I perfected my Quiche Lorraine Recipe with a small switch that prevents a soggy bottom and ensures a reliably set custard.
I’ve always loved a Quiche Lorraine Recipe because it looks like a fancy thing but is actually kind of a rebel. This version is creamy quiche lorraine with bacon and grated Gruyere that melts into pockets of salty, nutty goodness.
I dont pretend every piece comes out perfect, sometime the crust slouches a little or the cheese blobs up funny and that just makes it more honest. Try it when you want breakfast or brunch to feel slightly dangerous, without trying too hard.
I promise its one of those dishes you keep making even after you said you’d stop.
Ingredients
- Pie crust: flaky base from flour and butter, mostly carbs and fats, low fibre
- Bacon: salty smoky, adds umami and protein but kinda high in saturated fat and sodium
- Gruyere or Swiss cheese: creamy, rich in calcium and protein, brings nutty savory depth
- Eggs: bind the filling, high quality protein, vitamin D and choline, give custardy texture
- Heavy cream: makes the custard silky, adds fat and calories, little vitamins but luxurious mouthfeel
- Nutmeg: tiny pinch brightens flavors, adds warm aromatic notes, almost no calories
- Butter for crust: optional brush adds shine and extra richness, mostly saturated fat
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 (9-inch) pie crust, store bought or homemade, thawed if frozen
- 6 to 8 slices bacon (about 6 oz / 170 g), chopped
- 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere or good Swiss cheese (about 6 oz / 170 g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk, your call)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted or softened, for brushing the crust (optional)
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Fit the thawed 9 inch pie crust into a pie or tart pan, press the edges, and chill in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes so it wont shrink as it bakes.
2. Line the chilled crust with foil or parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Prick the bottom with a fork, blind bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, remove the weights and foil and bake another 5 to 7 minutes until the crust looks set and not soggy.
3. While crust bakes, cook the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and chop again if needed. If you like extra flavor save 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, otherwise discard.
4. Optional: after blind baking brush the crust interior with the tablespoon of melted or softened butter to help seal and give the edges a nicer golden brown finish.
5. Spread the grated Gruyere or Swiss evenly over the bottom of the prebaked crust, then scatter the cooked bacon on top of the cheese.
6. In a bowl whisk the 3 large eggs with 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk), add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Whisk until mostly smooth but dont overbeat; for an extra silky custard strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
7. Pour the egg and cream mixture into the crust over the cheese and bacon, stop about a few millimeters from the rim because it will puff a little as it bakes.
8. Bake at 375 F for about 30 to 35 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the center is set but still has a tiny jiggle. If the crust edges brown too fast cover them loosely with foil.
9. Let the quiche rest on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so the custard finishes setting. Serve warm or at room temperature, leftovers keep well refrigerated.
Equipment Needed
1. 9-inch pie or tart pan (removable bottom is handy)
2. Pie weights or dried beans plus a sheet of foil or parchment paper for blind baking
3. Mixing bowl and a whisk (or a fork if youre feeling lazy)
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Skillet for cooking the bacon
6. Spatula or tongs and a slotted spoon to drain the bacon
7. Cheese grater for the Gruyere or Swiss
8. Pastry brush and a fork (brush the crust, prick the bottom)
9. Cooling rack and a sharp knife for resting and slicing
FAQ
Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Bacon: use pancetta or prosciutto for the same salty, porky vibe, turkey bacon if you want less fat, or sautéed mushrooms or smoked tofu for a vegetarian switch.
- Gruyere: swap with Emmental, Jarlsberg or a sharp white cheddar, they melt well and give that nutty savory taste.
- Heavy cream: mix 1 cup whole milk with 1/2 cup melted butter to mimic cream, or use 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk; for dairy free try full fat canned coconut milk (it’ll add a slight coconut note).
- Pie crust: try puff pastry for extra flake, a store bought gluten free crust, or just go crustless and bake the filling in a buttered dish.
Pro Tips
1) Bake the pie on a hot baking sheet or pizza stone so the bottom crisps up faster, otherwise the custard can make the crust soggy. Let the sheet heat while the oven preheats, then put the pie on it straight away.
2) Bring the eggs and cream to room temperature before you mix them, whisk gently and then strain the custard through a fine sieve. It sounds fussy but this really makes the filling silky, not full of air bubbles, and it helps avoid a curdled texture.
3) Cook the bacon until it is very crisp and drain it well, but save one tablespoon of the fat for flavor if you like. Don’t pile huge chunks in the center, chop it small and spread it evenly so every slice has bacon and cheese, not a single bacon mountain.
4) Use a thermometer or watch the jiggle not the clock, pull the quiche when the center is about 170 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit or it still has a tiny wobble, then let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. That resting time finishes the custard and makes for cleaner slices when you cut it.

Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipe
I perfected my Quiche Lorraine Recipe with a small switch that prevents a soggy bottom and ensures a reliably set custard.
6
servings
692
kcal
Equipment: 1. 9-inch pie or tart pan (removable bottom is handy)
2. Pie weights or dried beans plus a sheet of foil or parchment paper for blind baking
3. Mixing bowl and a whisk (or a fork if youre feeling lazy)
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Skillet for cooking the bacon
6. Spatula or tongs and a slotted spoon to drain the bacon
7. Cheese grater for the Gruyere or Swiss
8. Pastry brush and a fork (brush the crust, prick the bottom)
9. Cooling rack and a sharp knife for resting and slicing
Ingredients
-
1 (9-inch) pie crust, store bought or homemade, thawed if frozen
-
6 to 8 slices bacon (about 6 oz / 170 g), chopped
-
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere or good Swiss cheese (about 6 oz / 170 g)
-
3 large eggs
-
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk, your call)
-
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoon)
-
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted or softened, for brushing the crust (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Fit the thawed 9 inch pie crust into a pie or tart pan, press the edges, and chill in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes so it wont shrink as it bakes.
- Line the chilled crust with foil or parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Prick the bottom with a fork, blind bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, remove the weights and foil and bake another 5 to 7 minutes until the crust looks set and not soggy.
- While crust bakes, cook the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and chop again if needed. If you like extra flavor save 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, otherwise discard.
- Optional: after blind baking brush the crust interior with the tablespoon of melted or softened butter to help seal and give the edges a nicer golden brown finish.
- Spread the grated Gruyere or Swiss evenly over the bottom of the prebaked crust, then scatter the cooked bacon on top of the cheese.
- In a bowl whisk the 3 large eggs with 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk), add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Whisk until mostly smooth but dont overbeat; for an extra silky custard strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Pour the egg and cream mixture into the crust over the cheese and bacon, stop about a few millimeters from the rim because it will puff a little as it bakes.
- Bake at 375 F for about 30 to 35 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the center is set but still has a tiny jiggle. If the crust edges brown too fast cover them loosely with foil.
- Let the quiche rest on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so the custard finishes setting. Serve warm or at room temperature, leftovers keep well refrigerated.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 182g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 692kcal
- Fat: 58.3g
- Saturated Fat: 29.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.25g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.7g
- Monounsaturated: 13.3g
- Cholesterol: 213mg
- Sodium: 575mg
- Potassium: 205mg
- Carbohydrates: 19.9g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Sugar: 3g
- Protein: 20.3g
- Vitamin A: 417IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 306mg
- Iron: 1mg