen!
This recipe is terrific! I have made it both with and without a crust and it is delicious both ways. The shallots are sweet but not overpowering and the blend of eggs, cream and cheese is perfectly blended. I have loved all of your recipes that I have tried. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved this crustless quiche, Karen!
Made this Easter Monday. It was delicious! May need to make it again this weekend.
Happy to hear this crustless quiche was a hit, Cyndi!
Has anyone made this and added a protein? I’m thinking of trying it for dinner tomorrow night and adding shrimp??
So easy to follow with simple ingredients. This crustless quiche is so tasty and filling. It reheats well and tastes just as fantastic the next day.
Will definitely add this to my meal rotation.
Happy to hear you loved this crustless quiche, Heather!
What an absolute winner this is!! I whipped it up tonight for a light Easter dinner. So quick and easy!! Delish!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it for dinner. It really is great for any meal of the day! Happy Easter!
Absolutely delicious, definitely a new weekend breakfast. So quick and easy, cannot wait to try again with different fillings.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Leanne!
Another amazing recipe Lisa! I made this for Easter morning brunch and it was a big hit. Always a winner when it comes to your recipes. Thanks!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed for Easter morning. :) Thanks, Carol!
This was so good! I made this for Easter breakfast for my daughters and I and we all really enjoyed it. Thank you for another great recipe!
Glad this quiche was a success for Easter breakfast, Lisa!
Made this exactly as written for Easter breakfast/brunch – it’s delicious! The recipe is so good as is, but has many options to change up veggies or cheese. I will definitely make this again and again. Thanks, Lisa! Happy Easter!
Wonderful! Glad this was the perfect Easter brunch, Linda.
Made this for Easter Sunday brunch, absolutely delicious and did not miss the crust! Thanks for this lovely recipe, Lisa. It will be a go to for many special meals in the future.
Thrilled to hear this was the perfect Easter brunch, Ann!
Hello making 3 of these right now but can I make now and cook in morning?? Keep them in fridge overnite already prepared?? Thank you😊
Hi Krissy – Yes, you can do that. Though I’d recommend leaving the filling in a bowl, so you can re-stir before cooking. You also may need to increase the cook time, as you’re cooking from a chilled state. Alternatively, this recipe is really easy to reheat in the oven. So you can always bake, then simply re-heat before serving. Enjoy!
Looking forward to making this for a lite Easter dinner. We have a big brunch with family so quiche and a salad will be perfect as a lite dinner.
I’m sure it will be delicious
Can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Happy Easter, Cyndi!
Delicious. Made it for Easter breakfast & we loved it. I did the vegie prep yesterday & that made today so easy. I definitely recommend this recipe.
Thrilled to hear everyone enjoyed it, Nadine!
I followed this recipe but subbed the cheese and spinach for what I had on hand. Really delicious and my hubs who doesn’t always love a vegetarian meal commented on how good it is. Can’t wait to make it with Gruyère!
Wonderful! Way to be flexible, Miranda. So happy you loved it!
Looks fab! Can you use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes, you can!
OMG , Made this Quiche and it is delicious…wow
Thrilled to hear you loved this quiche recipe, Sharaz!
This looks very good. Do you think a non-dairy substitute for the heavy cream would work? If so, what type would you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Alesia – You could use coconut cream for the heavy cream, but it’s harder to replace the gruyere (though you could use nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor). Alternatively, I’d recommend making my breakfast casserole (linked above) that’s dairy-free!
I make crustless quiche regularly to use up veggies at the end of the week. I use a little milk instead of heavy cream with delish results. Far less fat and calories.
Yes, it’s a great way to use up those leftover veggies!
I made this exactly as written and it was fabulous! Thanks for such a simple recipe with a beautiful outcome!
Thrilled to hear your quiche turned out great, Deborah!