Crustless Asparagus Quiche

Crustless Asparagus Quiche is quick and easy with a dairy-free egg filling and sautéed asparagus. Pair it with a spring salad and turkey bacon for a delicious spring breakfast or brunch.

*This post was originally published in April 2018. It has been updated with new photos and text including helpful tips for readers and adjustments to the recipe.

This crustless quiche recipe is one of my favourites to make for spring brunches. It’s easy, flavourful and takes full advantage of asparagus season.

This is not your typical quiche recipe. Many quiche recipes call for whole milk, cream or half and half. This creates the classic custardy quiche filling.

To make a quiche dairy-free, I usually substitute nut milk for dairy milk. This time, to give this quiche a creamier texture, I used full fat coconut milk.

I also played around with the egg to milk ratio. Instead of the suggested 1/2 cup of milk for every 1 egg, this quiche is heavy on the eggs with 8 eggs and just 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

While it deviates from tradition, it’s tasty and it works.

Why you’ll love this asparagus quiche recipe

• It has a custardy texture without any dairy.

• It’s crustless, so it’s easier to make and it’s grain-free and gluten-free.

• Recipe substitutions and additions make this quiche easily customizable.

Details on the ingredients

Asparagus – You’ll need just 8 asparagus spears for this quiche. You can leave them whole or cut them in half.

Eggs – This quiche is extra eggy, so I use 8 large eggs.

Coconut milk – This is the key to making a creamy dairy-free quiche. Go for full fat coconut milk that has been stirred well. The quiche will have a hint of coconut flavour, but it’s not overpowering.

Green pepper – For some extra green veggies, I added half a green pepper that has been seeded and chopped.

Fresh parsley – For added greens and a fresh herb flavour.

Green onion – Again, sticking with the green theme, green onion adds a subtle oniony flavour.

Oil – To sauté the asparagus.

Seasonings – Garlic powder, kosher salt and ground black pepper are used to season the egg mixture.

How to make crustless asparagus quiche

Do you need to cook asparagus before putting it into quiche?

Not always. It depends on the other ingredients in the quiche and how long you need to bake it.

For this recipe, I sautéed the asparagus for 5-7 minutes, until it just started to get tender. If you don’t sauté it first, it may be too firm when the quiche is finished baking, and you don’t want to over-bake your quiche just to cook the asparagus.

On the flip side, be careful not to sauté the asparagus for too long, as it may end up a little too soft and mushy in the quiche.

Why is my quiche watery?

• Dairy-free quiches can be a little watery as dairy-free milk such as almond or cashew milk is not as thick as half and half or cream that are often used in custardy quiches. Using coconut milk in this dairy-free quiche will help thicken the quiche and minimize excess liquid.

• You may have added too much milk to the egg mixture. It’s a fine balance between eggs and milk. You need enough eggs for the quiche to set and enough milk to make the quiche a little custardy. Since this is a dairy-free quiche, I’ve changed the balance of eggs and milk, so it’s a bit more eggy than your typical quiche.

• You may have added too many wet ingredients. If you change up this quiche and add wet ingredients such as spinach or mushrooms, the quiche may end up a littler watery. If you want to add these ingredients to your quiche, just sauté them first and drain any excess liquid.

• You didn’t whisk or emulsify the milk/egg mixture enough. Whisking is key, so make sure the milk and eggs are well combined.

• You could be under-baking the quiche so the egg isn’t set, or you could be over-baking it, which causes liquid to be released. To avoid either scenario, just make sure to remove the quiche from the oven just as the eggs are set in the middle.

Recipe variations

• Leave out the green pepper or add another variation of bell pepper.

• Replace the green pepper with cooked green peas. (I’ve tried this and it’s delicious!)

• If you don’t need this quiche to be dairy-free, add cheese such as feta or gruyere. Or add dairy-free cheese.

• Add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesy flavour.

• Add some cooked diced ham or bacon.

• Use different herbs such as fresh oregano or cilantro.

• Add other spices such as onion powder, smoked paprika or ground cumin, or dried herbs such as oregano or basil.

Additional recipe tips

• The full fat coconut milk is thick. Make sure it is at room temperature and has been well stirred. You don’t want little pieces of solidified coconut milk in your quiche. If your milk is not smooth, just pop it in the blender and blend until smooth.

• If you’re not a fan of coconut milk and don’t mind your quiche a little less custardy, swap in almond or cashew milk. The quiche just won’t be as thick or creamy.

• You’ll know the quiche is done when the egg has puffed up around the edges and is set in the middle. The puffed up sides of the quiche will sink a bit when it comes out of the oven, but don’t worry, that’s normal. 

• Always let your quiche rest for a few minutes before cutting into it. This will make it easier to cut into and remove slices.

Other quiche recipes to try

• Butternut Squash Quiche with Spinach and Prosciutto

• Tomato Quiche with Arugula and Mozzarella

• Mediterranean Quiche with Almond Crust

If you make this crustless asparagus quiche, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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