How to make Perfect Quiche every time! This quiche recipe features a buttery, flakey crust filled with a silky, creamy custard and your choice of seasonal veggies, herbs and greens. Video.
I could hear my abandoned dreams making a racket in my soul.―
Here’s our “go-to” quiche recipe, a method I learned from Thomas Keller’s cookbook Bouchon Bakery, and it has never failed me! I’ve used it in our catering business through the years, always with rave reviews. Here I’ll share several tips on making the BEST quiche ever.
Let this become a solid starting point for your own delicious creations. Use it as a foundational recipe – then add any fillings you like. The combinations truly abound! Mix and match seasonal veggies like asparagus, broccoli or mushrooms and nutrient-dense greens like spinach, chard or kale, along with fresh herbs and your choice of cheese. You really can have fun here!
We love quiche for brunch, but truth be told, it’s delicious for dinner too. I think of it as a meal-prep recipe for any meal, any time of day! Filled with your choice of veggies, it’s a fun way to use up what you have on hand. I often make this with chopped broccoli and spinach, but in the spring, I’ll use asparagus and spring onions, or in the summer, I’ll add sauteed zucchini, red pepper and corn. Quiche is so versatile once you have the basics down!
What is quiche?
Quiche is a savory pie made with a flaky crust and creamy custard. It typically includes cheese and fillings like spinach, vegetables, and herbs. Quiche can be served any time of day—as breakfast or brunch, or as a light lunch or dinner, served with a hearty green salad.
What is the secret to a good quiche?
- Texture! The custard should be creamy and silky smooth – not eggy, spongy, or overly firm. It should melt in your mouth.
- Pre-bake the pie crust! Pre-baking, also called “blind-baking,” ensures the crust is cooked all the way through (no soggy bottoms!) without overbaking the custard.
- Always cook the veggies or meat first before adding to quiche, to prevent a soggy quiche.
- Don’t overcook it. The custard should still have the tiniest “wobble” in the center when you pull it out of the oven.
Why do you pre-bake the pie crust for quiche?
Prebaking the crust (also called blind baking) ensures the crust will be cooked all the way through without overbaking the delicate custard. Blind baking also prevents the crust from having a soggy bottom, who wants that? 😉
Quiche Recipe Ingredients
Quiche Pie Crust
- Flour- for the best crust, use pastry flour or substitute all-purpose flour, but pastry flour’s texture elevates.
- Cold butter, you can use either salted or unsalted
- Sea Salt- to bring out the flavor of the quiche dough.
The Quiche Custard
- Large Eggs- the star ingredient of quiche, which gives it its body and texture.
- Heavy cream– To add luscious silkiness and prevent overly “eggy” quiche.
- Whole milk- To lighten up the quiche just a bit.
- Seasonings– fresh or ground nutmeg (optional) black pepper and kosher salt- the fresh nutmeg elevates!
Variations and Add-Ins
- Cheese – gruyere, cheddar, goat cheese, feta, mozzarella, swiss, pepper jack (basically any meltable cheese)
- Herbs- basil, tarragon, dill, thyme, oregano, etc.
- Greens- fresh or frozen spinach, wilted chard, cooked bok choy or sauteed kale, fresh chopped arugula, cooked beet greens, etc. Tender greens can be chopped and added raw, while sturdy greens like chard or kale should be wilted and patted dry.
- Cooked Veggies: sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, leeks, sauteed zucchini, roasted or sauteed bell peppers, artichoke hearts, sauteed or roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, cherry tomatoes or tomato confit.
- Meat: crispy bacon or pancetta crumbles
Best Quiche Recipes and Variations
- Spinach Quiche– use wilted spinach (removed excess moisture) and gruyère cheese.
- Broccoli Cheddar Quiche – use cooked chopped broccoli, grated cheddar cheese, green onions, and optional bacon crumbles
- Spring Quiche– Sauteed asparagus, Leeks, Spinach, Goat cheese & Tarragon
- Mushroom Quiche-Sauteed Mushroom, Shallots or Leeks, Gruyere, Spinach, thyme
- Summer quiche -Sauteed zucchini, bell pepper, corn, garlic, onion, oregano and pepper jack
- Quiche Lorraine– Bacon, ham or sausage, parmesan cheese and gruyere cheese.
How to Make a Good Quiche
STEP ONE: Make the Pie Dough. Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add butter cubes; repeatedly pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, with no bits bigger than a pea. It need not be uniform. Continue blending and slowly add water, just until the dough releases from the sides.
Place on a piece of parchment paper, form into a flattened ball, and refrigerate for 3o mins or up to 4 days.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch diameter.
Trim the edges using a knife or pizza cutter and save any excess dough for patching the crust later on if need be. 
Roll the dough around the rolling pin and use it to lift it into the pie dish.
Center it and smooth the bottom.
Fold the edges under themselves to create a smooth edge, and crimp with your fingers.
Preheat the oven to 375F and refrigerate the dough for 20-30 mins.
STEP TWO: Blind Bake the Pie Dough. After the crust has chilled again, place a piece of parchment paper over top and fill it with pie weights or use dried beans (yes, they can still be used in cooking after!). Bake on the middle rack until the edges are beautifully golden, about 15 minutes.
Remove pie weights and parchment, lightly fill any cracks in the pastry crust with the extra pie dough, and pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork every inch or so. Bake another 7-10 minutes, and remove when golden.
STEP THREE: Make the custard. While the crust bakes, blend or whisk eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg and salt in a blender until frothy and smooth.
STEP FOUR: Prep your fillings. Saute or steam fresh veggies you want to add to the quiche. Tip: I rarely add fresh veggies to a quiche because they release a lot of water and make the quiche soggy. Here I’m sauteeing mushrooms and wilting greens over the top.
STEP FIVE: Assemble the quiche. Pour half of the egg mixture and half the cheese to the bottom of the prebaked crust. Top with fillings.
Cover with the other half of the cheese and the remaining custard. Alternatively, you could mix it all together in a bowl and pour it in.
STEP SIX Bake! Bake the pie pan on the middle rack in a 350 F oven (with a baking sheet beneath it on the lower rack) until golden, puffed and the middle has a very slight wobble in the very center when you shake the pan. Be careful not to overbake it (check at 35-40 minutes, and then keep a close watch). Typically this takes 45-55 minutes.If the quiche is getting too dark, before the middle is cooked, lower the temp to 325F , and tent lightly with foil.
Let quiche cool 15 minutes before cutting. Serve quiche warm, chilled, or at room temp.
Storing Homemade Quiche
Quiche can be stored in the refrigerator up to 4 days, covered tightly, for up to 3 months. It can be reheated in a toaster oven or microwave. You can also freeze it before or after baking for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Quiche
- Brunch: Serve with roasted or Smashed potatoes, Fruit salad, Grapefruit, Fennel and Avocado Salad or a Citrus salad
- Lunch or Dinner: serve with a leafy green salad or slaw- Lemony Kale Slaw, Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch Dressing, Classic Caesar Salad, Rainbow Salad, Pear Salad with Vanilla Fig Dressing,
More Brunch Recipes
- Vegetable Frittata Baked in the Oven
- Savory Leek and Kale Galette
- Asparagus Tart with Chives, Tarragon and Gruyere
- 65 Best Breakfast Ideas!
- Mothe’s Day Brunch Ideas!
How to make Perfect Quiche | 60-sec Video
Quiche Recipe
- Prep Time: 150
- Cook Time: 90
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 8
- Category: brunch, eggs, cooking basics.
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Learn the secret to making the perfect quiche every time! This Quiche Recipe features a buttery, flakey crust filled with a silky-smooth, creamy custard and your choice of veggies or greens. Recipe adapted from Thomas Kellar’s Bouchon Bakery Cookbook.
Ingredients
Perfect Crust – 9-inch pie pan (see notes)
- 1 1/4 cups pastry flour – or sub all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter (4 ounces, 8 tablespoons, or 1 stick) cut into 10-12 slices
- 3–4 tablespoons ice water
Perfect Custard– for a 9-inch pie pan (see notes)
- 3 extra-large eggs (or 4 small eggs)
- 1 cup heavy cream (do not sub milk)
- 1 cup whole milk (or substitute heavy cream or half & half)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon if adding bacon)
- 1/8– 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Add-ins:
- 1 cup grated melty cheese: Gruyere cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, jack, swiss, goat cheese or feta (go lighter on the salt) Do not skip the cheese!
- 1–2 tablespoons tender herbs: basil, tarragon, dill (or saute 1 tablespoon herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, oregao with the veggies) all optional.
- 2 cups cooked veggies: sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sauteed leeks, sauteed zucchini, roasted or sauteed bell peppers, artichoke hearts, sauteed or roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, frozen spinach (make sure to thaw and wring out all the excess water using a kitchen towel), fresh spinach, sauteed greens, etc. Do not put raw veggies in the quiche, they will release water and make your quiche soggy.
- Optional meat: 3-4 strips crispy bacon (crumbled) or try crispy pancetta- and remember to reduce salt in the custard.
Instructions
- Make the Pie Dough (allow 2 hours, or make ahead)Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the cubes of butter, pulse repeated until the mixture resembles very coarse sand, with no bits bigger than a pea. It need not be uniform. Continue blending and slowly add water, just until the dough releases from the sides. Place on a piece of parchment- form into a flattened ball. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days (or freeze for later!)
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface, into a 12-inch diameter. Cut off any excess dough and save this for patching the crust if need be. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and use it to lift it into the pie pan. Center it and smooth the bottom. Fold the edges under themselves to create a smooth edge, and crimp with your fingers. (Or alternatively, you could fold the excess dough back over the edge and mold it into a rim around the pie pan, cutting off excess and crimp with a fork) Refrigerate 30 minutes to help prevent shrinkage- and preheat the oven to 375F.
- Blind bake the crust. Place a piece of parchment over the chilled crust and fill with pie weights or use dry beans ( yes, they can still be used in cooking after). Bake on the middle rack until the edges are beautifully golden, about 15 minutes, remove pie weights and parchment, lightly fill any cracks with the extra pie dough, and pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork every inch or so. Bake another 7-10 minutes, and remove when golden. Reduce heat to 350F.
- Make the Custard. While the dough is chilling, make the custard by placing the custard ingredients in a blender and blend until frothy and smooth. Or whisk them really well in a large bowl.
- Prep your fillings. Cook your veggies or other add-ins. Saute or steam veggies, chop spinach, prep any cheese, etc. Do not use raw veggies!
- Assemble. When the crust is golden, pour half of the custard and half of the cheese on the bottom layer. Add your veggies, greens, herbs, then add the other half of the cheese and pour the remaining custard over top. Give the pan a little shake.
- Bake. Place the quiche on the lower rack of a 350F oven and bake 45-60 minutes until puffed and golden with a just slight wobble in the middle. Give it a jiggle. The quiche is best slightly underdone. If your quiche is getting too dark, tent with foil or lower the heat to 325F.
- Cool. Let cool 20 minutes before serving. Quiche can be served warm or chilled, or at room temp.
Notes
Store the Quiche in the fridge for up to 4 days, covered, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Quiche can be made ahead and reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 544.4 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 18.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 12.8 g
- Cholesterol: 176.9 mg
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What would be the measurements for almond milk and dairy free heavy whip substitute? Also using pre-made pie crust.
Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi L.C. 🙂 I have not tested this with plant based milk and dairy free whipped cream- so I am hesitant to guess here. I don’t want to lead you astray! If you try this will you report back on your measurements?
Would it be feasible to add breakfast sausage to a receipt like this without altering the doneness? Pre-cook with veggies and add before baking.
That should be just fine! Yes, pre cook it first. 🙂
I’m excited to try this recipe, but my favorite quiche pan is 11″ and deeper than most. I’ve yet to find success in making enough crust, or enough filling, for the pan. Any exact suggestions to increase the amt of eggs, cream/milk, cheese, and vegetables? Also, crust. I *should* know how to do this, but alas, I need help.
I would just double the recipe and see what fits best. I would be guessing too. Note the result, and you can always freeze any extra dough?
This is the best quiche I have ever eaten, by a very long way!! Thank you so much. I am making a note of it and will ALWAYS cook quiche like this. I followed the recipe to the letter and its a completely different dish to the normal most unexciting quiche.
So happy to hear this Katie! Thanks for circling back around to leave a review!
Do you have to cook the veggies and meat before adding it to the egg mixture?
Yes, Jen it is essential that you cook the veggies first- otherwise they will release thier moisture into the quiche and make it soggy.
Would I be able to add small yellow and red tomatoes, the bite size ones? Would I Sautee them with the spinach??
That should work fine!
Please can you enable people to print recipes WITHOUT the nutritional info? I don’t want to have that on my recipe printouts. Thank you.
Hi Dawn, I can’t figure out how to do this. I don’t think my recipe card program supports this? Sorry.
So good!!!
My husband and I had tried a quiche at a French bakery once and were blown away. I wasn’t aware of the difference between a French style quiche and American style. This is exactly the kind of quiche recipe I was looking for. We will for sure be making this again.
Thanks for another amazing meal and great directions.
Glad this worked out for you Amanda!
I made this delicious quiche for dinner with friends last weekend, and it was a hit. I used sauteed zucchini, leeks, and peppers with Gruyere cheese. I do need a bit of advice on my crust because it does not come together in a flattened ball (before the first refrigeration) as well as yours does in the photos. I am adding no more than 4 TBSP of water and using AP flour. What am I doing wrong? Note: it was still delicious and no soggy bottom!
Hi Carole- glad you enjoyed this and love your combination here! Could it need a little more water? Some flours are “thirstier” than others.
Thank you very much, Sylvia! I was thinking a bit more water too, but hesitated. I will try a bit more next time and let you know.
I’ve made this recipe several times and I’m told every time…. This is the best quiche I have ever had! I’ve made all sorts with a wide variety of ingredients. The most commented feature, the custard. You can’t go wrong! Mangia!!
That is great to hear Jeanette! I love this quiche too- so creamy and not “eggy”!
This truly was a wonderful recipe! I used sautéed mushrooms (button, shiitake, and yellow oyster) and leeks, with comté cheese and thyme/basil/oregano. I realized as I was rolling out the dough that my pan was 10” instead of the 9” written, but thankfully it worked out — just rolled the crust a bit thinner. 🙂 Very creamy custard with these proportions and wonderful flavors; definitely a keeper!
Awesome Karen- and I am so glad you enjoyed the texture of the quiche- very creamy, and not eggy- my favorite!
Fantastic recipe! Used roasted asparagus, sauteed portabellas and scallions, with a blend of havarti and gouda. Served with a side salad and it made a delicious dinner for hubby and I. Easy, delicious, and healthier than take-out! Thank you for this recipe which I can make often with various ingredients!
Awesome to hear Hollie!
Do you think this would freeze well?
Yes, it does Melissa- bake it first then freeze.
Are the measurements for the custard correct? I forgot I had made this a few months and same results each time- a nice golden colour on top and a soup mess in the middle :'(. Im thinking the custard should have 1/2 a cup of each heavy cream and 1/2 a cup whole milk?
Hi Josie, measurements are correct. 🙂 I added some extra notes- sounds like your quiche baked too hot, too quick- sorry about that. I typically bake in a gas oven- so if you are using electric, you may want to lower the temp just slightly. Bake on the lower rack, and tent with foil if the top of quiche gets too dark. You can also bake the quiche at 325F instead of 350F, which will take longer, maybe over an hour or more- but will have more even cooking. This is a classic French quiche batter, like a custard, much less “eggy” than American versions.
Great base recipe. I added sauteed leeks, spinach, bacon, and cheddar cheese.
Perfect Tony!
What a delicious quiche recipe! I chose goat cheese, zucchini, mushrooms, onion as my veggies (with a couple of tablespoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a small handful of chopped black olives). I used basil, marjoram, and oregano as my herbs. YUM!
Sounds delicious Janet!
I have made several of your recipes this past week and all turned out well. This is the best quiche I have ever made. Added mushrooms and spinach- excellent!
Wow, love it!
Hi Sylvia,
I’ve made many of your recipes and they are delicious. This was no exception. I followed the recipe exactly using gruyere, mushrooms, onions and broccoli. It was even better the next day.heated in the microwave.
Is it possible to bake these in a mini cup cake pan and freeze? What would the baking time be? I’m already planning ahead for Thanksgiving. Thank you.
Hi Diane. Are you thinking with the crust? If so, I have done them in muffin tins and they are a bit tricky, but it can be done. Partially bake the crusts in muffin tin ( prick bottom with fork) , at 350F for maybe 5 minutes?? Not too long. Let them cool a bit. Then fill and bake until they puff up, 350F, about 20 minutes. they should freeze great.
Hi Sylvia! I have enjoyed making many of your recipes. For the quiche, do you think I can substitute the 1 C heavy cream and 1 C whole milk for two C half and half? Thank you!
Yes, I think that should be fine!
I made this for brunch at a friend‘s house today and it was absolutely delightful! Everyone loved it! I used a mix of different mushrooms, leeks and Gruyère cheese. So good and hearty.
Until now, I always shied away from homemade pie crust but this recipe made it look so approachable, and it was.
Highly recommend!
Love your combination Elisa! Glad this worked for you!