Easy asparagus crustless quiche made in under an hour that can be gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free! Whip this up for an effortless brunch or easy weekday breakfast. Leftovers keep wonderfully to enjoy throughout the week.
I love a classic quiche with veggie-laden custard encased in a flaky, golden GF pie crust (or paleo pie crust). But for mornings (or afternoons, or evenings) when I need a main dish in under an hour, I turn to my favorite crustless quiche formula.
Crustless Quiche Vs. Frittata
What's the difference between crustless quiche and frittata, you ask? Well frittata is made from beaten eggs plus goodies cooked on the stove or baked. But quiche adds milk and/or cream for a more tender, custardy filling.
While most crustless quiche recipes are just frittata in disguise, this recipe uses a more custardy ratio of dairy to eggs. A little flour absorbs moisture and the result is somewhere between luscious quiche filling and a puffy oven pancake. It's divine, and simply satisfying.
I learned this formula several years ago from a friend and shared a springy potato green garlic version. Today I'm sharing this simple asparagus crustless quiche made with lots of gooey, melty cheese and made grain-free with cassava flour.
This quiche is casual enough for a lazy Sunday brunch, but tasty enough to serve guests for a light but substantial supper. The delicate custard creates an elegant foil for grassy asparagus and nutty gruyere cheese. See below for pairing suggestions!
Ingredients and Substitution Suggestions
- Eggs form the base of this crustless quiche. If you can use pastured eggs, you'll be rewarded with especially bright & flavorful egg yolks!
- Milk and cream add moisture and richness. For dairy-free crustless quiche, use full-fat coconut milk – it works beautifully and doesn't taste like coconut!
- Flour absorbs excess moisture. I've used grain-free cassava and arrowroot flours here, but any all-purpose flour (wheat, GF, or Paleo) should work. I've also used a mix of sweet rice and GF oat flour. It's a forgiving recipe, so feel free to experiment with your preferred flours!
- Asparagus cooked briefly in butter adds its delightfully grassy flavor, but you can use pretty much any seasonal vegetable such as broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, or greens. See the notes section below the recipe for more ideas!
- Cheese adds umami flavor and melty goodness. I used gruyere here, which has a lovely nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with asparagus. But any mild melting cheese will work, such as gouda or Swiss. Fresh goat cheese is another favorite option!
- Chives add oniony goodness. Green onions work well too. Or use sautéed leek or shallot.
- Salt and pepper sharpen the flavors.
How to Make Crustless Quiche
Prep the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends (they'll break naturally at a good spot). Slice off the top 2 inches of the tips and leave them whole, then slice the stalks into half-inch thick slices. Lightly sauté the asparagus in butter.
Whisk together the cassava flour, arrowroot starch, salt and pepper. Add two of the eggs and whisk smooth. This prevents the flour from clumping.
Add the remaining four eggs, two at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Whisk in the milk, cream, and chives.
Spread the asparagus pieces in the pan and top with some of the cheese.
Pour in the custard.
Top with the asparagus tips.
Bake the quiche until puffed and golden. Let cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Allergy-Friendly Variations
Gluten-Free Crustless Quiche
If grains aren't an issue, use sweet rice and GF oat flour (see recipe notes for the amounts) or a good all-purpose GF flour such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.
Grain-Free Crustless Quiche
Make the recipe as written with cassava and arrowroot flours.
Dairy-Free Crustless Quiche
To ditch the dairy, simply swap the milk and cream for full-fat coconut milk. Use olive oil instead of butter for cooking the asparagus. Omit the cheese or use a good vegan cheese. I'm a fan of Miyoko's vegan mozzarella with their chive or sun-dried tomato soft cheese wheels.
Paleo Crustless Quiche
Make the above subs, and use cassava and arrowroot flours.
What to Serve with Quiche?
Quiche needs nothing more than a simple green salad tossed with dijon vinaigrette and a glass of white wine or bubbles to make it a meal. But here are a few favorite brunch-friendly pairings:
- Sparkling Grapefruit Elderflower Cocktails
- Green Goddess Potato Salad
- Cucumber Quinoa Salad with Feta & Herbs
- Spring Greens Salad with Miso Buttermilk Dressing
- Roasted Potatoes and Parsnips
- My favorite basil pesto
However you serve up this crustless asparagus quiche, I hope it becomes a brunch staple in your home like it has in ours!
More Favorite Quiche Recipes
- Crustless Skillet Quiche with Zucchini, Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
- Mushroom Asparagus Quiche
- Bacon, Leek and Fennel Quiche
- GF Crustless Quiche with Potatoes and Spring Onions
- Asparagus Quiche with Polenta Crust
More Gluten-Free Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
- Almond Flour Crepes (Paleo)
- Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes (DF & vegan options)
- Spiced Zucchini Fritters (grain-free)
- Almond Flour Pancakes with Citrus and Poppy Seeds (GF, paleo)
- Savory Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
- Gluten-Free Dutch Baby
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this asparagus crustless quiche recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Asparagus Crustless Quiche (gluten-free & grain-free)
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, plus a little for the pan
- 1 bunch asparagus (12-16 ounces)
- ¼ cup (33 g) cassava flour*
- 3 tablespoons (21 g) arrowroot starch*
- ½ teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
- black pepper
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk (or full-fat canned coconut milk)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (or full-fat canned coconut milk)
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion greens
- 4 ounces (1 cup lightly packed) gruyère or other favorite cheese*
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Rub a 9 or 10-inch round baking pan with softened butter.
- Snap the ends off of the asparagus. Cut the stalks into half-inch pieces on diagonal, leaving the asparagus tips intact.
- In a wide skillet, melt ½ tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the small asparagus pieces plus a big pinch salt. Cook, stirring, until bright green and crisp tender. Remove from pan.
- Add the remaining butter and asparagus tips & cook for one minute.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, arrowroot starch, salt and pepper. Add two of the eggs and whisk smooth. Add the remaining four eggs, two at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the milk, cream, and chives.
- Spread the small pieces of asparagus in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle most of the cheese over the asparagus pieces. Pour the quiche batter over the asparagus and arrange the asparagus tips on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake the quiche until puffed and golden, 40-45 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- sautéed mushrooms
- sautéed leeks or spring onions
- cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
- sautéed zucchini
- lightly steamed broccoli
- wilted spinach or other greens
- other herbs such as tarragon, basil, thyme, etc.
- sweet corn
- roasted winter squash
- parboiled potato slices
- bacon, sausage, or pancetta for omnivores
rtgarden2019 says
mmm so basic and yet so nice.
asmallfryup says
yum! i am usually not a fan of quichey things - but that sounds AMAZING!!!
Barbara says
I made this today for Sunday brunch! Then ate it for dinner. Scrumptious indeed.
Monisha says
Loved this dish. These proportions were perfect for the two of us, with leftovers! I must say, it tasted even better 2 days later. Loved how it reheated. Many thanks.
Alanna says
Thanks, all you guys! So glad y'all are enjoying this recipe. :)
kaprise.com says
I baking this right now with cheddar cheese and fennel!!! Such a lovely idea!!
:)
Alanna says
Ooh! That sounds delicious! Bon appetit. :)
Leigh says
This looks and sounds luscious! As for dairy free do you have any suggestions as a substitute for eggs that you may have tried?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
That's a great question! Eggs are tricky to substitute. But here's a version that uses tofu! You could also try use Just Egg. Let me know what you try!
AMANDA PAA says
Made this for Mother’s Day, everyone loved it!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw thanks for trying my recipe Panda! I'm so glad it was a hit. Looked like an epic feast!!