The Very Best Crustless Quiche (Impossible Quiche!)
on Apr 22, 2024
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This crustless quiche is ‘magic’! Otherwise known as ‘Impossible Quiche’, added flour ‘makes its own crust’ (kind of) during cooking. It’s fluffy and cheesy like a soufflé, and so tasty, even though it’s made with just a few simple ingredients. With no pesky crust, you’ll need just 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cook time to make it.
Read on to find out why this is the very best crustless quiche recipe, and how to make it…
I love a classic quiche lorraine with a buttery crust as much as anyone, and think it’s sometimes worth the extra effort. But for me it can be surprisingly time consuming to make as I find myself patching up holes in the pastry, and other pastry mishaps!
Which is why on busy weeknights, it’s this incredible crustless quiche recipe (otherwise known as impossible quiche) that I find myself turning to again and again.
I’ve hopefully included below everything you need to know to make the recipe perfectly first time, including some of the many tips in reviews received from readers who’ve tried this recipe over the years.
Crust lovers, I promise you, you won’t miss the crust!
What’s impossible quiche?
Impossible quiche is a delicious crustless quiche recipe. It’s especially popular in Australia (but works well anywhere!). The main difference to a regular crustless quiche or a frittata is that you add around half a cup of flour to the egg mixture. The idea is that the flour sinks to the bottom during cooking, making a very light ‘crust’. In other words, it’s a self-crusting quiche!
Why you’ll love it
I’ll try to be concise with the list below because I could literally rave about this recipe all day long!
- Makes its own pastry! I say pastry, but really I’d describe it as a sort of pancake-like layer that’s slightly heavier than the rest of the quiche. Sometimes it’s a bit more defined than other times (but always delicious!).
- Great texture. The added self-raising/self-rising flour (or flour + baking powder) works miracles in the recipe. It fluffs up like a soufflé, as well as creating the light ‘crust’ as the quiche cooks. The top of the quiche is also crunchier and more golden than a regular quiche.
- Quick and easy. Some say this is called Impossible Quiche because it’s virtually impossible to mess it up! Also, it’ll take you about 30 minutes less to make than a regular homemade quiche with a crust.
- So tasty! This is made with ham (so no pre-cooking), mushrooms, and delicious caramelized onions. It also tastes beautifully cheesy, although it doesn’t have a ton of cheese in it.
- Economical. This recipe is a very versatile pantry dinner, meaning you can use whatever you already have in your fridge. It’s also made with milk not cream, and uses less eggs than many other crustless quiche recipes.
- Reheats really well. If anything it’s more delicious when reheated (my favorite way is in my air fryer!).
5 * reviews (Scroll to below the printable recipe to browse hundreds more)
“So easy and tasty, this is now my go to recipe. My friends order it whenever we have a get together. So love not having to worry about making pastry.” Barbara
“My husband is not a quiche man but I made this at the weekend and we both thought it was out of this world, we could eat it every day! I have already given the recipe to a friend who has also made it and loved it. Just divine!!” (Di)
“I have to tell you Helen that your recipe for the Crustless Quiche is the best we have ever had. Thank you so much. It has won a permanent place in my recipe rolodex, which is a very coveted spot. I cook so many recipes for the love of trying new ones that it is rare when one become a permanent and repeatable recipe. This has become one of those. Fabulous, fabulous recipe.” (Karen)
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
Butter: Starting off this recipe by lightly caramelizing a chopped onion in a little pure butter adds an extra sweet and delicious punch of flavor. Can you use olive oil instead? Sure, if you prefer!
An onion: I have used both a brown onion and a red onion for this recipe. I like to slice them thinly, or feel free to chop them finely instead if you prefer.
Mushrooms: For extra flavor and texture. If you aren’t a mushroom fan, feel free to leave them out or replace with something else such as finely chopped peppers or asparagus.
Ham: This recipe uses ready-cooked ham. It just makes the recipe easier to not have to cook it (like you would have to cook bacon). Ideally, I like to use nice chunky slices of off-the-bone smoked ham. However, any chopped ham is fine.
Obviously it’s also fine to replace the ham with bacon if you prefer – it will just add a little extra preparation time.
Cheese: For convenience, I use grated cheddar, which I usually have in the fridge. Sharp (strong/tasty) cheddar is the best. However, feel free to mix things up with some parmesan, gruyere, crumbled feta, ricotta cheese or any other cheese that you like.
Flour: This is the key ingredient to make the recipe work – don’t skip it! Use self-raising (or self-rising) flour, which is what makes the quiche fluff up like a soufflé as it cooks. If you don’t have any, use plain/all purpose flour with three quarters of a teaspoon of baking powder added.
This recipe will also work well with Bisquick instead (for those of you in the USA!).
Milk: I’ve made this recipe with both whole milk (full cream) and reduced fat (semi-skimmed/high-low/2%). Most times, I use reduced fat since that’s what we always have in the fridge.
Some readers have successfully used dairy free milks as well (there are a few examples in the comments section).
Others have asked if they can replace some or all of the milk with cream. You absolutely can, but there’s no need. The texture will be richer and of course creamier, and the flour may not sink as much. It will still be a delicious quiche!
Eggs: You’ll need just 4 large eggs for this recipe (which is less than in most crustless quiche recipes). If you only have small eggs, just add an extra one to the mixture.
Mustard: I prefer the taste of a mild wholegrain mustard, but Dijon mustard is also a good choice. If you only have mustard from a squeezy bottle, use that!
Salt and pepper: Don’t overdo it with the salt, since the ham and cheese are already quite salty. However, feel free to increase the amount of pepper to taste.
How to make the best crustless quiche
The first step is to lightly caramelize the onions (for about 10 minutes) in some melted butter. You’ll find these will add a lovely sweetness to the finished crustless quiche!
For the final couple of minutes, you can add the mushrooms. Cooking them lets the liquid evaporate so that they don’t make the quiche soggy.
Spread them into a quiche pan (grease it with butter or oil first).
Sprinkle the ham and cheese on top.
Then here’s the important part. Slowly add the milk to the flour. A large jug is good for this.
Then whisk in all the other ingredients – so eggs, mustard, and salt and pepper.
Slowly pour the egg mixture on top of the fillings.
Finally, bake for around 30 minutes (it’s done when it’s golden and puffed up and there’s no longer any runny mixture in the center).
Helen’s Top Tips
- To save even more time at dinner time, prepare the filling ingredients ahead (cook the onions and mushrooms, chop the ham etc.).
- If you have time, leave the assembled quiche to stand for a while (up to half an hour) before cooking to allow the flour to sink.
- When pouring the mixture into the baking dish, pour as close to the outside of the dish as possible, and try to circle around the entire dish in this way. By doing so, the mixture will permeate the sides of the dish more thoroughly, producing a more even and complete crust (tip from Steve G – thank you!).
- Depending on your oven, the quiche can take from 30 to 40 minutes to cook. My oven runs a bit hot so it’s definitely ready after 30. The quiche is done when it’s ‘just’ set in the middle and a knife pushed into the center comes out clean (or virtually clean but not with raw/runny mixture on it).
Variations
Have fun and make this crustless quiche recipe your own! Over the years, readers have made it with too many filling substitutions to list! However, here are some ideas:
- leftover roasted vegetables
- cherry tomatoes (halved)
- asparagus chopped into small pieces (goes especially well with smoked ham)
- finely chopped onions or green onions (spring onions) – try this if you don’t like caramelized onions
- frozen vegetables such as peas, small pieces of broccoli, green beans
- sautéed leeks (instead of onions)
- bacon instead of ham, or leftover sausage or other cooked meats
- different cheeses such as parmesan, feta, ricotta, gruyère
- spinach (use this recipe for sautéed frozen spinach, or simply use chopped defrosted frozen spinach portions with the water squeezed out)
One more option: Sometimes, when I’m feeling especially lazy or short on time, I don’t pre-cook any of the veggies. I just add finely chopped onions, peppers and chopped cherry tomatoes (as well as ham and cheese, of course!). Surprisingly I often end up with the best ‘magic crust’ on the bottom of the quiche when I do this.
Serving ideas
My favorite way to eat this crustless quiche is with potatoes (either baked potato or fries) and a simple green salad or vegetables such as broccoli or green beans. A little coleslaw is the icing on the cake!
Here are a few easy side dish recipes that would go well:
- sautéed frozen green beans or sautéed frozen broccoli, sautéed frozen spinach, or sautéed butternut squash
- these easy parmentier potatoes (little roasted diced potatoes that you could put into the oven at the same time as the quiche)
- Mediterranean roast vegetables
- Greek salad or Greek lettuce salad
If you’re serving the quiche to guests and would like to serve something else substantial with it, I’d recommend either Greek potatoes or a veggie pasta such as this creamy green pea pasta or this simple orzo pesto salad.
A great salad to serve it with is this beetroot, walnut and feta salad.
Alternatively, I wrote a huge list of recipes to serve with quiche, in case you’d like to check that out instead.
Recipe FAQs
This quiche reheats really well. I usually reheat separate pieces either in my air fryer (my favorite) or the oven (I don’t recommend the microwave since you’ll lose the amazing crispy top). In an air fryer, try around 6 minutes at 320F/160C or until hot throughout and slightly crunchy on top. In the oven, try around 15 to 20 minutes or until the quiche is heated through well.
If you want to reheat the whole quiche, start with around 20 minutes in the oven at 320F/160C and go from there. If it isn’t quite reheated at that point, give it another 5 minutes until it’s piping hot (or however long it needs).
Yes, many readers have done so successfully. The texture and light crust might be slightly different, but the quiche will still taste delicious. If you don’t have self raising gluten free flour, simply add three quarters of a teaspoon of baking powder to plain gf flour.
Yes. I recommend freezing cooled individual pieces either in an airtight container or in freezer bags. You can freeze them for 1-2 months without losing the quality. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat as described above.
More easy quiche recipes
If you’re loving the easy quiche vibe in the post…
- try these easy mini quiche lorraine! They do have pastry, but you don’t need to pre-cook it. In fact you don’t pre-cook anything. The quiches are super super quick and easy, contain only 6 ingredients, and are perfect for freezing and/or taking along to parties!
- zucchini slice or easy spinach egg muffins (quite similar to a crustless quiche, and perfect for packing into lunch boxes!)
- Mediterranean style red pepper and feta quiche (so easy to make with a pre-made crust)
The Very Best Crustless Quiche (Impossible Quiche!)
Equipment
- 9.5 inch quiche baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 onion, medium sized, any kind, sliced thinly into rounds
- 1 tablespoon butter, for cooking the onions
- 5 ounces mushrooms, around 4 medium mushrooms, best chopped into small pieces
- 3½ ounces ham, chopped
- 1 cup grated cheese, sharp (strong/tasty) cheddar is fine, or try gruyere, parmesan, Swiss cheese or a mixture of cheeses
- ½ cup self-raising flour, /self-rising flour (Alternatively, mix ¾ of a teaspoon baking powder into all-purpose/plain flour. Or you can use Bisquick.)
- 1½ cups milk
- 4 large eggs, lightly whisked (if you only have small eggs, add an extra one)
- 2 teaspoons mustard, (I usually use wholegrain, but Dijon or any other mustard also works)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) (increase to 390F/200C if you have a regular oven i.e. not a fan oven).
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan or saucepan. Then cook the onions slowly for about 10 minutes or until soft and beginning to caramelize.1 tablespoon butter, 1 onion
- Add the mushrooms to the onions in the pan and cook for a further couple of minutes.5 ounces mushrooms
- Grease a standard quiche dish (around 9.5 inches/24 cm or similar – see note below) with a little butter, or spray with oil. Spread the onions and mushrooms evenly over the dish. Then scatter over the chopped ham and cheese.3½ ounces ham, 1 cup grated cheese
- Slowly add the milk to the flour in a large jug. Whisk continuously so that there are no lumps, then whisk in the eggs, mustard, and salt and pepper.½ cup self-raising flour, 1½ cups milk, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the fillings in the dish. Then bake for 30 (to 40) minutes, or until the mixture is just cooked in the centre. Slice and serve!
Maybe I should have cooked the mushrooms more before adding to the baking pan. They weeped and when I cut into the quiche, moisture seeped out. Other than that the taste was very good.
Hi Ellie! Yes, I do usually cook the mushrooms for a few minutes before adding them to the quiche pan. Try that next time and see how you get on!
Hi Helen, if I make this quiche in the morning will I have to take it out of the flan dish to reheat later or can I reheat it in the dish. What temperature and how long would you reheat it? Thanks Helen
Hello Helen! (great name!) You can absolutely make this ahead and reheat again later in the flan dish. If you want to reheat the whole quiche again, start with around 20 minutes in the oven at 300F/150C and go from there. If it isn’t quite reheated at that point, give it another 5 minutes until it’s piping hot again. Enjoy!
Many thanks for replying back to me!!! That’s great I’m actually going to make it in a hour’s time ready for dinner tonight!! I’m so looking forward to trying it!!!😄. I’m serving it will salad and some sweet potato fries. Kind regards Helen xxx P.S yes it is fab name🤣🤣🤣
I hope it turned out well and you enjoyed it, Helen! Salad and sweet potato fries sounds perfect 🙂
Hi Helen, just to let you know the quiche was absolutely fabulous!!! We all loved it and i will definitely make it again!!!! My family said no more shop bought quiches when they can have this🤣😄😄😄. Many thanks Helen (UK)
Ahhh, so good to hear that, Helen! Thank you so much for keeping me updated – I love it!
I have made it 4 or 5 times now, and it is a winner. Thanks for sharing!!
Hello Jens. That makes me sooo happy to hear that this is a winner in your house! Thank you so much for the feedback.
Made this last weekend and so good I used leeks instead of onions , carrots and small amount silver beets (all out of my garden) and mushrooms,,I only had 3 no 8 eggs but the thing I liked most was self crusting so quick and easy. Will definitely being making it again and I had it with a lettuce salad.on the side. What I didn’t use put in the freezer. Will make sure I use correct amount of eggs next time.. I think this will be a regular light healthy meal for me
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Ngaere – you know how much I appreciate it! I love that you were able to use so much homegrown produce – definitely making me envious. I’m glad you freezed some for another time. I often do that since it’s a pretty big quiche. 🙂
Had my doubts but used the 9 inch loose-bottomed quiche pan as instructed and everything leaked out the bottom! Complete waste of time. Should have looked at the photos more carefully as NO LOOSE BOTTOMED quiche pan used there
Amend your recipe please
Kim
Hi Kim, sorry to hear this happened to you. I know how frustrating it feels to waste all your ingredients. Loose-bottomed pans should be watertight (but obviously they aren’t always), or you can tightly wrap foil around it just in case, but I’ll remove that link from the equipment section so that doesn’t happen to anyone else. I hope you’ll give the quiche a second chance and make it in a regular quiche pan.
Will this work with gluten free flour…keen to try it 😄
Hello Lesley! Yes, gluten free flour will be fine. The results may be a little different but it will definitely still work. Enjoy! 🙂
As asparagus is in season I substituted it for mushrooms and made another successful quiche
Hello Ted! I’m so happy you like this enough to keep trying it different ways. I’m so happy asparagus season is here again, and love the sound of your mushroom asparagus quiche. Thank you for the idea – I’d love to try it that way! 🙂
Hi Helen ham and asparagus is what I used Ted
Mmm sounds wonderful Ted! I’ll try it since we’re just coming into asparagus season!
I love this recipe and have made it several times using different fillings! It’s usually a good way to use up random leftover veggies as a substantial meal if I’m in need of going shoppig. However I now need to be dairy free. Do you think it wouls still work if I use oat milk instead and have no cheese? I still can’t get my head around no cheese, it’s such an integrated part of my life!
Hello Hayley! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this recipe, but equally sorry to hear that you’re dealing with having to change your diet in this way. I know that’s hard. Our son is allergic to nuts so we have to be careful about ingredients since they’re in many foods where you wouldn’t expect to find them (pesto etc.).
I actually think you’d be fine using oat milk or another type of dairy free milk to make this quiche. I haven’t tried it myself but after a quick google I can see that it is possible to make a dairy free quiche just by using dairy free milk and excluding the cheese. Can you get hold of some dairy free cheese? I know that it does exist but haven’t tried it myself. Can you tolerate goat or sheep’s milk cheese? There are some authentic feta cheeses made from those milks!
If you do decide to try the quiche diary free, I’d love to hear how you get on. Best wishes, Helen 🙂
Love love love this recipe.
Best ever.
Aw, thank you Ollie! I’m so happy that you’re enjoying it! 🙂
I don’t have self rising flour. I hate to buy it just for this recipe. Can I use another flour>
Hello Mary! Yes, of course! Just mix half a teaspoon of baking powder into the half cup of flour called for in the recipe. Just use all-purpose/plain flour. If you have a quick scroll through the comments below the recipe, some readers have also successfully used other types of flour, but I’d stick to plain white flour if you have it. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it!
I took your advice and added baking powder to all purpose flour. I doubled the recipe and added bacon and broccoli to the ham and mushrooms. I had small amounts of gruyere and sharp cheddar as well as parmesan-it was good! I will cut and freeze one quiche. for hubby’s lunch. I will spice it up more next time (there will be a next time-great recipe). I will probably add garlic powder, and cayenne, It is a keeper!!
I love your ideas for making this recipe your own, Mary. Thank you so much for the great feedback! 🙂
Hi Helen just wanted to say I made the quiche with the gluten free flour, Stilton, broccoli and cherry tomatoes and it was super, think it may have been a little lighter if ordinary flour had been used but nevertheless it’s a keeper and will be making it again.
Thanks,
Christine
Ah this is so good to hear, Christine – thank you for letting me know and I love the sound of your stilton and broccoli version! 🙂
Thank you Helen for the amazing quiche recipe.I’ve just put another one in the oven , having made two previously. Both were a huge success. So easy. Cheers Maureen
Hello Maureen! Aw, thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed it! It’s always the biggest compliment when someone makes a recipe more than once. 🙂
Delicious! Better than traditional quiche (with crust). Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much for the feedback, Lynn. I’m so glad you liked it!
Hi, I intend making this quiche at the weekend.
What type of ham is it best to use? Thanks
Hello Annie! It doesn’t really matter but for maximum flavor I’d choose a good quality, fairly thick cut off-the-bone smoked ham. But I’ve even made it with that thin stuff you buy in a packet for sandwiches! Enjoy!
I’d like to make this for a friend who’s Gluten intolerant, could I use cornflour please?
Hello Christine, yes that should be no problem at all. The cornflour may not combine to make a ‘base’ but the quiche will still have a lovely texture. Alternatively you can use gluten free flour. Good luck and I really hope your friend enjoys it!
Thanks for that, stupid of me not to think about it especially as I have some in my cupboard!! Unfortunately all my quiche tins are perforated, I have a dish but it’s quite deep could the ingredients be increased don’t want it to look half full. Am going to try broccoli, Stilton and cherry tomato which is what they all like, must admit bit nervous about it!!!
Not stupid at all, Christine! I think both will work. As for the tin, I think you could either line the quiche tin with 2 layers of baking paper, or you could increase all the ingredients by say 50% (there’s a slider in the recipe card if you’d like to use that) and use your larger dish. The cooking time will increase a bit but it’s pretty easy to see when the quiche is done. Just keep an eye on it. You want it to have started to brown on top (lightly) and for it to be ‘just’ set in the middle. Although saying that a few times I have slightly overcooked it and it’s still been delicious. Try not to be nervous – it’ll be delicious even if not perfect! 🙂
Hi there from Cape Town South Africa.
I really enjoyed this quiche and don’t think I will ever worry about making a pastry lining again.
I made a spinach, feta and cooked onion one and you don’t even miss the not having a pie crust.
I am going to send it to my daughter in the UK
Thanks
Hello Valda, always love to hear from people from near and far. Would love to visit Cape Town some day! I hear it’s beautiful. I’m so happy you enjoyed the quiche, and I love the sound of the way you made it your own. I agree that you just don’t need the crust any more, and I really hope your daughter likes it too! 🙂
Lekke… we are NOW busy making 2 this for dinner and leftovers for breakfast tomorrow morning (if anything will be left).
Greetings from Kuilsriver, Cape town South Africa.
Hello Rodney! I hope you enjoyed it! Love the idea of finishing off for brekkie! Lekke! 🙂
It’s called impossible quiche (or sometimes impossible pie), because it’s virtually impossible to mess it up 🙂
Oh I love that, Adriana! Thank you for the reminder and I hope you liked the recipe 🙂
The best tasting crustless quiche I’ve made!!
So great to hear, Pat! Thank you for the feedback 🙂
Wow! The best I’ve tried so far. The mustard seed just makes it sing!! I’ve made this many times and tweaked it many times, they were all nice but the original recipe is the best!
Thank you so much for the vote of confidence, Reggie – I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a great review. Like you I’ve made many different versions of this, but always come back to the original 😉
I have made this a few times and it always comes out delicious. I now bake it ahead of time and freeze it for lunches.
Hi Desiree! I’m so happy that this has become a favourite recipe! And it’s very helpful to hear that you find it freezes well. Thank you so much! 🙂
I spiced up with red chili peppers sautéed with ham and onion, delicious!
Hosting a brunch next weekend and was looking for an easy egg veggie and meat dish. This is perfect!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Dave! I love that you spiced it up! Hope the brunch went OK! 🙂