Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (2024)

A crustless zucchini quiche is a delicious way to utilize an abundance of summer zucchini. This vegetarian quiche is very low carb so it's perfect for keto diets, too.

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Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (1)

At first, I was leary of using zucchini in a quiche because I thought it might be watery. I was wrong. It's amazing! The rich custard filling, delicate zucchini flavor, herbs, and mellow saltiness from the smoked gouda cheese is winning combination. And, ditching the crust means this recipe is low carb!

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What’s best? Sliced Zucchini or Grated Zucchini for Quiche?

You’ll see zucchini quiche recipes made with sliced zucchini and grated zucchini. After testing this recipe both ways, I found that grated zucchini works much better in this crustless zucchini quiche. Why?

  • Grated zucchini is easy to squeeze dry
  • Grated zucchini is easy to layer
  • Zucchini rounds release a lot of water in the quiche, even when salted and patted dry
  • Zucchini rounds need to be sauteed before adding to the quiche or they don't cook completely
  • Zucchini rounds sink to the bottom of the quiche

The Perfect Quiche Ingredient Ratio

The perfect egg-cream-cheese ratio for a quiche is ¼ cup of cream and 1 ounce of cheese for each egg. Because zucchini contains so much water, it was important to change the ratio for this zucchini quiche custard. Adding an extra egg and a little more cheese while decreasing the amount of heavy cream did the trick!

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (2)

The Perfect Low Carb Crustless Zucchini Quiche

As far as low carb keto quiches go, this is an easy one. But for the best results you must grate the zucchini and remove as much water as you can. Don't worry, it's a piece of cake:

Grate one pound of zucchini and put it into a colander in the sink. Mix salt into the zucchini and let it sit for several minutes (the salt draws water out of the zucchini). Rinse the zucchini well to remove the excess salt. Then, using clean hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the zucchini.

Then, go on to make the quiche but don't forget to layer the ingredients!

Layer Your Quiche Ingredients

Want the best quiche? Do me a favor... Layer. The. Ingredients. Layering the ingredients prevents heavier ingredients from sinking to the bottom and ensures even distribution.

Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese into a quiche dish or a pie plate. Layer roughly one third of the ingredients into the pie plate followed by another layer of cheese. Repeat twice more. Pour the frothy egg mixture over the layers and bake.

To refrigerate, allow your zucchini quiche to cool completely and cover with cling film. Reheat a slice of quiche in the microwave or in the oven. Serve with a green salad or this refreshing sweet bell pepper salad.

Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (3)

Customize your quiche!

I love this zucchini quiche as written, but I did experiment with other seasoning combinations. In one variation I added two teaspoons of my homemade ranch seasoning. While the quiche was delicious and VERY FLAVORFUL, I felt like the zucchini's delicate flavor was lost. However, if you aren’t a huge fan of zucchini, this may be a great option for you!

Here are some ideas for customization:

  • add 2 teaspoons of ranch seasoning or lemon pepper
  • try adding basil or parsley
  • use green onions instead of chives
  • add crumbled bacon or chopped ham for more protein
  • try topping the zucchini quiche with crumbled feta cheese or dollops of ricotta cheese
  • add a flaky low carb pie crust

Other Great Low Carb Keto Vegetarian Quiche Recipes

Low carb vegetarian recipes are sometimes hard to find. Quiche is great because it benefits from the protein contributed from the eggs and cheese. Plus, it looks so nice on a plate. Here are three more great low carb vegetarian recipes.

  1. Crustless Mushroom Quiche
  2. Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
  3. Zucchini gratinby my friend Mellissa at I Breathe I’m Hungry.

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (4)

Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe

This Zucchini quiche promises rich custard filling, delicate zucchini flavor, herbs, and mellow saltiness from smoked gouda cheese - a winning combination!

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Course: Breakfast, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Kim Hardesty

Ingredients

  • 1 pound grated zucchini
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz smoked gouda cheese (or add ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke)
  • 2 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 teaspoon soft butter

Instructions

Preparation

  • Place the zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Thoroughly mix salt into zucchini with your hands. Let sit for 10 minutes. Grate the cheese.

  • Preheat oven to 350 F and set rack to middle position. Butter a 9 - 10 inch pie plate or quiche dish.

Method

  • Rinse the zucchini with running water very thoroughly. With clean hands, squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as you can. Place the zucchini into a medium bowl and mix well with the dried dill and chives.

  • Measure salt, pepper, eggs and heavy cream into a medium bowl and beat until frothy.

  • Layer ¼ of the cheese into the pie plate followed with ⅓ of the zucchini. Alternate layering cheese and zucchini until used up. Gently pour the egg mixture over the quiche.

Bake

  • Bake for 40-50 minutes depending on you oven or until the quiche is browned and just slightly soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before serving.

  • Cover with cling film and refrigerate any leftovers. Reheat in the microwave or oven. Great served with a green salad.

  • Serve warm with a green salad. Serves 6 at 4.1g NET CARBS per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 291mg | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 1.75g

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (5)

Spinach and Mushroom - Vegetable Quiche

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (6)

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with Bacon

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (7)

Low Carb Spinach Feta Quiche

Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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

The answer is, yes you can, which is a relief. You do need some fat in there to help it set, but you can get that from the cheese. Using just milk and eggs as the basis for the filling works perfectly well and I figure you are more likely to have these ingredients in, which is way more helpful.

Is zucchini good for keto friendly? ›

Yes, zucchini is keto. A medium zucchini has about 6 total grams of carbs and 2 of them are fiber. So one whole zucchini has 4 net carbs. Zucchini is very popular on the low carb diet.

How long does crustless quiche last in fridge? ›

TO STORE: Refrigerate quiche in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a pie dish in the oven at 350 degrees F. TO FREEZE: You can freeze a crustless quiche.

Why is my quiche not fluffy? ›

You want to cook your quiche low and slow to keep the light fluffy texture. Too high of heat will cause the egg to curdle.

What is a good substitute for heavy cream in quiche? ›

Use half-and-half as a 1:1 substitute for heavy cream. It can work nearly as well for bringing creamy texture and flavor to sauces, soups and stews, mashed potatoes, quiches, and casseroles. In a pinch, it can even be used for whipping. While you won't get stiff peaks, you can build volume if you work quickly.

What is a substitute for heavy cream in quiche? ›

Milk and cornstarch

To replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream in your recipe, add 2 tablespoons (19 grams) of cornstarch to 1 cup (237 mL) of milk and stir, allowing the mixture to thicken. You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe.

Which vegetable is not allowed in keto? ›

- Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, cassava, artichoke, etc. - Refined Carbs: Bread, pasta, pastries, tortilla, sandwich, etc. Due to the high-carb content of these food items, they are not keto-friendly.

How many carbs a day on keto? ›

The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day—less than the amount found in a medium plain bagel—and can be as low as 20 grams a day. Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein.

Can you eat unlimited vegetables on keto? ›

Eating Vegetables on the Keto Diet

To eat vegetables in a keto diet, limit those that contain a lot of carbs, like potatoes, corn, and peas. 4 Instead, up your intake of non-starchy vegetables.

Why does my crustless quiche fall? ›

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.

Why is my crustless 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.

Why is my crustless quiche flat? ›

Too much liquid - the batter should not be runny so maybe you could reduce the liquid content just a little. Too much sugar in the cake can also sink the cake. In your recipe you use 2 cups of sugar for 2 cups of flour...

How to substitute milk for cream in quiche? ›

Pour melted butter—which is essentially pure milkfat—into whole milk or even half-and-half, so that the mixture has a fat content similar to that of heavy cream. To make this two-ingredient heavy cream substitute, PopSugar recommends mixing ¾ cup of whole milk with ⅓ cup of melted and cooled butter.

Can I use 2% milk instead of heavy cream for quiche? ›

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.

Is it OK to use milk instead of heavy cream? ›

Similarly to half-and-half, milk makes a good heavy cream substitute when it's combined with melted butter. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter for every cup of heavy cream. This mixture is not suitable for whipping. Best for: cooking and baking.

What is the best milk substitute for quiche? ›

Eggs: the base of any quiche is eggs, so we're keeping things traditional there. Almond milk: instead of cream/milk, we're swapping with unsweetened almond milk. I think you could also add a bit of cashew cream if you're wanting to make it a tiny bit richer.

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