Crustless Quiche

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5 from 70 votes
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This show-stopping crustless quiche is a low-carb breakfast or brunch that features baked eggs, bacon, bell peppers, onions, and cheese in every slice. Easy to make and ready in 35 minutes!

crustless quiche.

There’s nothing quite as crowd-pleasing as a classic quiche for brunch! The flaky pastry crust features fluffy baked eggs as a base, with melted cheese, meats, and veggies studded throughout every slice. But when you don’t have time to make a homemade pie crust or aren’t in the mood for extra carbs, you can stick to this easy crustless quiche recipe instead!

Think of this crustless quiche as a low-maintenance and low-carb alternative to the classic. It bakes whisked eggs with meat, cheese, and vegetables and is ready to be sliced and served after a quick 35-minute trip in the oven. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or any occasion! 

Table of Contents
  1. Why this recipe works
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make a crustless quiche
  4. Tips to make the best recipe
  5. Flavor variations
  6. What to serve with quiche
  7. Make ahead and storing 
  8. Recommended tools to make this recipe
  9. More savory breakfast and brunch recipes 
  10. Frequently asked questions 
  11. Crustless Quiche (Recipe Card)

Why this recipe works

  • Tailor it to your tastes. Just like my keto quiche, you can treat this recipe like a blank canvas. Customize it with all of your favorite proteins, veggies, cheeses, or whatever your taste buds desire!
  • No crust to fuss with. Skipping the crust means fewer carbs and a streamlined, simplified quiche recipe with a faster cooking time.  
  • It’s easy to make ahead. Quiche is an excellent dish to make once and enjoy all week. It freezes well, too!

Serving a homemade quiche to friends and family is just plain impressive. Pair each slice with a mimosa or a pitcher of homemade lemonade, and you’ll be crowned, ‘brunch host of the year.’

Ingredients needed

This recipe calls for all of the ingredients you would find in a classic quiche recipe, minus the pie shell. Here’s what you need:

  • Eggs. Use large, fresh eggs. The higher water content in fresh eggs helps create a light, fluffy texture. Their yolks are more vibrant and taste better, too.
  • Milk and heavy cream. Using both milk and heavy cream gives the baked eggs a creamy, custardy texture. Additionally, milk enhances the filling with a slightly sweet flavor, while heavy cream gives it a rich, velvety mouthfeel. 
  • Salt and black pepper. To season the filling.  
  • Bacon. Cooked until crispy and thinly sliced.
  • Shredded cheese. The quiche is great with cheddar, but there are many types of cheese to choose from. Just be sure to shred your own cheese, as the bagged stuff doesn’t melt as smoothly as cheese grated straight from the block.
  • Vegetables. I filled the quiche with chopped green onions, red bell pepper, and red onion, but there are plenty of other veggies to choose from in the Variations section below.

How to make a crustless quiche

The crust is the most challenging part of making a quiche from scratch. Since this recipe skips that part, it’s almost as easy as making an omelet! Here’s how to make a perfect crustless quiche: 

Step 1 – Whisk the egg filling

Whisk the eggs, milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. 

quiche egg mixture.

Step 2 – Add the meat, vegetables, and cheese

Stir the bacon, cheese, and chopped veggies into the egg mixture until incorporated. 

crustless quiche filling.

Step 3 – Bake

Pour the egg mixture into a greased oven-safe skillet or baking dish. Bake until the top and edges are golden brown and the center is almost set.

pre-baked crustless quiche.

Step 4 – Rest, slice, and serve

Set the baked quiche aside to cool for a few minutes. Afterward, slice and enjoy!

baked crustless quiche.

Tips to make the best recipe

  • Pre-cook the bacon. Cooking the bacon before adding it to the egg mixture prevents it from releasing excess grease, which can make the quiche soggy. 
  • Use the correct ratio of eggs and milk/cream. Using about 2½ tablespoons of milk or cream per egg is ideal and won’t make your quiche runny or dense. 
  • Don’t over bake it. It’s best to take the quiche out of the oven when the center is still a little jiggly. If you wait until the center is firm, the quiche will likely be overcooked and the eggs will taste rubbery. 
  • Let it rest before slicing. As hard as it may be to resist digging in, letting it rest for 5 to 10 minutes gives the eggs time to set and makes the quiche easier to slice.

Flavor variations

What I love most about this crustless quiche is that you can switch up the meat, cheese, and veggie combination with anything you like. Remember to choose ingredients that complement each other and won’t release too much moisture during baking. 

Use these meat-forward combinations for a hearty and filling quiche:

  • Classic quiche Lorraine. Omit the milk and veggies, and make the filling with all heavy cream, bacon, and Swiss cheese. 
  • Sausage, peppers, and onions. Use cooked ground sausage, chopped turkey sausage patties or sliced sausage links, diced bell peppers and onions, and shredded mozzarella cheese. 
  • Ham and cheese. Dice up slices of deli ham or the leftover ham in your fridge, then stir it into the egg filling with shredded cheddar cheese. A classic combination!
  • Seafood, leeks, and shallots. Add salmon, shrimp, or lump crab meat, thinly sliced leeks, minced shallots, and fontina cheese into the mix. 

If you were hoping for a vegetarian quiche, try:  

  • Spinach and feta. Mixing spinach and feta cheese is a delicious and nutritious option for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner option (have you tried our spinach feta wrap?)
  • Broccoli, cauliflower, and cheddar. Because this trio belongs together!
  • Mushroom and gruyere. This elegant and flavorful combination is guaranteed to please a crowd.

What to serve with quiche

This is a fantastic keto breakfast recipe you can pair with all of the classics, like cinnamon rolls, hash browns, french toast, and, of course, coffee. If you don’t mind some carbs, pair every slice of quiche with fruit salad, pancakes, green salad, and muffins.

Serving the quiche for lunch or meal prep? Serve the slices with a leafy green salad and roasted vegetables, like brussels sprouts and cauliflower, to keep you full and energized until dinner time.

Make ahead and storing 

To make ahead: Pour the filling into the pan, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to bake the next day.

To store: Wrap the baked and cooled quiche or individual slices with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

To reheat: Reheat the leftover quiche in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or until hot.

  • Medium bowl and whisk. To mix the egg filling and help incorporate the meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
  • Oven-safe non-stick skillet. Like a 9-inch pie pan, a cast-iron skillet, or a cake pan. Just make sure that whatever you use is oven-safe, greased well, and has enough room for the quiche to rise without overflowing. 
no crust quiche.

More savory breakfast and brunch recipes 

Frequently asked questions 

What’s the difference between a crustless quiche and a frittata?

Even though both are egg-based breakfast dishes, there is a key difference between the two; a crustless quiche is baked in a pie dish, whereas a frittata is typically started in a skillet on the stovetop, then finished in the oven. To learn more about frittatas, check out my favorite frittata recipe

Why is my crustless quiche soggy?

A soggy quiche likely means the ingredients released too much moisture as it baked. This can happen if you use too much milk or cream or don’t par-cook vegetables with a high water content, like mushrooms, spinach, and squash, before adding them to the filling.

Can it be made dairy free?

Yes, you can make a dairy free crustless quiche by replacing the milk and cream with the same amount of non-dairy milk, like almond, soy, coconut, or oat milk. As for the cheese, use nutritional yeast or vegan shredded cheese instead.

crustless quiche recipe.

Crustless Quiche

5 from 70 votes
This show-stopping crustless quiche is a low-carb breakfast or brunch that features baked eggs, bacon, bell peppers, onions, and cheese in every slice. Easy to make and ready in 35 minutes!
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 36 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 6 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup bacon thinly sliced
  • 2/3 cup cheese shredded
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion chopped

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper until combined.
  • Add bacon, cheese, green onion, red pepper, and red onion in an egg mixture and combine everything.
  • Pour the mixture into the greased dish and scatter the veggies evenly around it.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the quiche is set in the center and it gets light brown color on the edges.

Notes

TO MAKE AHEAD: Pour the filling into the pan, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to bake the next day.
TO STORE: Wrap the baked and cooled quiche or individual slices with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
TO REHEAT: Reheat the leftover quiche in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or until hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 19gFat: 31gSodium: 784mgPotassium: 277mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 1467IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 254mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 4g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Wish your recipes included all of the notes you add. I have to keep coming back to the recipe to read your tips. Maybe that could be an option in the future??

  2. Can you bake this in a muffin tray to make small “egg bites” type of servings? What would you suggest doing differently for the muffin pan?

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely the best quiche.
    So tasty and so easy to put together.
    Baked up beautifully and tasted delicious.
    Thank you so much for the recipe.