Mini cheese and onion quiches without cream are perfect for meal prep. They make a light meal, ideal for packed lunches, buffets and picnics, and are delicious served hot or cold. Mini cheese tarts are made with a crisp wholemeal pastry. And this cheese and onion quiche recipe without cream is also healthier.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Delicious and cheesy, these little savoury tarts are a real favourite with adults and kids
- A healthier cheese and onion quiche recipe without cream and made with wholemeal pastry. Serve with a healthy salad such as this homemade coleslaw or waldorf salad.
- Great for meal prep. Mini cheese and onion quiches can be stored in the fridge for 2 or 3 days, or popped in the freezer
- Easy to transport - small individual quiches are ideal for lunch boxes and picnics
- This mini cheese and onion quiche recipe is quicker and easier to make than a full size quiche
Wholemeal pastry is very easy to handle, and holds together well. It also has a lovely nutty flavour which complements the cheesy filling. And of course wholemeal flour is more nutritious. It is high in fibre and it contains a number of B vitamins and minerals such as iron.
If you prefer, you can also use this gluten free healthy pastry recipe to make these gluten free mini cheese and onion quiches.
Ingredient notes
Wholemeal flour. You'll need plain wholemeal flour to make this pastry (ie with no raising agent). Although it's really designed for bread, I often use strong wholemeal flour as that's what I have available.
Butter. If your butter is unsalted, add an extra pinch of salt.
Note, you can also make these mini cheese and onion quiches with this healthy olive oil pastry recipe which is gluten free and lower in saturated fat.
Onion adds a nice texture and savoury flavour to the recipe. You'll need a little olive oil to fry the onions (or use butter instead).
Cheese. I think it's best to use a mature cheddar for cheese and onion quiche as you'll get a stronger cheesy flavour. You could also use a Swiss cheese or parmesan.
Eggs and milk. Whole milk will give a slightly richer filling for a cheese and onion quiche made without cream. I have made lower fat mini quiches with skimmed milk before and they were still delicious.
Seasoning. I use some grated nutmeg as well as salt and pepper but if you haven't got any, don't worry. When you add the seasoning, don't forget that cheese is already naturally salty.
How to make healthy cheese and onion quiche
To make mini cheese and onion quiches, you'll need 4 little 10-11 cm tart tins . (This is the measurement at the top of the tin.) I'd thoroughly recommend non stick, or loose bottomed tins if you can get them, as it's so much easier to remove the quiches. I've had mine for years and they were just a couple of pounds from a supermarket. If you don't have non-stick, grease the tins well before use.
If you don't have individual tart tins, you could make tiny quiches in shallow muffin tins. This quantity will make 12 little cheese tarts depending on the size and depth of your tin. Muffin tin quiches are ideal as savoury nibbles.
Step by step instructions
Add the flour to the bowl of a food processor and tip in the butter. Blitz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the water tablespoon by tablespoon, briefly blitzing in between. Use just enough water to bring the dough together. As soon as the mixture starts to clump, take it out of the processor and bring it together into a ball with your hands. Pop it in a bag in the fridge for 20 minutes.
If you don't want to use a food processor, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, and bring the mixture together with a fork.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Heat a small pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for about 10 minutes until starting to colour and soften.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
Place the pastry on a floured board and cut into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a round disc, and roll out with a floured rolling pin. The pastry should be 2-3 mm thick and large enough to fit the base and sides of your tart tins. Place in the tin and prick the bottom with a fork which will help to stop it rising up.
Place the tins on a tray and bake for 10 minutes.
Beat the eggs in a jug. After 10 minutes, remove the tart cases from the oven and brush with a thin layer of the beaten egg. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Add the milk, seasoning and nutmeg to the remaining egg and mix well.
Remove the pastry from the oven and add a quarter of the onion to each case. Divide the egg and milk mixture between the 4 tarts, and top each with a quarter of the cheese.
Then return to the hot oven and bake for a further 20 minutes. Serve cheese and onion mini quiches hot or cold.
Alternative fillings for mini quiches
- Add more veggies. Sliced courgettes, mushrooms or peppers are all delicious. But fry them briefly with the onions first so that they are not too crunchy, and excess moisture is removed
- Briefly fry some little cubes of bacon with the onions and add to the mix to make mini quiche lorraine without cream
- Leftover cooked salmon also makes a lovely addition to mini cheese and onion quiche
Recipe Tip
If you want to make a full-size cheese and onion quiche without cream, double the recipe quantities. Bake in a large 26cm loose bottom quiche or tart tin for 30 minutes until puffed and golden.
If you are serving the quiche warm, leave it to set in the tin for a few minutes before cutting into slices.
Storage
Mini cheese and onion quiches without cream can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Small individual quiches are also ideal for freezing. Stack them in a sealed bag or lidded container and remove them as needed. Defrost at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. A quiche made without cream will still be rich and delicious as the cheese and eggs also contain some fat. It's best to make a quiche with whole milk, but skimmed milk will also be fine.
Yes, you'll end up with a crisper base if you blind bake the pastry. And really, it's very quick to do as the pastry can be baking whilst you are getting on with the filling. I like to add a coating of beaten egg to the part baked pastry as well which helps to seal it. A properly baked crust will be more delicious and easier to serve.
I like to use a strong flavoured cheese such as mature cheddar or gruyere. But you can also use parmesan, or make your quiche a little different with your favourite goat's cheese. It's even possible to make a cottage cheese quiche.
Yes, most vegetables should be cooked first as they'll take longer to cook than the egg mixture. It's also important that the vegetable mixture is relatively dry so that you don't end up with a soggy quiche. Pan frying is an ideal way to precook the vegetables as the water will evaporate.
Other healthy quiche recipes
You might also like to try this crustless spinach quiche or tuna and sweetcorn quiche recipe. Or, this cottage cheese quiche is lower in fat and can be made with or without a crust.
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Recipe
Mini Cheese and Onion Quiches without Cream
Equipment
- 4 11 or 12 cm tart tins preferably non stick or loose bottomed
- Food processor or can make pastry by hand
Ingredients
- 80 g wholemeal flour
- 40 g butter, cut into cubes
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
- 1 small onion, or ½ a large onion
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 40 g mature cheddar, grated
- 2 medium eggs
- 120 ml whole milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
- grating of nutmeg
Instructions
- Blitz the flour, a pinch of salt and the butter in a food processor until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add just enough water to bring the mix together into a dough. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the onion. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and fry the onion for 10 minutes until soft and starting to brown.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Shape each into a round and roll out thinly to fit your tart tins. Line the tins with the pastry and prick the base of each with a fork. Place the tins on a tray and bake for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the pastry is baking, beat the eggs in a bowl. Remove the pastry cases from the oven after 10 minutes and brush the base of each with a little of the beaten egg. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the milk, seasoning and nutmeg to the beaten eggs and mix well. Place a quarter of the onion into each tart case and carefully pour over the egg/milk mixture. Top each with a quarter of the grated cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. They will sink back down as they cool.
Notes
- For a gluten free pastry, use this recipe.
- If you want to make the pastry by hand, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Then gradually add the water, mixing with a fork. Finally, bring the dough together with your hands.
- You can also add extra veggies to these mini cheese and onion quiches. Fry vegetables such as courgettes, mushrooms or pepper with the onion.
- You can also add fried cubes of bacon or cooked salmon.
Nutrition
Nutritional Facts
Calories per serving: 239
| Total Fat | 16.2 g | Saturated Fat | 8.7 g | Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 15.2 g | Dietary Fibre | 2.1 g | Total Sugars | 2.4 g |
| Total Protein | 8.9 g |
Please note nutritional information is for guidance only
Sarah Millington says
Tried these recently - really yummy 🙂
Wendy says
Thank you for your kind comment!