The very best crustless quiche (impossible quiche!)

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Sometimes you can’t beat a homemade quiche with a baked potato and a nice fresh salad, but it always takes me longer to make a quiche than I think it will! Which is why I was very excited to ‘discover’ this amazing (magic?) crustless quiche. The Aussies call it ‘impossible quiche’! Read on to find out why, and how to make it…

A crustless quiche or impossible quiche just out of the oven from above with a blue striped tea towel

All quiches are easy to make… right?

A big thumbs down for traditional homemade quiche!

Whenever I make quiche, which we all enjoy in our family (including our super picky toddler!), I find it surprisingly time consuming to make.

I also find the end result varies.

I’m sure it’s just me, but I often end up with holes in my pastry (aka half the filling dripping out onto the oven – oops. See this post. Delicious quiche, terrible photos desperately in need of an update!).

Or I undercook or overcook the filling.

Even if everything goes swimmingly and my quiche is perfect, it takes ti-iiiiii-me. Especially if I make my own pastry.

So now… I either make THESE mini quiche lorraine, because you don’t have to precook the pastry or fillings, or I make THIS crustless quiche.

Someone lifting a piece of crustless quiche out of a white dish

Impossible Quiche!

Have you ever heard of impossible quiche? I’ve only ever seen recipes for it in Australia, but it’s pretty well known there, and for good reason. It’s a delicious quiche – and a little bit different!

Most crustless quiche recipes I find a bit too interchangeable with a frittata. The thing that makes this recipe different is that you add flour to the egg mixture.

The idea is that the flour sinks to the bottom of the quiche during cooking and makes a very light ‘crust’.

A whole crustless quiche (impossible quiche) with a piece out of it in a round baking dish with a blue striped tea towel

Quiche or souffle? 

I say crust, but really I’d describe it as a sort of pancake-y layer that’s slightly heavier than the rest of the quiche. Sometimes it’s a bit more defined than other times.

I think it might depend of the type of fillings that you add to the quiche, and whether or not they are cooked. 

Either way the quiche is delicious. If the flour doesn’t sink so much, I find that the eggy mixture has a slightly different texture to a regular quiche – almost like a souffle! The top of the quiche is also a bit crunchier than usual. As some of the flour stays on the top, it forms a kind of light batter topping.

This quiche reheats really well, and when you reheat it the top gets even more deliciously crunchy. Try it and see!

Erm… but what’s Impossible Quiche?

If I’m totally honest I don’t know why this is called impossible quiche. At first I thought it was because of the thin ‘crust’ that forms at the bottom, as if by magic!

But this feature of the quiche is subtle, and like I said before seems to depend on what fillings you’ve added.

So maybe it’s because the quiche is ‘impossibly’ quick to make?

Lightly cook the onions and mushrooms (or whatever fillings you want to add), then pour everything into your quiche pan and cook it for just 30 minutes.

Caramelizing onions with a wooden spoon in a frying pan from above
Caramelizing the onions. Mmmm, delicious!
A person holding a crustless quiche  over a marble background before it goes in the oven
Before…
A closeup of a crustless quiche just as it\'s out of the oven
After…

Of course it doesn’t really matter why it’s called what it’s called. The important thing is that it’s a really delicious quiche. Recently it’s become my go-to, and I wonder if it will become yours too if you give it a go!

Why is this the best crustless quiche? 

To summarize, I think this is the very best crustless quiche because…

  • It’s REALLY quick and easy to make, but it ISN’T just another frittata!
  • It seems really cheesy, even though there isn’t that much cheese in it – almost like a souffle.
  • This particular quiche is made with ham (so no pre-cooking!), mushrooms, and the most amazing caramelized onions.
  • If you’re lucky there’s a kind of magic thin crust on the bottom of your quiche.
  • 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 seem to end up with the best ‘magic crust’ on the bottom of the quiche when I do this.
  • You use milk to make this quiche, not cream. So it’s a little lighter than a regular quiche – but no less delicious!
  • This crustless quiche reheats really well. If anything it’s more delicious when reheated!

A whole crustless quiche from above on a white background with a blue tea towel in the background

So next time you’re craving a quiche, I challenge you to ditch your regular recipe (or store-bought go-to!) and give this crustless quiche a chance.

A close up of a slice of quiche on a white plate with a fork

What to serve with a crustless quiche 

Our favourite way to eat quiche is with a baked potato and salad. Don’t forget the coleslaw – trust me, it’s the icing on the cake 😉

Another easy quiche recipe for you!

If you’re loving the easy quiche vibe in the post, but would rather keep the crust…

  • 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!
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Someone lifting a piece of crustless quiche out of a white dish
4.95 from 217 votes

The very best crustless quiche (Impossible Quiche!)

This is the VERY BEST crustless quiche! It's known as Impossible Quiche in Australia! Added flour sinks to the bottom during cooking, creating a thin pancake-y crust. You can either add caramelized onions and mushrooms, ham and cheese, like I’ve stated in the recipe below, or you can keep things super simple and add raw finely chopped veggies like onions, peppers and tomatoes.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 tablespoon butter, for cooking
  • 5 ounces mushrooms, (around 4 medium mushrooms)
  • ounces ham, chopped
  • 1 cup grated cheese, (strong cheddar cheeses or similar work well)
  • ½ cup self-raising flour
  • cups milk
  • 4 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 2 teaspoons mustard, (I usually use wholegrain, but any mustard works)
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C.
  • 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 (or other round pan) with a little butter, then spread the onions and mushrooms evenly over the bottom. 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 eggs, 2 teaspoons mustard, salt & pepper
  • Pour the egg mixture over the fillings in the dish/pan, then bake for 30 (to 40) minutes or until the mixture is just cooked in the centre. Slice and serve!

Video

Notes

A note on the fillings

The amount/type of fillings in this recipe are just a guideline. You could easily make a more traditional quiche lorraine with just bacon, onions and cheese if you prefer.
To make this quiche even quicker and easier, don’t pre-cook a single thing! I’ve made it with just finely chopped raw onion and peppers, halved cherry tomatoes, and lots of cheese! Interestingly, this made for the best ‘magic crust’ on the bottom.
Or add things like:
leftover cooked roasted vegetables (I often add these)
asparagus (no need to pre-cook)
chopped spinach (blanched and squeezed) & cubes of feta cheese

A note on serving the quiche

I sometimes find that despite greasing the pan my quiche still sticks to it a bit. That’s OK! Some of the thin ‘crust’ at the bottom might get left behind in the pan, but it really doesn’t make any difference to the appearance of the individual pieces, and certainly not to the taste.

A note on freezing and/or reheating the quiche

This quiche freezes really well. I usually freeze any leftovers in glass containers or aluminium foil, then I defrost and reheat in the oven at 300F/150C for about 20 minutes.
Sometimes I feel like the reheated quiche is even more delicious than it was when fresh!

How to serve a crustless quiche

For a light lunch, serve it with a simple fresh green salad, or how about a colourful, healthy Greek salad
I also love this with baked potatoes and coleslaw or another type of easy potatoes. Try these incredible Greek potatoes
For more ideas about what to serve with this, check out my list of 40+ easy side dish ideas for quiche

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 314mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 380IU, Vitamin C: 1.4mg, Calcium: 169mg, Iron: 0.8mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Helen Schofield

Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY!

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303 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is the best quiche recipe I have ever used, I will never make a quiche with a base ever again!!
    The only thing different I do, which makes the “crust” not stick is substitute the half cup of milk with half a cup of sour cream. It works an absolute treat and saves on messy washing up.

    1. Hello Bronwen, thank you so much for the great feedback and tips! It’s interesting to hear that sour cream prevents sticking. I bet it makes it ultra delicious, too 😉

  2. Has anyone tried using almond flour? just curious as to what the ratio would be. Looking for GF, lectin-free options!

    1. Hello Lisa! I’ve never tried this with almond flour, but someone did report almond flour working with my zucchini slice recipe, which is based on a similar principle of mixing a little flour with egg to make a ‘crust’. I have a feeling you’d get more of a souffle texture rather than a ‘crust’ at the bottom, but I’d love to know how it turns out for you if you do try it.

  3. 5 stars
    I had a lot of frozen vegetables that I desperately wanted to finish without having to eat roasted vegs every night, and this recipe was absolutely excellent! It’s simple, no-fuss, delicious and infinitely customisable! Thank you very much

    1. Hello Lydie! I’m so glad I could help you out with those leftover veggies! Those are the things I love about this recipe too. Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂

  4. Made this last night – IT WAS PERFECT – followed recipe exactly using some leftovers. Only problem I had was too much filling to fit in pan so saved it for today and had French Toast for breakfast to use it up.
    Also perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.

    1. Hello Margaret! So happy this was a hit! It’s perfect for using up leftovers, and sounds like your problem was a good one to have in the end. Thanks so much for the feedback! 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      Absolutely delicious. Great recipe. We needed a gluten free quiche but not keen on gf pastry as it comes out hard. This was perfect. Simply substituted flour equivalent with gluten free flour and it was brilliant.

      1. It’s so good to hear this works well with gluten free flour too, Lisa. Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂

  5. What a great quiche! I added smoked bacon instead of the ham, it was scrummy! Thanks very much for the recipe, look forward to trying some more of your suggestions! 👍😁

    1. Hello Karen, and thank you so much for your great feedback! Ooh yes it’s delicious with bacon too – more like a classic quiche lorraine. So happy you’re going to try some more recipes. Sign up if you’d like to get emailed when I post anything new 😉

    1. Hello Linda! Yes absolutely! You might find that the texture is more souffle like though and the ‘crust’ might not form on the bottom as the egg mixture will be a bit heavier. It’ll definitely still be delicious though!

  6. Hi there,
    My quiche was a little bit stodgy but I’m not sure why. Any suggestions please?
    Thank you
    Stacey

    1. Hello Stacey! Did you make the classic quiche lorraine? Sometimes I find the flour doesn’t sink to the bottom if there’s a lot of filling. I don’t find it ‘stodgy’ though – more like a souffle! Try reducing the amount of flour slightly. It could just be personal taste! 🙂

      1. Thanks so for your reply Helen. Yes I wondered if reducing the flour might help so I’ll try that and see how we go.
        Toodles 😊

      2. Maybe go a little easy on the filling too and see if that makes a difference. And have a great weekend!

  7. I agree this is such a great recipe. I have found that if I reheat in a lightly greased frying pan on low with a lid on, it crisps up the base beautifully – just like pastry.

    1. Oooh wow, what a great idea Dorothy – I’m going to try that next time! Thank you so much for the idea, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    Helen, thank you so much for this recipe. I was so excited when I saw the name. My grandmother used to make Impossible Pie and sadly I lost the recipe. Can’t wait to try this!

    1. Hi Debi! Aw, so happy to hear this story! I’d love to know how you get on when you make it. We love it, and it’s a really adaptable recipe 🙂

  9. Hi Helen,
    After the success of your crustless quiche, I’d like to be a bit more adventurous (!) I have a Muslim friend and obviously bacon or ham is a no no. So a spinach and feta seems to be perfect, except I’ve never made one. What quantities of feta and spinach do I use? I have to say that most bought so called feta and spinach quiches have very little feta, if any.
    Once again, thanks for introducing me to this no fail quiche.

    1. Hello Helen! What a great question! I’m so happy you enjoyed the quiche so much and are thinking about adapting it for your friend 🙂 This is such an adaptable recipe. If it were me making it I’d literally just throw it in until it looked enough, but I know that’s a bit hit and miss!! As a general guide I’d sprinkle in at least half a packet of feta, so about 100 grams. See how it looks in the mixture and if that doesn’t seem enough, throw in another 25 to 50 grams. As for the spinach, I’d get a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) packet and throw it in a colander. Pour boiling water over it, rinse in cold water then squeeze out as much of the water as you can (just with your hands is OK). This way the spinach won’t make the quiche too watery 😉 . let me know how you get on if you have a moment, Helen. I’m really interested to hear how it goes! 🙂

      1. Thank you, I’ll let you know. I might not make it immediately, but would have no idea of quantities. So I don’t have to chop the spinach?

      2. Hello Helen! No don’t worry about chopping it although you can a little if you like. Just squeeze out as much water as you can. Enjoy!