Keto Crustless Zucchini Quiche Recipe

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.

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!

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.

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 gratin by my friend Mellissa at I Breathe I’m Hungry.

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!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Kim Hardesty

Ingredients

• 1 pound grated zucchini
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz smoked gouda cheese (or add 1/8 - 1/4 tsp liquid smoke)
• 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp soft butter

Instructions

Preparation

• Place the zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with ½ tsp 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

Spinach and Mushroom – Vegetable Quiche

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Low Carb Spinach Feta Quiche