These mini quiches are easy to make, incredibly convenient to have on hand as a quick snack or lunch, and simply to die for. With a buttery, flaky (gluten free) pie crust and a delicious selection of 3 fillings – each one better than the other!
After all the flourless chocolate cake, cupcakes and even more cupcakes… we need some savoury deliciousness to balance things out a bit. It’s a funny conundrum, but while I infinitely prefer to create sweet recipes, I will always choose the savoury option when it comes to eating.
Today: gluten free mini quiche, 3 ways. These tiny quiches make the perfect quick snack, can be a delicious addition to your meal prep, and make a lazy Sunday brunch even more special.
Regardless of the occasion, however, these mini quiches with their buttery, flaky pie crust paired with mouthwatering cheesy filling are ALWAYS the correct choice.
One basic recipe, three variations on a common theme. Why choose only one flavour combination, when you can have THREE?! And, even better, these mini quiches are really easy to make. (They certainly tick all the boxes, don’t they?)
While you could choose a variety of different flavours and fillings (the options are pretty much endless), I’ve chosen my three favourite ones:
- mini broccoli quiches
- pancetta & caramelised onion mini quiches (bacon or ham work too – or leave them out for a vegetarian version)
- spinach mini quiches
The common elements in all three mini quiche variations are the gluten free pie crust, grated cheddar cheese and the “custard” (a mix of milk and eggs, with a pinch of pepper for a spicy kick).
This alone should tell you we’re talking serious comfort food here. The fact that they’re gluten free, without being at all obvious about it, makes them even more awesome.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making these fun mini quiches – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
What pastry do you use for quiches?
For most of my pies and tarts, I always use my go-to gluten free pie crust recipe. It’s wonderfully buttery and flaky, and gives mouthwatering results every single time.
The ingredients are simple:
- plain gluten free flour blend (I use one comprising only rice, potato and maize flours, but most shop-bought gluten free flour blends will work well)
- coconut flour for an added crispness
- xanthan gum for added elasticity/flexibility of the pie crust
- pinch of salt
- cold cubed unsalted butter
- an ice-cold water + apple cider vinegar mixture
That’s it! And the preparation method is just as simple – check out the recipe below for all the details.
Of course, if you don’t need these mini quiches to be gluten free, you can easily recreate the recipe using plain wheat flour for the pastry part. And before you ask: yes, you could use a shop-bought pie crust. But… why would you want to, when the homemade version tastes about a bazillion times better, and is a breeze to prepare?
For all three variations of the mini quiche recipe, the pie crust is blind baked in a muffin (or cupcake tin). How cute is that?! And it works a treat.
The easiest way to do this is by rolling out the gluten free pie crust until it’s about 2 – 3 mm thin, cutting out circles with a round cookie cutter, placing them snugly into each muffin tin hole, and trimming away any excess pie dough.
To avoid the mess of trying to fit in tiny pieces of baking/greaseproof paper for blind baking (here comes the genius bit, if I do say so myself): just use cupcake cases, filled with rice! It may sound crazy, but it works every single time and without any problems whatsoever.
How do you make mini broccoli quiches?
Starting with the blind baked mini pastry cups, making the mini broccoli quiches is as easy as:
- Placing a mix of lightly fried broccoli florets and garlic into the pastry cups,
- scattering some grated cheddar cheese on top, and
- pouring the mix of eggs+milk on top until each cup is almost overflowing.
- Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) until puffed up and golden on top.
How do you make pancetta & caramelised onion mini quiches?
For the pancetta and caramelised onion mini quiches, the method is pretty much the same. We start with the blind baked mini pastry cups.
- Place 1/2 to 1 tablespoon each of caramelised onions and lightly fried pancetta pieces into each pastry cup, then
- scatter some grated cheddar cheese on top, and
- pour the mix of eggs+milk over the filling.
- Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) until the top is golden brown and the filling is no longer wobbly.
How do you make spinach mini quiches?
And… you know the drill by now, right? Starting with the blind baked mini pastry cups:
- Place 1/2 to 1 tablespoon each of caramelised onions and cooked spinach into each pastry cup, then
- scatter some grated cheddar cheese on top, and
- pour the mix of eggs+milk on top until each cup is almost overflowing.
- Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) until the filling is slightly puffed up and golden on top.
How long do you cook quiche in muffin tins?
The mini quiches are baked in muffin tins in two stages. Firstly, blind baking the mini pastry cups, and secondly, baking the cups together with the filling.
Blind baking the mini pastry cups is absolutely crucial if you want to end up with mini quiches that have a wonderfully flaky, buttery pie crust with no sogginess in sight. Because, trust me, there are few things quite as sad as a soggy, floppy pie crust.
So: blind baking it is. This, too, is done in two stages.
In the first stage of blind baking, I bake the pastry cups while they’re lined with muffin/cupcake cases (or liners, depending on where you’re from) and filled with rice (you can also use ceramic baking beans, or just some plain old dried beans – but rice is better for these mini quiche pastries).
What’s more, I blind bake them at 390 ºF (200 ºC) for 8 minutes. This (unusually) high temperature ensures that the pie crust doesn’t shrink too much once the baking beans or rice are removed.
In the second stage of blind baking, I remove the muffin cases and the rice/baking beans, reduce the oven temperature to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and bake the pastry cups uncovered for a further 5 minutes. Overkill? Not at all. You see, baking the pastry uncovered creates a “skin” on top of it, which additionally protects it from becoming too soggy.
Follow this method, and I promise you perfect mini quiche pastry every single time.
Now, onto the second stage. Once the pie crust cups are filled with your filling of choice, the grated cheese and “custard” (that it, the mix of eggs and milk), you need to bake the mini quiches for a further 26 to 28 minutes at 355 ºF (180 ºC) until the filling has puffed up slightly and is golden brown on top. That’s it!
What is the ratio of eggs to milk in a quiche?
Browsing the Internet, the question of the ratio of eggs to milk in a quiche filling gives a confusingly wide range of values. After many (delicious) experiments, I’ve found that the ratio of 1/4 cup of milk per 3 eggs gives the best results.
This is actually slightly less milk (per egg) than many others recommend. However, especially with vegetable fillings, such as broccoli, spinach or mushrooms, all of which are likely to release more moisture during baking, I find that this ratio gives the perfect filling consistency: smooth, delicate and neither too wet nor too eggy/rubbery.
Can you make quiche filling the night before?
You can actually prepare all parts of these mini quiches the day before, and then assemble and bake them the next day.
For the pie crust: make it the day before, then keep it in the fridge wrapped in cling film.
For the individual fillings: prepare all components (the lightly fried broccoli florets, the caramelised onions, crispy pancetta, cooked spinach, grated cheese) and keep them in the fridge overnight stored in separate air-tight containers.
For the egg+milk mixture (“the custard”): mix the eggs and milk together the day before, then keep them in the fridge in a closed container.
And then, the next day – just follow the instructions in the recipe below to assemble the most delicious mini quiches!
How long do mini quiches last in the fridge?
The mini quiches keep well in the fridge for 3 – 4 days in an air-tight container.
Can you reheat quiche?
Definitely! Especially if you keep the mini quiches in the fridge, reheating them is recommended. You can easily reheat them in the oven (at 355 ºF/180 ºC for about 10 to 15 minutes) or in the microwave (on the high setting for 1 to 2 minutes).
That’s it, friends! I hope you make and love these mini quiches as much as I do. There’s something incredibly charming about mini… well, just about anything, really. And these mini quiches are not only charming and incredibly cute – they’re also super duper crazy delicious.
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Easy Mini Quiches 3 Ways (Gluten Free)
These mini quiches are easy to make, incredibly convenient to have on hand as a quick snack or lunch, and simply to die for. With a buttery, flaky (gluten free) pie crust and a delicious selection of 3 fillings – each one better than the other!
Print Rate SAVE
Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook/Bake Time 40 minutes mins
Chill Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Servings 12 mini quiches
Author Kat | The Loopy Whisk
Ingredients
For gluten free pie crust:
- 1 cup cold water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) plain gluten free flour blend (I've used a simple store-bought blend of rice, potato and maize flour with no added xanthan gum)
- 3/8 cup (38 g) coconut flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/3 sticks (150 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ~1/2 inch cubes
For "custard":
- 4 medium eggs
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) milk
- pinch of pepper
For broccoli mini quiches:
- 3/4 cup (75 g) broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 - 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 oz (35 g) grated cheddar cheese
For pancetta & caramelised onion mini quiches:
- 4 rashes pancetta, cubed (you can also use bacon or ham)
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 oz (35 g) grated cheddar cheese
For spinach mini quiches:
- 1 1/2 cup fresh or 1/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed (~60 g)
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 oz (35 g) grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
For gluten free pie crust:
In a cup, mix together cold water and apple cider vinegar, and place them into the freezer until needed.
Sift together the gluten free flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum and salt.
Add the butter and toss it in the flour until all butter pieces are covered with it. Using your hands, pinch together the butter pieces and flour until you get a mix of fine pea-sized pieces and larger thumb-sized pieces.
Add the ice cold water-vinegar mixture, 2 tbsp at a time, and mix the pie dough with a fork until it comes together. You will need 10 – 12 tbsp of water.
The dough at the end should be slightly more damp/wet than typical pie crust because gluten free flour tends to absorb more moisture during baking, so we want to counteract that.
Shape the pie dough roughly into a rectangle (if needed, knead it slightly – but don't overwork it!), wrap it into cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
For "custard":
Whisk together the eggs, milk and pepper until hom*ogeneous.
Set aside.
For broccoli mini quiches:
Fry the broccoli florets and garlic in the olive oil until the florets are slightly softened.
Season to taste.
For pancetta & caramelised onion mini quiches:
Fry the cubed pancetta until crispy, then remove from the pan and add the olive oil to the fat released by the pancetta.
Add the finely sliced onions and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the onions until caramelised.
For spinach mini quiches:
If using fresh spinach: wilt the spinach by cooking it with 1 tbsp of olive oil in a covered pan. Season to taste.
If using frozen spinach: cook the thawed (and, if necessary, drained) spinach for a minute or two in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season to taste.
Cook the finely sliced onions, seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper, in 1 tbsp olive oil until caramelised.
For blind baking the mini pastry cups:
Pre-heat the oven to 390 ºF (200 ºC), and get a 12-hole muffin/cupcake tin ready to have on hand.
Roll out the chilled pie dough about 2 mm thick, and cut out circles of with a round cookie cutter at least 3.5 inch (9 cm) in diameter. Re-roll the cut-offs and re-use them. In the end, you should have 12 pie dough circles.
Place each pie dough circle snugly into each muffin tin hole, and trim away any excess pie dough.
Place a cupcake/muffin liner into each pie dough cup, and fill it with rice.
Blind bake at 390 ºF (200 ºC) for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 355 ºF (180 ºC), remove the rice and cupcake/muffin liners, and bake uncovered for a further 5 minutes.
Assembling the mini quiches:
Divide the fillings among the 12 pastry cups (makes 4 broccoli, 4 pancetta & caramelised onions, 4 spinach mini quiches). Sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese on top and pour over the "custard" until each cup is just beforeoverflowing with it.
Bake in the pre-heated oven ay 355 ºF (180 ºC) for 26 to 28 minutes, until the filling is lightly puffed up, no longer wobbly and golden brown on top.
Remove from the muffin tin and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.
Enjoy!
Storage:
The mini quiches keep well in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can easily reheat them in the oven (at 355 ºF/180 ºC for about 10 to 15 minutes) or in the microwave (on the high setting for 1 to 2 minutes).
Tried this recipe?Mention @theloopywhisk or tag #theloopywhisk!
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