The Only Basic Quiche Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

Make our basic quiche recipe, then memorize the formula and customize it with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Here are the key elements:

The Crust: The traditional quiche crust recipe—flour, butter, salt and cold water—is a bit high in saturated fat for our standards. For a healthier crust that captures the simplicity of the original recipe, Wholly Wholesome Organic Pie Dough (find it at Whole Foods) is, hands down, our top pick. No wonky ingredients, just flaky, buttery goodness. Try the whole-wheat version, which has over 2g of fiber per serving. For gluten-free crust, try making a sweet potato crust.

The Custard: For your custard to set properly in the oven, use this easy ratio: 1 part dairy to 2 parts eggs. Classic custards use heavy cream, but 2% milk contains a fraction of the saturated fat and is still plenty rich. Flavor your custard with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and fresh herbs such as chives, oregano, parsley or tarragon.

The Filling: For a 9-inch quiche crust, you'll need about 1 ½ cups total of pre-cooked veggies, plus a little cheese. Meat is optional, but a small amount of bacon or ham gives a big flavor boost. For veggies, we love sliced mushrooms, broccoli or cauliflower florets, cubed sweet potatoes, diced bell peppers or sliced cherry tomatoes. Choose a lower-fat cheese such as Parmesan cheese, goat cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella or ricotta.

The Only Basic Quiche Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for quiche? ›

Quiche Ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy

You'll need to increase the amount of eggs and milk based on the size of your quiche, so knowing the basic ratio makes it really easy to scale up or down. For a standard 9-inch quiche: Use 3 large eggs (6 ounces) 1 1/2 cups of whole milk or cream (12 ounces)

What not to put in quiche? ›

Avoid Fillings That Are Too Wet

And if you're using an ingredient such as sautéed spinach, be sure to squeeze the liquid out before adding it to your quiche.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream in quiche? ›

Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better. Eggs – Use 4 eggs per 1 cup of milk. Some quiche recipes throw in an extra egg yolk or two, but I don't find it necessary with the ratio of ingredients in my recipe.

Do you have to bake crust before quiche? ›

You need a par-baked or fully baked crust if you're making quiche, no-bake pie, custard pie, cream pie, pudding pie, or simply want an extra-crisp pie crust. If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust.

How much milk per egg for scrambled eggs? ›

Adding milk or plain water to scrambled eggs is an optional step that affects the texture of your finished dish. For creamy scrambled eggs, you'll add up to 1 tablespoon of milk for every egg. For fluffy scrambled eggs, you'll add up to 1 tablespoon of water for every egg.

Can you put too many eggs in a quiche? ›

Using too many eggs in the custard results in a quiche that rubbery and too firm when baked, while not using enough will prevent the custard from setting. Follow This Tip: Remember this ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy.

What makes quiche unhealthy? ›

Is quiche healthy? Quiche is bad news when it comes to a healthy diet. It's usually made with cheese and cream in the filling as well as butter in the pastry case, so it's often high in saturated fat and calories. Ingredients like bacon will add salt and more saturated fat.

Is heavy whipping cream the same as heavy cream? ›

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.

Why is my homemade quiche watery? ›

If your quiche appears too watery to serve it could be because it was overbaked or underbaked, the egg to dairy ratio was not correct, the ingredients have too much liquid or it was baked on the wrong rack in the oven.

What can I substitute for half and half in quiche? ›

For baking, sour cream or yogurt are easy 1:1 substitutes for half-and-half, though both are tangier.

Do you poke holes in pie crust for quiche? ›

Poking holes allows steam to escape

The reason for this, as The Spruce Eats explains, is that unless you create a place for the steam to escape, it'll get trapped within the dough. As a result, the crust will puff up and cause your pie to warp from the bottom.

Why does my quiche sink when I take it out of the oven? ›

Excess moisture is one reason why quiches collapse in a watery pool on your plate. Vegetables and meats like ham give off tremendous amounts of water when they're cooked. Therefore, if you're using vegetables in your quiche, it's imperative that you cook them first.

How do you keep cheese from sinking in a quiche? ›

Another tip is to run a chopstick around the quiche so the solid ingredients in the filling don't all sink to the bottom. "For us the aim is to get the outside golden and the inside just set like scrambled eggs," he says.

What is quiche filling made of? ›

Quiche is a savory custard that's made with a combination of eggs and cream or milk. It's typically baked in a pie crust and can be made with a variety of different fillings ranging from meats, vegetables, cheeses, and seafood. Quiches are perfect for serving as any meal- breakfast, lunch or dinner.

What is a quiche base made of? ›

Quiche crusts are made with shortcrust pastry. The name “shortcrust” refers to the baking term “short” which means pastries that are flaky and crumble when you cut into them.

What is the function of milk in quiche? ›

The right ratio of milk to eggs allows the protein in the eggs to coagulate and set up a firm structure for the quiche.

What do eggs do in quiche? ›

In creme caramel and quiche, egg proteins unwind, then bond to form a mesh that traps milk or cream in a soft gel. And in a stirred custard or creme anglaise, eggs thicken just as effectively, but at lower temperatures than flour or cornstarch. Lecithin and the other emulsifiers in egg yolks come in handy too.

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