My low carb quiche recipe with spinach and feta cheese is a creamy, salty, healthy bite to get your day going right. With crumbled feta cheese, beautiful green spinach, and fluffy eggs, this recipe is a delicious low carb breakfast or light lunch option. This is a great recipe for someone with diabetes or someone on low carb diets or keto diet. Plus, you can eat it any time of day!
Prepare it ahead for overnight guests or for lunches throughout the week (my personal favorite way to enjoy low carb quiche recipes). You could also pop it in the oven on a Saturday morning. It’s a good option to have an easy meal or a tasty brunch for the whole family.
Not a big fan of spinach and feta? Check out my Bacon, White Cheddar, and Scallion Quiche!
Why You’ll Love This Low Carb Quiche Recipe
Personally, I enjoy this recipe because it’s delicious. It’s one of my favorite quiche recipes! There’s just something to the salty, creamy bite of feta cheese that does it. And I have two friends who have told me the same thing. One said, “I think I could eat this every day.” But there are other reasons, too:
- This has simple ingredients, it’s low carb and has good protein.
- Once the crust is par baked, it’s super quick and easy to put together.
- It doesn’t cause a spike in my blood sugar, and I will take that every time!
- I will make this early in the week and reheat it for a light lunch for several days while I’m working.
- Because it makes 8 servings, I like to share half with a friend.
Ok, friend. Let’s get started!
1. PAR BAKE THE CRUST FOR THIS Easy QUICHE Recipe
The first step to making this low carb quiche recipe is to partially par bake (or blind bake) the delicious, buttery crust for a bit. This means we will be baking for the crust for a bit before we fill it. (You would fully par bake the crust for a pie like a banana cream or something that doesn’t bake in the oven. But this quiche needs to bake in the oven once it’s filled, so we will only partially par bake it.)
To par bake your crust, you will need to line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with reusable pie weights (or some people use dried beans or rice). This will weigh the crust down to keep it from puffing up as it bakes.
Place the crust in your preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the edges are set.
Then carefully remove the parchment and weights into a large bowl to cool. You will see that the bottom of the shell isn’t quite baked. That’s ok! Just poke fork holes in the bottom of the pie shell to help keep it from bubbling up, and bake for another 5-7 minutes until the bottom is set.
HOMEMADE PIE CRUST OPTION
Do I know how to make a homemade pie crust? Yes. Did I opt to buy a premade pie crust? Yes. Yes, I did. Although a homemade pie crust is fun and delicious, I’m a busy wife, mom, business owner, and blogger. Also, Marie Calendar happens to make a darn good pie crust (in a recyclable pie plate – no dishes!).
Even though it isn’t made of whole grains, because of the combination of protein and fat content in a quiche, my blood sugar doesn’t spike at all when I eat it. My point is this: consider the options and do what you need to do. If you make your own homemade crust, just place it into a pie dish to par bake it first.
2. PREPARE THE LOW CARB QUICHE FILLING
While the crust is baking, take 2-3 minutes to gather the other ingredients. You will need 2.5 oz. fresh spinach, 3 oz. feta cheese crumbles, 1 c. milk, 4 eggs, and salt and pepper.
Once you have your spinach and feta ready, and the crust is almost done in the oven, you can mix together the filling. Crack the 4 large eggs into a large mixing bowl with a spout and give them a whisk to mix completely. After that, add the milk, salt, and black pepper to the mixing bowl and stir well.
3. FILL THE PIE CRUST
Now that the pie crust is done par baking and the filling is ready, we need to pour the filling into the pie shell so it can bake fully. A note of caution: do not overfill your pie crust. The egg mixture will puff a bit while they bake, and you don’t want it to spill over the pie pan. Now carefully add in the spinach and feta crumbles.
Now place it on a 9×13 baking sheet for stability while it bakes in the oven. (Just look at those beautiful colors. Now, this is making me hungry!)
4. BAKING THE LOW CARB QUICHE Recipe
Once the pie crust is full of the quiche filling, carefully slide it back in the oven and bake for cooking time of 45 minutes to an hour. Bake until the center is just almost set; don’t over bake.
If your pie crust is getting too dark while the quiche is still baking, cover it with a pie shield or use some aluminum foil to cover the crust and prevent it from burning. You want it golden brown, not burnt.
Then remove the quiche from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before cutting it into individual slices. Or cool completely to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator to serve later.
CARBS FOR This Low Carb Quiche RECIPE
Although this is a low carb recipe, there are definitely carbs in my spinach and feta low carb quiche recipe. They come mainly from the crust.
With the specific brand of ingredients I used for this recipe, the entire total was 119g of carbs. With this recipe making 8 servings, then that’s only 15g of carbs per serving. (Need help counting carbs for your recipes? Check out my blog post with step-by-step instructions!)
You could always simply forego the crust and bake this in a 8×8 or 9×9 dish for a crustless quiche recipe.
Be sure to work this into your diet how you best manage your diabetes. And be sure to count the total carbs (or net carbs when dealing with fiber) in the specific products you use. Different brands vary in ingredients, so be doubly sure of the nutritional information in what you’re eating.
What Makes this Recipe Diabetic Friendly?
The term “diabetic friendly” is considered differently by different people. We all have unique diets and preferences and ways to manage our diabetes. And although many people with type 2 diabetes may limit carbs and sugar intake for more of a low carb lifestyle, some people with type 1 diabetes will tell you they can eat literally whatever they want as long as they dose for it.
For me, after living with type 1 for 30+ years, I consider something to be diabetic friendly if it is either:
- a recipe that combines fiber, fat, and protein to help stabilize blood sugar levels to avoid a blood sugar spike
- a more diabetes friendly alternative to the ingredients you would normally find in a traditional version of that recipe
This recipe leans toward the first of the two options.
While the fiber is basically non-existent in this recipe, you can certainly add in a whole grain muffin or substitute the pre-made crust for a whole grain one. But, as I said above, this wonderful recipe is low carb enough, and has the protein and fat in it, to not spike my blood sugar.
What to Serve with Recipe
There are several choices when it comes to food to eat with quiche, in addition to a little parmesan cheese sprinkle on top. Also, several of them would add in the fiber this recipe is missing for what I call the “diabetes trifecta” that helps stabilize glucose levels. So here are a few ideas:
- greek yogurt with granola
- a whole grain muffin
- fresh fruit – berries, bananas, and apples all have decent fiber content
VARIATIONS ON RECIPE
There are so many ways to change up a quiche with different ingredients. That’s one of the best things about quiche! I try to stay to 1 1/2 cups of “add ins” in addition to the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Here are a few of my favorite combinations that are all good options:
- ham and swiss cheese (use up that leftover ham from Easter!)
- bacon and cheddar cheese with green onions
- mushrooms and roasted red bell pepper with gruyere cheese
- prosciutto and artichoke with goat cheese quiche
- parmesan and broccoli quiche
- orange bell peppers, red onions, and zucchini (any veggies you like – so colorful) with mozzarella cheese
Several of these options would make for a low-carb quiche.
Looking for more of a creamier custard texture? Using a higher percentage fat milk or heavy whipping cream is a great way to do that. The only thing is that doing so will alter the carb and fat and protein counts. So calculate that accordingly.
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS
The make-ahead instructions for this quiche are just the same as above. Just make sure you let it cool completely before covering with plastic wrap to refrigerate for later.
STORING FOR LATER
This quiche also makes for great leftovers! I like to make it on a Sunday during meal prep time, then reheat it through the next few days. Having lunch already ready is the best thing!
For best results, store covered or in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat for a delicious breakfast or light lunch. It should easily keep for 3-4 days.
And now for the recipe card:
Low Carb Quiche Recipe with Spinach and Feta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie shell unbaked
- 4 eggs
- 1 c. 1% milk
- 2.5 oz. fresh spinach leaves
- 3 oz. feta crumbles
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/8 t. pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Line the empty pie shell with parchment and fill the pie with beads. Par bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pie shell from the oven. Carefully remove the parchment and pie beads. Poke fork holes into the bottom of the pie shell and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes.
- Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl with a spout for easy pouring.
- Add in the spinach and feta, being careful not to overfill.
- Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, until center is almost set.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving, or cool completely to serve later.
Notes
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES TO TRY
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you’ve made this recipe, would you please let me know? I would love to hear from you!
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NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any nutritional information provided should be used as a general guideline and estimate only. For the most accurate information, please calculate based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as any changes you make to the recipe.
PIN FOR LATER
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COUNT CARBS and Nutrition Facts EASILY
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