5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Quiche (2024)

Sheela Prakash

Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor

Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.

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updated May 1, 2019

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Quiche fits the bill any time of day, be it breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. You can make it rich and decadent, with the butteriest crust and heaps of cheese, or you can lighten it up and pack it with flavorful veggies. Whichever way you choose, it’s a guaranteed hit. That is, as long as you avoid a few common quiche-making mistakes.

Baking a quiche is really quite simple. In its most basic form, it’s a custard of eggs and milk baked in a pie crust. But for some reason, making one can sometimes trip people up and the results aren’t the smooth, creamy quiche in the buttery, flaky crust that was hoped for. Here are five reasons why this could happen and how to avoid them.

1. Not blind-baking the crust.

If you pour the egg custard into an unbaked crust, the liquid is unfortunately going to seep into the crust, preventing it from crisping up. The simple solution is to blind-bake the crust before adding the custard.

Follow This Tip: Blind-bake the pie crust before pouring in the custard to ensure a crisp, flaky crust. Just fit the crust into your pie pan, line it with parchment, and fill it with pie weights or beans. Then bake it in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until it just starts to brown. Cool before using.

Learn How: How To Blind-Bake a Pie Crust

2. Using too many eggs in the custard.

The best quiche consists of a custard that’s the perfect ratio between eggs and milk. Using too many eggs in the custard results in a quiche that rubbery and too firm when baked, while not using enough will prevent the custard from setting.

Follow This Tip: Remember this ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy. For a standard 9-inch quiche, that means whisking together 3 large eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk to fill the crust.

3. Using fillings that are too wet.

If you followed the ratio above, you already have the perfect amount of liquid to set the custard — add any more to it and it might not set properly. 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.

Get a Recipe: Crustless Quiche with Summer Vegetables

4. Baking it on the top rack.

If you want your pie crust to brown, it’s not going to happen on the top rack. Placing your quiche on the bottom rack will ensure that every square-inch of the crust, including the bottom, will get golden-brown and crisp.

Follow This Tip: Place your quiche on the bottom rack of the oven so that the pie crust bakes up golden-brown and delicious.

Perfect Your Pie Crust: How to Make Flaky Pie Crust

5. Leaving it in the oven too long.

The best quiche jiggles a little when you cut into it — that’s a sign that it’s extra creamy and silky. If you overbake it, you’ll cook the jiggle right out of it. Instead, bake your quiche until the edges are set, but it still wobbles a little in the center.

Follow This Tip: For a perfectly cooked quiche, just slightly underbake it. It’s done when the edges are set, but the center still jiggles a bit. This will take about 30 to 40 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Learn How: How To Make a Foolproof Quiche

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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Quiche (2024)

FAQs

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Quiche? ›

The Kitchn cautions that using too many eggs can make the consistency of the quiche rubbery and tough, while using too few eggs can prevent the custard filling from setting properly, giving you a runny, soggy quiche. The recommended proportion is one egg to one-half cup of cream or milk.

Can you put too many eggs in a quiche? ›

The Kitchn cautions that using too many eggs can make the consistency of the quiche rubbery and tough, while using too few eggs can prevent the custard filling from setting properly, giving you a runny, soggy quiche. The recommended proportion is one egg to one-half cup of cream or milk.

What causes quiche to collapse? ›

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.

What happens if you cook quiche too long? ›

Overcooking it will curdle the eggs. And of course, you know what I'll say next: to prevent this minor tragedy, temp your quiche.

What causes a soggy bottom with quiche? ›

Wet fillings will produce a soggy quiche

These vegetables, while tasty, have a high water content when raw, which will weep into the quiche as it bakes.

Can you put too much cheese in quiche? ›

A Few General Rules for Making Perfect Quiches

2. Never use more than 2 cups of cheese. Too much cheese will make the quiche not set properly.

What is the ratio of eggs to milk in a quiche? ›

The ratio maintains your custard's consistency. A good quiche custard typically features: 1 large egg to 1/2 cups of dairy. The dairy can be any combination of milk and/or half-and-half, for example: 1 large egg : ½ cup milk.

Should crust be prebaked for quiche? ›

And yes, as you'll see, you should always prebake quiche crust to avoid a gummy pastry. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roll out your homemade or purchased refrigerated dough into a 12-inch circle.

What can go wrong when making quiche? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Quiche
  • Not blind-baking the crust. ...
  • Using too many eggs in the custard. ...
  • Using fillings that are too wet. ...
  • Baking it on the top rack. ...
  • Leaving it in the oven too long.
May 1, 2019

How long should quiche rest before cutting? ›

How long should quiche rest before cutting? Remove the quiche from the oven and let the inside continue to cook while the exterior cools to a warm temperature. Waiting about 10-20 minutes before slicing is usually sufficient.

What temperature should quiche be cooked at? ›

Place quiche on baking sheet. Bake uncovered in hot oven until quiche reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 20-25 minutes. Carefully remove from oven.

How can you tell when quiche is done? ›

To check doneness, insert a knife into the centre of the quiche. If it comes out clean it's done! Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Can I eat 2 day old quiche? ›

It really depends on the ingredients. 1–2 days unless it contains things that spoil easily, like seafood. You can make it last longer by putting it in the freezer instead.

How to get the bottom of quiche crispy? ›

Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

But the one surefire way to make certain your pie's crust will be golden brown, crisp, and delicious — just as appealing as its filling — is to prebake it. That's right: bake the bottom crust first, before adding the filling.

Should quiche still be jiggly? ›

Baked quiche should be removed from the oven before the center is completely set. The center will jiggle slightly when cup or dish is gently shaken. Quiche will continue to “cook” after it's removed and center will firm up quickly. Over baked quiche may curdle.

What happens if you add too many eggs? ›

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

Why is the egg filling of my quiche runny? ›

If your quiche appears watery it may just need to set for a little longer. The recipe may also contain too much dairy, so make sure that the recipe you are following has the ratio of 4 eggs to 1 cup dairy. The added ingredients could also contain too much moisture, so it is important to cook or drain additions.

What happens if you put too much egg in pastry? ›

When eggs are balanced with liquids and fats like water, oil, and butter, they ensure that your cake doesn't turn into a soupy mess, but adding too many of them adds too much structure, leaving you with a cake that's rubbery and dense.

What to make when you have too many eggs? ›

Some delicious egg-based meals could include Finnish pancakes, egg casseroles, quiche, egg muffins, or baked French toast. Fancy baked goods that involve quite a few eggs include bread pudding, custard pie, or souffles. Macaroons, meringues, or angel food cake are great options for using up extra egg whites.

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