Flaky almond flour crust, silky egg custard, bacon, and gruyere. This keto quiche comes in at 3.1g net carbs and 16.5g protein per slice. It's on my table for every holiday brunch and most Sunday mornings in between.
I started making this for Mother's Day brunch years ago and it became the recipe I reach for every time I need to feed a crowd without spending my whole morning in the kitchen. The crust is the reason it works so well. I use almond flour with a small amount of coconut flour and xanthan gum, and that combination is what keeps slices intact in the fridge for five days straight. Readers keep telling me the crust doesn't go soggy when they microwave leftovers, and I can confirm: the xanthan gum is doing the work there.
The filling is a custard made from whole eggs, extra yolks, and a mix of nut milk and heavy cream. I tested this with all heavy cream first and it was rich but dense. Cutting it with nut milk gives you the same silky texture without the calorie overload, and the custard still sets up perfectly. That's a deliberate formula I landed on after multiple batches, not a random swap.
I load mine with bacon and gruyere because that's what my family wants on repeat, but this recipe handles whatever filling you add. Sausage, spinach, mushrooms, smoked salmon. I brought a smoked salmon and chive version to a bridal shower once and people still bring it up. The custard ratio is forgiving. I've gone heavy on the fillings and it still sets. The gruyere gets golden and bubbly on top, which is half the reason I keep coming back to it.
If you don't want a crust at all, you're making a frittata, and that's a fine option. But the crust is what makes this feel like a real brunch centerpiece. Bridal showers, Easter, Christmas morning, potlucks. I bring this one every time. It works hot or cold, slices clean after cooling for 10 minutes, and it holds together on a paper plate at a backyard party. I know because I've tested that more times than I can count. One reader told me she has "murdered every crust" she's ever attempted, and even she pulled this off on her first try.
For keto meal prep, this is one of my most reliable recipes. I bake it on Sunday and pull slices out every morning through Thursday. Pair it with a breakfast bowl, almond flour pancakes, or breakfast quesadillas if you want to mix up your mornings. The almond flour crust actually improves in the fridge. I don't say that about most baked things, but this one gets slightly crispier edges after a day or two.
Crust or crustless: how to decide
If you skip the crust, what you’re making is essentially a frittata. I’ve done both, and the crust version wins every time for texture and presentation. But crustless is faster and cuts the carbs even further.
To go crustless, grease a tart pan or pie plate and line the bottom with parchment paper. Layer your cooked bacon and cheese on the bottom, pour in the egg mixture, and bake for 20-30 minutes until set. The parchment makes it easy to lift out clean slices. A springform pan works well too.
I reach for the crustless version when I’m feeding a bigger crowd and already have a lot going on, like a full keto brunch spread. If it’s the star of the table, I make the crust. For a breakfast casserole style morning where everything is laid out, crustless is simpler and just as good.
Variations I've actually made
I’ve run through a lot of filling combinations with this recipe. Bacon and gruyere is my default, but here’s what else has worked. Crumbled sausage with pepper jack. Diced ham and Swiss. Smoked salmon with cream cheese and chives (this one is my favorite for guests). Spinach and mushroom with fontina.
The custard ratio handles any combination. I’ve loaded it with enough filling that it barely fit in the pan and it still set up. The key is cooking your meats and sauteing any vegetables first so they don’t release water into the custard.
For the cheese, gruyere is classic Lorraine but not mandatory. Goat cheese gives it a tangier flavor. Pepper jack adds heat. I’ve even used mozzarella when that’s all I had, and it still tasted good. The custard carries the flavor, so the cheese is more about what you’re in the mood for.
How to store and reheat
This is one of my best low carb meal prep recipes. I bake it on Sunday and eat slices through Thursday or Friday. It keeps in the fridge for 5 days, and the almond flour crust stays firm the entire time. No sogginess, no falling apart.
To reheat, I usually go with the microwave for 60-90 seconds. The crust holds up. If you want crispier edges, pop it in the oven at 325 for about 10 minutes. I eat it cold sometimes too, straight from the fridge. The custard is good at any temperature.
For freezing, I wrap the whole thing tightly (unbaked works better than baked for texture) and it lasts up to 3 months. Cook from frozen at 350 for 40-50 minutes. I always make two when I know I’m going to freeze one.
How to make this quiche
Make the almond flour pastry crust in a food processor. Pulse just until the dough comes together. (Check below for my crustless version if you want to skip this step.)
Bake the crust at 350 for 8-9 minutes.
Cook your bacon or sausage.
Layer the meat and cheese into the baked crust.
Whisk eggs, egg yolks, nut milk, and cream.
Pour over the filling and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Key ingredients
Eggs and extra yolks: The whole eggs give structure and the extra yolks are what make this custard velvety. I tried it without the extra yolks once and the texture was noticeably less smooth.
Bacon or sausage: Bacon makes it a classic Lorraine. I've also done crumbled sausage, diced ham, and smoked salmon. The custard ratio handles any protein you add.
Cheese: Gruyere is my go-to for this recipe. Sharp cheddar is tangier (a reader asked and I've since tested it). Pepper jack, fontina, and colby jack all set up the same way.
Nut milk and heavy cream: I use both. All heavy cream makes the custard rich but dense. The combination hits the same silky texture with less calorie load.
Vegetables: Spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper, onion. I sauté them first so they don't release water into the custard during baking.
To a food processor, add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum and salt. Pulse until combined. Add cold, cubed butter, cream cheese, egg and rice vinegar. Pulse until dough comes together. Don’t over mix or crust will not be flaky.
For this step
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Xanthan gum
Salt
Butter (chilled and cubed)
Cream cheese (softened)
Egg
Vinegar
2
Roll pastry crust
Roll pastry crust in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll to a 1/8-1/4 inch thickness and to circle about 1-2 inches larger than your quiche dish, tart pan or pie plate. Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Place quiche pan upside down on top of the center of the crust. Slide a hand underneath the crust and flip over so that the crust falls into the dish. Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Mold crust into place. Cut off excess dough.
3
Bake pastry crust
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Remove and let cool.
4
Add bacon and cheese
To the prepared pastry crust, sprinkle in cooked and crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Set aside.
For this step
Bacon (cooked & crumbled)
Gruyere cheese (shredded)
5
Make custard filling
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks using an electric mixer. Pour in nut milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Pour into crust.
For this step
Eggs
Egg yolks
Nut milk (macadamia, almond, coconut)
Heavy Cream
Salt & pepper
6
Bake quiche
Bake quiche at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 slice
Calories
508
Fat
46.3g
Protein
16.5g
Total carbs
6.1g
Net carbs
3.1g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute coconut flour for almond flour in the crust?
I haven't done a full swap, but based on how coconut flour behaves in my other recipes, I'd start with about 1/3 cup coconut flour in place of the 1 cup almond flour (keep the 3 tablespoons coconut flour already in the recipe). Coconut flour absorbs way more liquid, so add a splash of water if the dough won't come together. If you have a tree nut allergy, I'd try the crustless version first because that's a guaranteed win.
What size quiche dish or tart pan should I use?
I use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. A standard 9-inch pie plate works too. I've made this in a 10-inch dish and the custard layer was thinner but still set perfectly. Deeper pans will need a few extra minutes of bake time.
Can I make this in a muffin tin for mini quiches?
I've done this for parties and it works well. Press small rounds of the crust dough into each cup of a greased muffin tin (you'll get about 12). Par-bake for 5-6 minutes at 350, then fill with the custard and your toppings. Bake 15-18 minutes total. They come out clean if you grease the tin well. My mini frittatas use the same concept without the crust.
I live at high altitude. Do I need to adjust the bake time?
Yes. I've walked a few readers through this one. At 3,600 feet, bump the oven up 25 degrees and watch the center closely. Pull the quiche when the edges are set but the center still looks slightly underdone. It finishes setting as it cools on the counter. If it looks fully done in the oven, it's already overbaked.
What cheese works best if I don't have gruyere?
I've tested sharp cheddar, pepper jack, fontina, and mozzarella in this recipe. They all work. The custard sets from the eggs and cream, not the cheese, so the swap won't affect the texture. Sharp cheddar gives a tangier bite that goes well with bacon. Pepper jack adds heat. Fontina is nuttier and closest to gruyere if that's the flavor profile you want.
How many carbs are in a slice?
This recipe comes in at about 3 net carbs per slice with the almond flour crust. Without the crust, it drops to about 1 net carb. I've been eating this on keto since 2018 and it fits easily into my daily macros. The filling is mostly eggs, cream, cheese, and bacon.
What is quiche Lorraine?
Quiche Lorraine is the classic French version: pastry crust, egg custard, and bacon. Some recipes add caramelized onion or a pinch of nutmeg. My recipe is basically a Lorraine with gruyere added. I keep the custard simple and let the bacon and cheese carry the flavor.
Do I have to blind bake the crust first?
I always do. The crust needs that initial 8-9 minutes in the oven on its own to get flaky. If you skip it, the bottom stays soft and doughy under all that custard. I've tried it both ways and the difference is obvious. Blind bake, every time.
Not gonna lie, I almost bailed halfway through the ingredient list. Cream cheese in a pastry crust sounded like something I was definitely going to ruin, and six weeks into keto baking I genuinely couldn’t tell a clever trick from a trap. I followed the food processor steps exactly, rolled the dough between two sheets of parchment, and when the crust held together during the blind bake I actually stopped and just stared. Then the custard. I was bracing for dense and eggy and it came out silky instead, and I ate it straight off the spatula while it cooled because I couldn’t not. First thing I’ve made in six weeks where I didn’t apologize while handing it over. One question: can the crust be blind-baked a day ahead and kept wrapped, or does almond flour go soft overnight?
Regular quiche, sure. Almond flour crust? Total first for me, and it’s going straight to Sunday brunch. Does the dough actually hold together off the parchment or does it fall apart?
Hi Natalie, it holds together. The xanthan gum and cream cheese keep it from crumbling, so I roll mine between two parchment sheets, peel the top one off, and flip it into the tart pan. If a crack opens up, press it shut with your fingers before the blind bake.
There was a French cafe near my old apartment that sold quiche by the slice, and I figured quiche was just gone once I went keto. The custard is actually good, silky, set right, gruyere through the whole thing. My one gripe: the bacon. Way too modest and it disappears into the filling. Doubled it the second time and the salt finally came through the way it should, slice to slice. Crust held, which is the real test with almond flour. Glad this recipe exists.
Thanks Mei! You had it right to double the bacon. I go heavier on it myself when the quiche is the whole meal, and the salt does carry better that way. Glad the crust held for you.
Anyone else finding the crust edges brown faster than the center sets? After five or six batches, tenting the outer edge with foil around the 25-minute mark is the fix. Also, thick-cut bacon needs two rounds of blotting before it goes in. I had a greasy ring at the crust line on my second batch from bacon that looked drained but wasn’t. The custard is the thing, though. Real structure and clean flavor. Doesn’t turn rubbery at the edges. The two-hour rest before slicing is not optional. Rushed it once and the whole thing fell apart on the knife.
Most keto quiches drown in cheese and the custard never sets clean. I got this ratio dialed in on the third test batch, and the difference was obvious.
Pre-shredded gruyere has an anti-caking coating that stops it melting clean into the custard. Grate it off the block and the texture is completely different. Worth the extra two minutes.
I have made regular quiche plenty of times but had never tried a keto crust, and the xanthan gum in the ingredient list gave me pause. Rolling it between parchment sheets helped the dough come together cleanly, and the gruyere and bacon filling is genuinely good. Do you think Swiss would hold up the same way if I can’t find gruyere near me?
Swiss works fine. Same flavor family as gruyere, a touch milder but the custard doesn’t care what cheese you use. Sets from the eggs and cream regardless.
Subbed fontina for the gruyere (store was out) and the custard came out SO much silkier than I expected. Like, genuinely different. Not sure I’m going back.
Fontina melts way creamier. I’ve made it with both and fontina basically dissolves into the custard where gruyere holds more texture. Different quiche.
I’d written off low carb pie crusts after too many crumble disasters. But the xanthan gum here actually does something. Mine held together clean when I sliced it, gruyere and bacon spilling out like a real quiche. Four stars only because I overfilled it on the first try and the custard bubbled over, but that’s on me.
I kept waiting for the almond flour crust to fall apart when I lifted it into the pan, but it actually held together. The custard was silky and the gruyere browned up so nicely I almost couldn’t believe I made it. Total beginner win.
I did not have gruyere so I just grabbed sharp cheddar because I panicked and figured it was close enough, and okay, I know that is not the same thing at all, but the custard still came out this silky almost-jiggly texture that I genuinely did not expect from something I made from scratch, first time ever making a quiche, first time ever making a pastry crust out of almond flour, and I am not a baker, I want to be clear, I have murdered every crust I have ever attempted, but this one actually worked, I rolled it between parchment paper like the instructions said and it held together and came out golden and I just stood there staring at it. The sharp cheddar gave it this tangy bite that I kind of love more than I probably should. I am already thinking about what else I can swap into this thing because now I feel like I can cook.
Parchment is what keeps the dough from sticking, skip it and it tears. Sharp cheddar is tangier than gruyere but the custard doesn’t care. Try fontina next if you want something nuttier.
Made this Sunday and have been pulling slices out every morning this week. The almond flour crust doesn’t go soggy in the microwave, which as someone who normally destroys pastry dough, feels like a miracle. Next batch I’m doubling the bacon.
You can either make a crustless quiche, so just pouring the egg mixture into a parchment lined dish. Or you can try subbing with coconut flour. I haven’t tried this, but you would have to use less coconut flour. Maybe using 1/3 cup coconut flour plus the 3 additional tablespoons. If to dough is too dry, just add in a splash of water.
Super good. I tossed in a little spinach with mine and wanted this quiche every meal till it was gone! A week later, and I’m making another batch. Yum!
