Classic Quiche with a Chickpea Flour Crust

One of your favorite French foods just got healthier! This quiche is every bit as delicious as traditional quiche Lorraine with an easy-to-make, nutrient dense, chickpea flour pie crust.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Quiche Lorraine is a recipe I made on are regular basis when I first started cooking because it was easy and I could remember it without having to reference a cookbook or recipe card. This was way before the internet and way before I had amassed any serious cooking equipment. In my tiny studio apartment, all I had was one mixing bowl, some very basic utensils, and an old gas oven, but with a frozen pie crust and a few simple ingredients I turned out quiche after quiche. My trick for remembering how to make it was simple – I recalled the number 3. The quiche custard consisted of 3 main ingredients: eggs, light cream, and cheese. As for how much of each of these ingredients, again, the number 3 helped me remember that the recipe called for 3 eggs, 3 half cups (1½ cups) of light cream, and 3 half cups (1½ cups) of cheese. After that, it was just a matter throwing in some meats or veggies and seasonings. To this day, there are very few dishes as delicious as this one that I can remember by heart which is why I thought it was high time for me to do a blog post. This recipe for Classic Quiche with a Chickpea Flour Crust is the updated version of my old favorite and replaces a store-bought, frozen pie crust with a delicious, gluten-free crust made from chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo flour or gram flour. It requires more effort to make than using a frozen crust (and might require you to actually refer to the recipe) but it’s much healthier and pairs amazingly well with the savory flavors in the quiche custard.

Many people are intimidated by making pie crust and for good reason. Traditional pie crusts made with wheat flour are tricky because the key to their flakiness is getting the right proportions of flour, fat, and water, and not undermixing OR overmixing. It’s difficult because there’s very little margin for error. If you overmix the dough the gluten in the flour will cause the crust to be tough instead of tender and flaky. But if you don’t mix it enough, or fail to add enough water, the pie crust won’t hold together and will be difficult to roll out. I was discussing this with a friend of mine recently, who happens, ironically, to be an excellent cook, and she told me she once got so frustrated trying to make a pie crust that she balled the dough up in the palm of her hand and threw it at the wall! Well, if you are one of those people who lacks confidence in your pie crust making abilities, you’ll love this chickpea quiche crust because it’s so simple to make. Just mix up the crust ingredients thoroughly and then roll out the dough in between sheets of plastic wrap. There’s no worry about over or under mixing and you can flute the edges just like you would a regular pie crust. The texture is quite different though. Instead of tender and flaky, this chickpea pie crust is cracker-like with a pleasant snap when you bite into it.

A simple google search lists quiche as a top French food along with croissants, bouillabaisse, and coq au vin – pretty good company! The thing I love most about quiche is how many different ways you can make and serve it. It makes a complete breakfast, and, when paired with a simple salad, a satisfying lunch or casual dinner.  You can switch up the types of cheese and meat (or veggies) you use for countless variations, and it keeps well frozen or refrigerated.  Another plus is that it tastes good hot, cold, or at room temperature. Not many dishes can boast that kind of versatility – no wonder quiche is so beloved!

If you make Classic Quiche with Chickpea Flour Crust don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me over on Instagram @QueenofMyKitchen. I’d love to see your creation!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Classic Quiche Lorraine with a Chickpea Flour Crust

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Classic quiche made gluten-free with a chickpea flour crust.

Author: QUEEN OF MY KITCHEN

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: French

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 1½ cups (180grams) chickpea flour
• 2 tablespoons liquid coconut oil (or melted coconut oil)
• 2 tablespoons butter (1 ounce), melted
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ice cold water (or more as needed)
• FILLING
• ½ pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (see notes #1)
• 1½ cups (6 ounces) Swiss or gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups half and half OR light cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoons nutmeg

Instructions

1. Combine all the crust ingredients until a smooth, slightly sticky dough forms. (If the dough is too dry and not coming together, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.) Gather the dough into a ball and shape it into a disc. Roll out to a 12-inch circle in between two sheets of plastic wrap (see notes #2). Peel off the plastic wrap and place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate/pan. Fold the edges of the dough under and crimp them if desired. Freeze the crust for a minimum of 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the cooked bacon and cheese in the bottom of the pie plate/chickpea crust. Whisk together the eggs, half and half (or light cream), salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour into the pie plate and place strips of foil or a pie crust shield over the crust to prevent excessive browsing (see notes #3).
3. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pie shield or foil strips and bake for 20 minutes more or until the custard is set and the crust is golden brown.

Notes

1. Any easy way to cook bacon is to place slices on a sheet pan and bake them at 350 degrees on the bottom rack of the oven until crisp.
2. If you don’t own a rolling pin, or prefer not to roll out the crust, you can press the dough into the pie plate instead.
3. To make a foil pie crust shield fold a few strips 3-inch strips of foil into thirds then bend them into the shape of a circle using the pie plate as a mold.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛th of pie, Calories: 405, Fat: 31g, Saturated fat: 16g, Unsaturated fat: 15g, Trans fat: 0g, Carbohydrates: 14g, Sugar: 2g, Sodium: 714mg, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 17g, Cholesterol: 132mg

3.5.3251

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