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? ›

A quiche is a type of custard and can crack if the ratio of egg yolk to cream is not right (try about 2 whites, four yolks and a little less than 400 ml cream). If you are using light cream then that is also a mistake. A quiche can also crack if you cook it too quickly or in too hot an oven.

What can go wrong when making quiche? ›

A quiche is a type of custard and can crack if the ratio of egg yolk to cream is not right (try about 2 whites, four yolks and a little less than 400 ml cream). If you are using light cream then that is also a mistake. A quiche can also crack if you cook it too quickly or in too hot an oven.

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.

Should I prebake crust 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.

Is milk better than heavy cream in quiche? ›

Heavy Cream and Milk – For the best tasting quiche, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. (Or simply use half-and-half.) Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better.

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.

Why is my homemade 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.

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

Quiche Ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy

A standard large egg weighs two ounces and 1/2 cup of dairy (whole milk) is four ounces, therefore a handy 1:2 ratio! You'll need to increase the amount of eggs and milk based on the size of your quiche, so knowing the basic ratio makes it really easy to scale up or down.

What temperature do you cook a large quiche? ›

What temperature should a quiche be cooked at? Quiche cooks best at 375F so that it's hot enough to cook through without burning it. You can also cook it at 350 but after multiple attempts perfecting the recipe I prefer 375.

Can I use 2 percent milk in quiche? ›

The Custard: For your custard to set properly in the oven, use this easy ratio: 1 part dairy to 2 parts eggs. Classic custards use heavy cream, but 2% milk contains a fraction of the saturated fat and is still plenty rich.

What is the formula for quiche? ›

Quiche Ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy

You'll need to increase the amount of eggs and milk based on the size of your quiche, so knowing the basic ratio makes it really easy to scale up or down. For a standard 9-inch quiche: Use 3 large eggs (6 ounces) 1 1/2 cups of whole milk or cream (12 ounces)

How do you not overcook a quiche? ›

If you bake until the center is hard and solid, that's too long. Another approach is to bake your quiche in a bain-marie, or hot-water bath. It provides gentle, uniform heat that won't overcook the eggs. Select a pan big enough to hold your quiche pan.

How to keep quiche from being watery? ›

Instead of using raw vegetables in quiche, the outlet recommends roasting or sautéing vegetables with a high moisture content before adding them to quiche: That way, they'll release the majority of their water before landing in the egg custard and reducing the chances that it will become soggy.

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.

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