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Meet your new go-to egg breakfast: freezer-friendly mini quiches with a flaky homemade crust, baked right in a muffin pan. Perfect finger food for brunch, meal prep, and holidays - customize with bacon, spinach, mushrooms, and cheese.
Small but Mighty: Mini Quiches for Parties & Brunches
- They're the ultimate freezer-friendly egg breakfast with a buttery pastry crust and restaurant-quality flavor, but without the fuss of a full-size Quiche Lorraine.
- I bake them in a muffin pan for easy, portable portions that beat any frozen mini quiche-every time.
- Perfect finger food for breakfast, brunch, lunch boxes, and entertaining all year - especially for Christmas morning, New Year's Eve parties, Easter brunch, baby showers, and weekend meal prep.
- If you prefer crustless quiches (aka egg muffins), I've got you: try my Tomato Spinach Feta Egg Muffins and Spinach Bacon Egg Muffins.
- Want a full-size option? See my Egg & Gruyere Cheese Breakfast Tart (with cherry tomatoes), Crustless Sweet Potato & Sausage Frittata, or classic Broccoli Ham Frittata.
You'll Need These Ingredients:
How to Make Mini Quiche Pastry Crust
I really do recommend you make your own shortcrust pastry from scratch. It is so much better than store-bought pie crust and very easy to make yourself. The quickest way is to use a food processor as detailed in the recipe below.
- Pulse flour, salt, and cold cubed butter in a food processor until coarse crumbs (15-20 pulses).
- With motor low, add 2 Tablespoons of ice water; process up to 30 sec, adding more water ½ Tablespoon at a time (about 4 Tablespoons total) just until a ball forms - stop immediately.
- Gather, wrap, flatten into a disc, and chill 1 hour.
Shape the Quiches & Pre-Bake in a Muffin Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF when you're ready to bake and once the pastry crust has chilled in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to 3-4 mm thick.
- Use a 3-inch (8 cm) cutter to stamp rounds and gently press each round into an ungreased 12-cup muffin pan, making sure the dough reaches and goes up the sides.
- Prick the bases with a fork. Bake for 5 minutes; the pastry may puff slightly. Use the back of a spoon to press it back down while still warm. This quick par-bake helps keep the bottoms crisp.
Make the Egg Custard
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper until the mixture looks uniform and slightly frothy.
- Pop it in the fridge while you prepare the fillings so it stays nice and cold.
Prepare the Fillings (Meaty + Veggie Variations)
- Sauté the bacon with olive oil until crisp, then transfer to a plate and chop.
- In the same pan, cook the onion until softened and set it aside.
- Wipe the pan, melt a little butter, sear the mushrooms until deeply browned, stir in the garlic for a minute, then toss in the spinach to wilt.
How to Assemble Mini Quiche
- Sprinkle a little cheese into each pre-baked shell.
- Then divide your fillings - go all-in on one combo or split the batch (e.g., Meaty:bacon + onion + mushroom + spinach + Gruyère; Veggie: mushroom + spinach + Gruyère).
- Pour the egg custard into each cup until it sits just below the rim.
- Bake at 350ºF for about 20 minutes, or until the centers are set and the tops turn lightly golden.
- Let the mini quiches cool in the pan for a few minutes, then lift out, shower with chopped herbs, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Quiche Filling Variations
The fillings are highly customizable. There are endless combinations! You can keep the quiches plain if you like, or add cheese (without any other additions). For 12 mini quiches, aim for about 1½ cups cooked add-ins and 1 cup packed cheese.
- I used Gruyère as it is the traditional cheese used in classic French quiche (like Quiche Lorraine). It has a wonderful nutty, slightly sweet and subtly salty flavor which pairs very well with different fillings.
- Other cheese options: Swiss, Emmental, sharp cheddar, or fontina. You can also keep it simple with cheese-only minis or even plain custard.
- Meaty: Bacon + onion + mushroom + spinach + Gruyère.
- Veggie: Mushroom + spinach + Gruyère.
- Another Classic Veggie Combo: broccoli + cheddar
- Classics: Ham + Swiss;
- Seafood: Smoked salmon + dill (add salmon after baking to keep it fresh).
Expert Tip: Always Precook the Fillings
Ingredients like mushrooms, onions, spinach, or bacon release moisture when cooked. Sauté them first so excess water evaporates; otherwise, it will leak into the custard and make the centers watery.
Can I make quiche crustless?
Absolutely. Spray the muffin pan well, skip the pastry, and divide fillings + custard directly. Bake 14-18 minutes. Or make my Tomato Spinach Feta Egg Muffins and Spinach Bacon Egg Muffins.
My Top 6 FAQ
1) Should I make shortcrust from scratch? Yes - I strongly recommend it. Homemade shortcrust is flakier and more flavorful than store-bought, and it's genuinely easy to make. The fastest way is with a food processor: pulse flour + salt + cold butter until it forms coarse crumbs, then add ice water just until it clumps.
2) How do I make the dough by hand (no processor)? Add flour and salt to a bowl, scatter in cold cubed butter, and rub with fingertips until coarse breadcrumbs form (a few pea-sized butter bits are good-they create flake). Stir in 4 tablespoon ice water with a table knife; add more by the teaspoon only if dry, then press into a ball.
3) What's the #1 rule for flaky pastry? Keep it cold. Cold butter and chilled dough prevent shrinking and slumping. After lining the muffin pan, I chill the tray 10-15 minutes before blind-baking to help the shells hold their shape.
4) How much should I work the dough? As little as possible. Avoid kneading-overworking develops gluten and makes pastry tough. Shape into a flat disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling.
5) How do I prevent soggy bottoms? Par-bake the shells for 5 minutes before filling. If the pastry puffs, gently press it down with the back of a spoon while it's still warm.
6) How much water should I add? Start with 4 Tablespoons of ice-cold water, then add more 1 teaspoon at a time only if the dough is dry or crumbly. Stop as soon as it holds together when pressed.
More Breakfast & Brunch Ideas
- Sweet Potato & Sausage Frittata
- Egg Muffins (with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and feta)
- Puff Pastry Egg Breakfast Tarts (with prosciutto and asparagus)
- Southwestern Breakfast Casserole
- Ham and Broccoli Frittata
- Sausage & Egg Breakfast Casserole (with hash browns, broccoli, and Cheddar)
- Breakfast Egg Muffins (with bacon and spinach)
Mini Quiche (Meaty & Veggie Versions)
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water
For the filling egg base
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Filling options: "bacon, onion, spinach, mushroom and cheese" AND "mushrooms, spinach and cheese" (or both).
- 3 strips bacon
- ½ medium white onion finely sliced
- 1 cup spinach finely chopped, packed
- 1 cup mushrooms finely chopped, densely packed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup grated cheese I used Gruyère packed
- fresh herbs for garnish (we used chives, parsley and thyme)
Instructions
Make the pastry
- In a food processor, add the flour, cubed butter, and salt. Pulse 15-20 times or until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- With the motor running on low, pour in 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water through the tube. Increase the speed to high and process for about 30 seconds. The dough will come together and form a ball around the food processor blade. If it still looks dry after 20 seconds and isn't starting to come together, add more water, a ½ tablespoon at a time. We used 4 tablespoons total. Stop the processor as soon as the ball forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to bring together any stray bits of dough and form into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten into a disc, which will make rolling out easier later. Refrigerate for one hour.
- Meanwhile, make the egg mixture and prepare the fillings.
Make the egg mixture
- Add the eggs, cream, milk, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Whisk until combined. You can put the bowl in the fridge until you need it.
Make the fillings
- Add two teaspoons of oil to a pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan to a plate, cut into small pieces, and set aside.
- Using the same pan, add the finely chopped onion and sautè until soft. Remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl, then set aside.
- Wipe out the pan and add a tablespoon of butter, heat until melted, then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Cook until sautéed, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the chopped spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl, then set aside.
Shape the pastry and pre-bake it
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Once the dough has chilled, lightly dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to 3-4mm in thickness.
- Cut out 8 cm (3-inch) rounds from the dough, then press each round into the holes of the muffin pan. Use a regular 12-cup muffin pan. You don't need to grease the pan. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. After that, the pastry will puff up slightly, so gently press it back down with the back of a spoon.
Fill the pastry
- Sprinkle the cheese over each partially baked crust. Add your chosen fillings. For example, Meaty: Bacon + onion + mushroom + spinach + Gruyère. Or, Veggie: Mushroom + spinach + Gruyère. Or, fill half the muffin cups with meaty mixture and half with veggie mixture.
- Then pour the egg mixture evenly over the top, filling each so the egg mixture is just below the rim of the pastry.
Bake
- Bake in the 350ºF oven for 20 minutes or until the egg mixture looks set and the tops are lightly golden. Let cool for a few minutes before removing the mini quiches from the muffin pan.
- Scatter over the chopped herbs and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Chill your pastry dough well before rolling so the crust stays flaky and doesn't shrink in the oven.
- Precook and cool all fillings so they don't water down the custard or sog out the crust.
- Don't overflow the mini quiche tart shells: Stop pouring the egg mixture just below the pastry rim to prevent overflow and make it easier to remove the quiches from the muffin pan.
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: Mini quiches are best enjoyed warm or at room temperature within 2 hours of baking. After that, any leftovers should be refrigerated.
- Refrigerator: Store cooled quiches in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap. They keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place on a baking tray and warm in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the pastry soggy.
- Freezer: Freeze baked quiches once they have cooled completely. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat directly from frozen at 325°F for 15-18 minutes, until piping hot in the center.
Make-Ahead Tips
Both the pastry dough and blind-baked shells can be prepared ahead of time.- Pastry dough: Wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 1 month.
- Blind-baked shells: Cool completely, then store covered at room temperature for 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month before filling and baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
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