This easy Quiche Florentine is a classic brunch dish that takes very little effort if you use a store-bought crust. The filling is simple: eggs, spinach, shallots, Gruyere cheese, and half-and-half, all baked in a buttery, flaky pie crust.
You can make this quiche ahead of time and keep it refrigerated or frozen for later.
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Quiche is an excellent choice for holiday brunches, casual lunches, or a simple dinner. Using a frozen pie crust makes the recipe quick to assemble. If you prefer a different base, consider a hash brown crust for extra texture.
🤷♀️ What is Quiche Florentine?
Quiche Florentine is a traditional French custard tart made with eggs, spinach, milk or cream, and Gruyere cheese. Some versions include herbs or mustard for added depth. It’s usually baked in a buttery, flaky crust but can also be prepared crustless.
Serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a light dinner.
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. Most items are pantry staples or easy to find.
- Quick prep if you use frozen pastry (not puff pastry).
- Versatile—serve it any time of day.
- Make ahead: refrigerate or freeze for convenience.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
Using store-bought or advance-prepped ingredients can cut hands-on time significantly. If you want exact measurements and full directions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Buttery, flaky crust – make your own or use a frozen pie crust.
- Shallots – mild and sweet when sautéed.
- Fresh spinach – prewashed baby spinach speeds things up.
- Eggs – the base of the custard.
- Gruyere cheese – or another Swiss-style cheese like Emmentaler.
- Half-and-half – substitute heavy cream for a richer texture or mix with whole milk to lighten it.
- Nutmeg – a pinch brightens the custard.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products I use in my kitchen. At no extra cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
The right tools make prep faster and easier. A few useful items include:
- 9-inch pie plate or a tart pan
- Chef’s knife
- Medium skillet
- Colander or clean kitchen towel to drain cooked spinach
- Cheese grater
- Large mixing bowl and a whisk
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below. Here’s a concise overview of the process.
Step 1
Make or prepare the pie crust. If using homemade dough, fit it into your pie plate, line with parchment, add pie weights, and blind-bake for about 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then let the crust cool. Reduce oven heat for baking the quiche.
Step 2
Sauté shallots and spinach. Cook shallots in butter until softened, add spinach and wilt. Drain and press out as much liquid as possible, then spread the spinach evenly in the cooled crust and top with grated cheese.
Step 3
Whisk the custard. Combine eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then pour the mixture over the spinach and cheese.
Step 4
Bake. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the custard is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
👩🍳 Tips for Success
- Cool the crust and the cooked spinach before adding the egg mixture to avoid curdling.
- Squeeze out as much liquid from the spinach as possible to prevent a watery quiche—especially important when using frozen spinach.
- Par-bake the crust until it just begins to set to avoid sogginess.
- Bake the quiche on a sheet pan to catch any spills and protect the crust when removing it from the oven.
- If blind-baking a homemade crust, use parchment paper and pie weights to keep the dough from shrinking.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Buy prewashed baby spinach.
- Use a frozen pie shell or pre-rolled frozen crust.
- Use an immersion blender with a whisk attachment if you prefer not to whisk by hand.
👩🍳 How will I know when the quiche is done?
- The top should be set and feel firm when gently pressed in the center.
- A knife inserted into the center should come out clean of uncooked egg—moisture from the spinach is okay.
🧊 Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: Cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil at 325˚F for about 15 minutes or until warmed through.
- Freeze: Freeze up to one month for best quality (you can freeze up to three months). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, or freeze individual slices in airtight containers. Label with the date.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard for extra savory depth.
- Sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons grated Parmesan on top before baking for a golden finish.
- Swap Gruyere for cheddar if you prefer a sharper cheese flavor.
🏔️ Making This Recipe at High Altitude
At high altitude you may need to extend the bake time by up to 10 minutes. No other adjustments are usually necessary.
🌾 Make it Gluten Free
Use a gluten-free crust or a hash brown potato crust to make the quiche gluten-free.
Classic Quiche Florentine with Fresh Spinach
Print Recipe
15
1 hr
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Buttery Flaky Pie Crust
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
- 5 ounces prewashed baby spinach
- ⅜ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese (about 1 cup)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. If making a homemade pie crust, fit the dough into your pie plate, line with parchment, and fill with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then allow the crust to cool. Reduce the oven to 350˚F.
-
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach in batches if necessary, stirring until it wilts. Transfer the spinach and shallots to a colander and press to remove as much liquid as possible, then spread the mixture evenly in the par-baked crust.
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Grate the Gruyere and sprinkle it over the spinach in the crust.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour the custard over the spinach and cheese. Place the quiche on a baking sheet and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let rest briefly before slicing.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 43.7 g
| Protein: 18.1 g
| Fat: 48.1 g