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.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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!

THIS POST INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS TO SHARE THE THINGS I LOVE.

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!

Print Pin Rate

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

Why is my zucchini 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.

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.

How many calories in a crustless quiche? ›

With so many people doing Keto, low-carb, or macro tracking diets these days, crustless quiches are king for their protein content (18g per serving) and lack of carbs. Plus, crustless quiche is extremely low calorie at 217 calories per slice.

How do you keep the bottom crust of a quiche from getting soggy? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess.

How do you keep zucchini from getting soggy when roasting? ›

Thick slices

Especially when roasting, zucchini should be sliced into thick, ½ inch slices to ensure they don't get soggy in the oven.

What is the difference between a frittata and a crustless quiche? ›

Crust: A quiche has crust while a frittata does not. Sometimes, quiche is baked without crust. Base Ingredients: While both frittatas and quiches are made with eggs, quiche is made with an egg custard, which also includes cream or milk. Some frittatas are made with egg whites only.

What is a quiche without pastry called? ›

A frittata, sometimes called a crustless quiche, has no crust, and you can bake it directly in a pan or skillet.

Is it safe to eat cooked quiche left out overnight? ›

The USDA says food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. At room temperature, bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick. Reheating something that has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours won't be safe from bacteria.

Is quiche full of carbs? ›

Quiche, with meat (1 piece - 1/8 of 9" pie) contains 16g total carbs, 15.3g net carbs, 22.4g fat, 14g protein, and 325 calories.

How many carbs in a slice of quiche? ›

Quiche (1 piece (1/8 of 9 in. dia)) contains 26.7g total carbs, 26g net carbs, 44g fat, 16.6g protein, and 566 calories.

How many carbs in a quiche with spinach? ›

Quiche, with spinach (1 piece - 1/8 of 9" pie) contains 17.1g total carbs, 15.5g net carbs, 20g fat, 12.5g protein, and 298 calories.

How to keep quiche from being watery? ›

Using fillings that are too wet.

So if you're adding fillings like vegetables, make sure they are as dry as possible. Follow This Tip: Make sure your fillings are as dry as possible. Sauté your mushrooms so that all of their moisture is gone, and squeeze cooked spinach to get as much remaining water out as possible.

How do you keep zucchini from getting watery? ›

The secret to zucchini with the best flavor and texture is roasting it in a 450°F oven. Roasting zucchini at a high temperature instead of baking or sautéing helps develop browning and a slight char on the outside, which keeps it from getting soggy.

Why is my zucchini pie soggy? ›

Mushy veggies are also often the result of overcooking. When the interior is loaded with moisture, you have to cook it for much longer to evaporate all of the water and avoid the interior having the unappealing, spongy, raw texture that eggplant and zucchini are notorious for.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Laurine Ryan

Last Updated:

Views: 6057

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Laurine Ryan

Birthday: 1994-12-23

Address: Suite 751 871 Lissette Throughway, West Kittie, NH 41603

Phone: +2366831109631

Job: Sales Producer

Hobby: Creative writing, Motor sports, Do it yourself, Skateboarding, Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Stand-up comedy

Introduction: My name is Laurine Ryan, I am a adorable, fair, graceful, spotless, gorgeous, homely, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.