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!
I make this quiche frequently. Of all the many recipes I’ve tried, this is by FAR the best.
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear this, Angela, and I really appreciate you letting me know. Thank you!
I found this to be very bland following the directions exactly as written. What herbs or spices beyond red pepper flakes would add some flavour to this? I love quiche and this was quick and easy to assemble and removed from the pan well but needs something more.
Hello, Anne! Since the ingredients in this are the same as the ones in any quiche, I think the flavor mostly comes from using a strong tasting cheddar cheese, smoked bacon or ham, and a generous amount of mustard. You can certainly add some herbs. My go-to would be dried mixed Italian herbs, but really any will work (thyme or rosemary go well with bacon, too). I’d try making some of these tweaks and see if you find it tastier. This recipe usually gets great feedback, so I hope you’ll persevere with it! 🙂
keeps giving me an invalid message when I try to sign up
Hello Merilyn! I just checked and you were added into my email list yesterday, so you should start getting my emails! Welcome! Please do let me know if you don’t start getting them (you should get a welcome email and then 1 to 2 emails weekly). Sorry about the confusing message. I’ll look into it but I’m not sure why that happened.
Can his be made as a gluten free option
Hello Valerie! Yes, it should work well with gf flour. Depending on the particular blend you’re using, there may be a slight difference in texture, but it should still be delicious. Let me know how you get on!
Fantastic! This delicious recipe is now on the menu at our house. It felt like I was taking a chance making this crazy thing..adding flour to the egg mix, but I figured if it works it’ll be worth a try. The quiche stands up very well & is easy to remove from the pan. All I had was a square glass pan but I’m going to buy a quiche pan for this.
Ahh I love that that you felt like you were taking a chance on the recipe, Laurie! Well, phew, glad to hear it worked out well. And of course the biggest compliment is that you’ll make it again. Thank you so much for the feedback – I appreciate it so much! 🙂
Yum, this looks delicious. On my list to make very soon. Courgettes are plentiful at the moment so they will be included.
Cheers for such a quick tasty dish.
Linda
NZ
Hello Linda! It’s a perfect recipe when courgettes are in season. Thank you so much for letting me know and I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Thank you. I made it for tea tonight and it was so yummy that tomorrow’s portion got eaten as well!
So happy to hear this, Linda! That’s what I call a successful dinner! Now what to make for tomorrow… 😉
Delicious was the response when I made one for my nephew and niece!😀
They wanted recipe of course and now have it!
Hello Gillian! Aw, thank you for letting me know! And for sharing the recipe – I love that! Have a great day 🙂
Just made this, soooooooo good! Thank you 😄
Awww.. so happy to hear this early on a Monday morning here in Perth Australia! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know and I hope you have a great week 🙂
Hi Helen,
I found your website by accident and I’m so impressed! Your recipes look so simple, easy, and quick to make. I decided to try something new and made your quiche. I’ve made a few quiches before, but this one is definitely the best. The texture and flavours are amazing! This will definitely be our go-to quiche from now on.
Tonight, I’m going to try your 15-minute chicken and rice dish. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Thanks Helen you have done a superb job with your cooking venture, well done.
Cheers Warren.
Hello Warren! What a lovely compliment – thank you! It’s reassuring to hear that you find the recipes quick and simple (that is always my intention) and I hope that you enjoy many more of them. I really appreciate your feedback 🙂
I, justifiably, raved about your fish pie when I had never before cooked a fish pie. Now I am going to do the same about this crustless quiche! Yet another dish that my family don’t like but again have never chosen to try. I don’t know why these recipes appeal, it must be the food sadist in me to want to try them to prove my family are too fixed in their culinary tastes! Last night I checked and had all the ingredients in my kitchen (these would be in all kitchens I imagine), and I saw how easy and straight forward this recipe would be. Also, the photo looks so appetising it just had to be cooked. I had to use a makeshift baking dish….so what! My “winter” oven is wood-fired, so not exactly reliably even-temperature and no whisk for the batter etc! But hey-ho, here we go. I followed the recipe precisely…well….maybe a slight deviation, I did five eggs, you did say I could if I wanted to and English mustard – let’s you know it’s alive and kicking, and the final dish was A M A Z I N G. I don’t have a very big appetite so had a reasonable sized portion (with F fries, piccolo tomatoes and cucumber) and ate every last crumb. My other two diners had seconds and thirds….
Nothing left for lunch!!! This was a roaring success and I will be making it again very soon. Now I have to scour your site for more recipes they think they don’t like but prove really do! There are so many cooking sites on the internet but I am never tempted to try their offerings……thank goodness yours found me because your recipes are sooooo easy to recreate with such flexibility and laid back manner, I feel confident to try anything.
Hello Margaret! What lovely feedback to read on a Monday morning as I sit here slightly nervously waiting for my dentist’s appointment! I love your slightly wicked approach with your family, and couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s been a couple of my recipes that have converted them. It’s always reassuring to hear that recipes turn out well even with tweaks, too. I do try to make as many of the recipes as possible flexible, and am not really into things having to be very precise (probably why I’m more of a cook than a baker). Thank you once again for your lovely compliments, and for taking the time to review again. Have a wonderful week!
Brilliant recipe. So easy to make. 30 mins in a fan forced oven at 180C and it came out perfect. I’ll be looking at some of your other recipes now for sure:-)
I’m thrilled to hear this, Scott, and I hope you find many more recipes you like the look of. Let me know if you ever have any questions. Thank you and have a great day!
top notch
Very happy to hear this, Victor – thank you!
Hi! Could this be made in a cast iron skillet? Also, why does the recipe call for 2 pans? Is it a recipe for two quiches? Thank you!
Hello! I’m happy you’re going to give the recipe a go! You don’t need two pans – sorry I should change that, it’s just a link to suitable pans if someone doesn’t have one. You need a standard 9.5 ish inch pan. A cast iron pan should work- it might just cook a bit faster because of the metal. Just grease the pan and keep an eye on it. It’s done when the middle is ‘just’ set. Good luck!
Thank you!
You’re so welcome and I hope it turned out well! 🙂
Hello,
Can this be made ahead and kept overnight uncooked and then pop in the oven next day with similar (amazing) results?
Does it affect the ingredients and layering and settling? THank you!
Hello Sammy! While I haven’t tried doing that overnight, I suspect it would be fine. Pouring it in and letting it settle for a short while seems to help with the formation of the ‘crust’ on the bottom. I would probably test it out if possible before serving to guests, but I can’t really see what would ‘go wrong’. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it!
I’m glad I tried it. Used canned milk plus a little water, made it very good. I made 1 1/2 x the recipe, because that filled the pan I wanted to use. No leftovers from the three of us. Maybe next time I’ll use sausage for the ham. Just to change it up. I may use parchment paper too. Had to soak the pans.
Thanks so much for the great feedback, Rhea! I’m very happy that you adapted the recipe to suit you, and that it turned out well. I think sausage would be great! 🙂
Hello! I was wondering if I would be able to make this quiche in a muffin tin, giving individual quiches instead?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Holly! Yes, that would work well! In fact I have a similar recipe on the site. Just follow the recipe, substituting in the ingredients for the original crustless quiche: https://scrummylane.com/veggie-muffin-frittatas/ Essentially though you just need to spray a muffin tin with oil, pour in the mixture and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is ‘just’ set. Yum! I hope they work out well for you!
Very easy and delicious. Thank you.
So happy to hear you liked it, Gwen. Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Best looking, most delicious quiche I have ever made! Thanks.
Used bacon, tomatoes, yellow pepper!
what a huge compliment, Brenda – thank you so much for trying the recipe, and I’m thrilled that you liked it so much 🙂
This was very quickly prepared after a long and busy day! It was delicious, and looked great too – golden and fluffy. I used peas, smoked salmon and caramelised red onion, so changed it a tiny bit as I’m not a big fan of ham. It worked like a charm – I can imagine this recipe is very forgiving of any changes someone might decide to make. Easy to make, and most importantly, very tasty!
Ahh it makes me so happy to hear that this helped you out on a busy day, Peta! I love the sound of the changes you made, and just proves how easily you can make this recipe your own. it’s also nice with a bit of grated (and blotted) zucchini/courgette in it in case you’d like to try that some time too. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Fab recipe Helen thank you, I made it in the air fryer ..,,perfect 👌
Great to hear it worked well in the air fryer, Sheila – thanks so much for letting me know and I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Excellent! I’ve never been a fan of pie crust and found this recipe when searching for a “crustless” quiche recipe. Added baby spinach and shredded potato to the sautéed veggies and drained the extra liquid. Used coconut milk. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Gigi. I’m so happy it worked out well for you using coconut milk! I also love the idea of adding shredded potato. Now I’d like to try that myself. I bet that would be great with gruyere cheese! 😉