These tofu-based, mini vegan quiches are extremely versatile: Good hot or cold, for breakfast, in a lunchbox, or as party appetizers.
I don’t have a lot to say about this recipe. I mean, there are only so many ways I can say something’s delicious—Mmmmm! Yum! Wow! Awesome! Kid-Friendly!—without sounding like a 4th grader.
The story on these mini vegan quiches is that I saw a non-vegan recipe for mini crustless quiches in a magazine and wanted to try using silken tofu. So one night when my husband and daughter were both out for the evening, I tried these out as an experiment. I figured if it failed, it was just my dinner at risk. I wasn’t prepared for them to be so good—or for E. to come home and demand a share of them!
After initially exclaiming, “Ew, what is that?” she decided that she wanted to try one. And another. And another. And another. I’d made only 12, so my dinner was rapidly disappearing. I had to promise that I’d make a double batch soon, or there would have been none left for D. Yes, I figured he should get a chance at something this tasty.
These tiny vegan quiches are extremely versatile: Good hot or cold, you can eat them for breakfast, put them in a lunchbox, or serve them for dinner. If you’re throwing a party, try making them in mini muffin cups, and they’ll be the perfect finger food. (Reduce the baking time for smaller quiches.) Try them with different vegetables, but be careful not to add too many or they may not hold together. Most importantly, plan to either hide them from your family or make enough to share!
More Vegan “Egg” Dishes
Through the magic of tofu or chickpea flour, vegans can enjoy lots of formerly egg-based dishes. Here are a few of my favorites:
Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches
Ingredients
- olive oil spray optional
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or one green onion
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried, crushed
- black pepper to taste
- 1 12.3-ounce package lite firm or extra-firm silken tofu drained of water, see note below
- 1/4 cup plain soymilk or other plant milk
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch may substitute another thickener such as arrowroot or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon tahini or cashew butter optional but preferred
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 generous pinch black salt kala namak adds an eggy taste, optional
Suggested Tools
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray 12 regular-sized muffin cups well with non-stick spray or use silicone cups like these (do not use paper because it will stick).
- Heat a non-stick skillet and sauté the garlic, bell peppers, and mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms just begin to exude their juices. Stir in the chives, rosemary, and freshly ground black pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside.
- Place the tofu and all remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth and silky. Add the tofu mixture to the vegetables and stir to combine. Spoon equally into the 12 muffin cups: it will fill regular muffin cups about halfway.
- Put the muffin pan into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake until the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the middle of a quiche comes out clean–about 25-35 minutes depending on your oven and muffin cups (silicone will take longer than metal, so if you’re using a metal pan, check it at 20 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. Enjoy! They’re light, so plan on making more of these—or serve hearty side dishes—if you’re serving more than 3 people.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Yoga
September 11, 2009 at 1:58 amTofu is great for vwgwtarians like me!
Anonymous
October 13, 2009 at 12:53 pmI am new to this blog and am very excited about it! I was wondering if the milk used must be soy? Or can you use another plant milk suce as rice or almond?
SusanV
October 13, 2009 at 1:01 pmSure, use any kind of milk, as long as it's unsweetened. I hope you enjoy it!
Anonymous
October 31, 2009 at 7:41 pmI only came across this recipe a few weeks ago and tried it tonight. Yum! I made two batches. One as is–with the exception of using almond milk as I was out of soy–and the other using onion, tempeh 'fakin' bacon' strips, and spinach for the filling. It's good! I used to make wonderful quiche–now I still do.
Also, I have a glass countertop convection oven that I used. It's hard to find recipes for these. I put the silicone cups on the high rack directly, 375 for 5 minutes and then 350 for 25 minutes. It was wonderful!
Thank you for the recipes that you post. My picky daughter will be home in a little while and I am hoping that she will like them as much as I do.
CharlieBean
November 3, 2009 at 10:43 amLittle tip for these, they look real classy if you pour the quiche batter into hollowed out tomatoes instead of muffin tins. that way you can eat that part too!
Angela
December 16, 2015 at 7:17 pmOr hollowed out bell peppers! Great idea!
Leigha
November 6, 2009 at 4:57 pmMy daughter is allergic to sesame and tree nuts (including almonds) – what would you recommend as a substitute for that ingredient? I am dying to try this recipe!
SusanV
November 6, 2009 at 5:08 pmLeigha, I would just leave the tahini out. It doesn't contribute that much flavor. I hope your daughter enjoys them!
Jacki
November 11, 2009 at 2:55 pmWe loved these mini quiche! Hubby and 14 years old daughter have requested more today (yes, both of my daughters, 14 and 19 now, have been raised vegan. They have been significantly healthier than their peers and very athletic).
I am also working on the greek yogurt. I used your recipe for soy yogurt using Soy Dream. I imagine that the nutritional info for the yogurt remains the same as for the soy milk since the quantity remains the same. But do you have any idea what happens to the nutritional break-down for the Greek Style Yogurt made from that yogurt recipe? I'd like to figure out the points for the Greek Style Yogurt.
Thanks for your fantastic Blog!
Cate
November 11, 2009 at 10:09 pmThanks Susan for this amazing recipe. Coming into summer here in Perth (Western Australia) and these quiches are perfect for this time of year. I've already made some for non-vegans and they were a hit!
Ashley
November 23, 2009 at 2:47 pmOh my goodness! These quiches are absolutely delish! Everyone in my family loved them- vegans and meat eaters alike. Thanks Susan.
Erika
December 22, 2009 at 3:30 pmHi Susan! I made these a while back and they were delicious!! Thank you! I made them with blended cashews. Do you recommend another ingredient instead of tofu as a binder? We are trying to stay away from most soy products currently…Do you think it will hold just with the blended cashews?? Thanks for your help in advance!
Elizabeth
December 27, 2009 at 6:27 pmI'm going to try the this in muffin cups. Do you think I can freeze them to use as breakfast on the go?
SusanV
December 31, 2009 at 2:24 pmHi Island Chica,
The kind of tofu really depends on the recipe. I like the aseptic kind for this recipe and in sauces and desserts, but for most other uses, I use the regular kind in the extra-firm variety. The aseptic kind is good for blended things, but in something like these quiches, it needs corn starch or some other thickener to give it structure. Regular tofu is great for slicing or cubing and using in stir-fries or seasoned and baked, alone.
If you do a google search, I know there are lots of webpages that explain the different kinds of tofu and their uses. You may even find some videos.
Good luck to you. And congratulations for entering 2010 as a vegan!
~me
January 4, 2010 at 1:03 pmHi, just started following you. 🙂
Is there any sub for the tahini? I never buy it as 1) can't find it often and 2) not crazy about the taste.
Would it matter a whole lot if I left it out?
Thanks
Rachel
January 5, 2010 at 9:46 amI'm so glad I found your blog (as you can tell, since I'm now browsing through the archives like a hungry person). But fewer than 100 calories for FOUR quiches? Seriously? I know you used lite tofu but that is amazing. I may have to make these just to see how something under 25 calories per quiche can be so good.
SusanV
January 5, 2010 at 9:54 amHi Rachel–It sounds impossible, but when you consider that an entire package of lite silken tofu contains only 120 calories…that's only 10 calories per mini quiche from the tofu, so the majority of the calories come from the other ingredients.
I hope you give them a try, but beware: They're so light and good that you may wind up eating more than 4 of them!
beet-red
January 6, 2010 at 9:36 amWow, these look good. I'll definitely be making them soon. I've been wondering though, do the silicone cups make the food taste…siliconey?
Azahara
January 6, 2010 at 9:55 amSimply delicious! I cooked some of these quiches for New Year's Eve and they were a real hit among my family & guests.
muddypenguin
January 12, 2010 at 8:44 pmHi Susan,
I LOVE your blog! My husband, son, and I have been vegetarian for a year and have been considering taking the plunge to becoming vegans (my son and I are cheese folks and my husband loves milk). Your blog has been a source of inspiration for me and when friends and co-workers ask about where I go for recipes and ideas, I send them to you.
I have a question about the nutritional info on these quiches. You say to use 12 regular size muffin tins, but the nutrition info says 4 mini quiches. I can't imagine that 4 regular sized muffins would only be 96 calories … or could we be that lucky?!!? So what is the nutritional value of 1 regular sized muffin?
SusanV
January 12, 2010 at 9:10 pmmuddypenguin–Believe it! The major contributors of calories in this recipe are 1 box of tofu and 1 teaspoon of tahini, and when you divide those over 12 muffins, it comes out to very few calories. I just ran the recipe through my new software, and it comes out a little bit higher than as posted, but still very low–114 calories for 4 mini quiches or 28 calories each. Enjoy without guilt!
Vegetarian WLSer
January 13, 2010 at 4:16 pmI love this recipe. I used firm tofu and they came out wonderful. Thanks for the recipe. It will be a staple in our house.
lovemyfamily
February 2, 2010 at 12:50 pmThese were tasty, but if you like things a little spicier don't be afraid to add more spices cause it is a little bland(for us at least). My 2 year old even ate some. We ended up food processing all the ingredients, but I think I forgot to add the soy milk, will definitely do different variations of this in the future.
Sahari
February 4, 2010 at 1:27 amMy third recipe of yours and my first failure 🙁 Maybe I need to stick with the Ridiculously Easy recipes? Anyway, mini quichees tasted great, but in scrambled egg form on toasted whole wheat english muffins! Followed recipe to a T except I used 2 scallions instead of a chive. Used silken tofu (this brand doesn't indicate firm or soft silk — just silken) so I'm wondering if regular tofu would work better?
SusanV
February 4, 2010 at 9:01 amSahari, I'm sorry they didn't work out. Did they just not set up? What was the brand of tofu you used? If it was wetter than the Mori-Nu firm silken that I used, it may need more cornstarch to hold it together. If you try it again, please let me know your results.
Sahari
February 5, 2010 at 6:47 amYes, they didn't set up. As in, they didn't even think about it! We used Organic NaSoya brand 'Silken' — here's a link to see the packaging:
http://www.nasoya.com/products/tofu/silken.html. Their 'silken' doesn't have firmness options… We're going to try again w/ regular(non silken)
NaAoya (firm)and see what happens before switching brands altogether… I'll be sure to post back and let you know how we fared. Thanks so much for your response!
Dee D.
February 7, 2010 at 8:06 amGood morning! I just discovered your blog & it's a Godsend. I'm excited to try your Mini Quiche, & your Ridiculously Easy section looks fabulous. Esp. for my family ~ not vegan but heading that way. Both my husband & daughter are lactose-intolerant.
Here's my question: So many great recipes call for garlic, which my daughter & I can't consume. If we do, we're in total misery, just sick. If I omit garlic from your recipes, would they still be delicious?
Or should I adjust the seasonings? For eg., instead of 1 tbsp. chili powder, I use 1 tsp. each of cumin & oregano. I'd be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks so much!
SusanV
February 7, 2010 at 9:10 amDee D., I would just increase the amounts of the other seasonings to make up for the absence of garlic. Also, if you can eat onions, I might and a little minced onion to replace the garlic flavor.
Ayelet
February 8, 2010 at 9:29 amI made these last night. They were indeed delicioso. I didn't have mushrooms or bell peppers so used frozen brocolli, asparagus and stiry fry vegetable (we've been snowed in for days and there's no getting to a grocery store). You weren't lying about these being light. We ate another dinner after we ate this dinner. Also, even through I greased the muffin tin they didn't come out cleanly. But they taste great. I'll try this as a full-size quiche next time.
robyn
February 14, 2010 at 9:46 pmI have made this twice now – once in a muffin tin and once in a 8×8 pan.
The pan worked better for me only because I let them bake for about 35 minutes and they were completely done. The muffin tin ones I did run a knife in and it had just a bit of gooey left and I should have baked them longer.
Both times DELICIOUS! My husband thought I was serving him eggs.
I used broccoli instead of mushrooms, but otherwise everything else was the same.
Thank you for the awesome recipe! You truly are an inspiration.
Anonymous
February 16, 2010 at 2:57 amblog.fatfreevegan.com; You saved my day again.
if i only knew...
February 20, 2010 at 1:32 pmHi Susan–
i so want to make these right! From the reviews, I know something must be wrong in the way i made these…they tasted bitter and synthetic and i normally love tofu.
I'm thinking maybe it was the type of soy milk or other ingredient that i used or the new silicone cups (I bought some just for this recipe).
What brand of soy milk and tofu do you usually use? Did you have to break in the silicone cups before using them?
I used a refrigerated "plain" "lite" soy milk (Archer Farms from target) and morinu lite silken tofu. the yeast and seasonings were all from the bulk section at our natural food store.
Since i am newish to cooking vegan, I am not familiar with the specific flavors each ingredient impart and want to lower the rubbery, bitter taste and don't know where to start. I want to try these again because they look sooo delicious and soooo many great reviews…what could be the source of my mistake? thanks so much for your great blog!
Angie
July 20, 2013 at 7:52 pmIf I may suggest, it could be the fresh rosemary (if you are using) and possibly the nutritional yeast that is giving you a bitter flavour. The flavours of these two ingredients was very prominent in the batch I made last night, using the correct quantities. I will try again, tweaking some of the flavours.
A. Perez
March 7, 2015 at 6:07 pmSounds more like the yeast..or wrong one I should say..Sometimes stores goof in the bulk bins…Wouldnt be the first time ive seen brewers yeast (very bitter) confused by nutritional yeast (Very Yummy). easiest way to know is to taste it…or put it on toast with a little olive oil and salt…
Some stores make the mistake that yeast is yeast…
Rica
February 20, 2010 at 10:46 pmI love how they look..enticing and healthy! Nothing beats this combination.
Sahari
February 21, 2010 at 6:28 pmOkay, I'm back. Used NaSoya Firm tofu, and half a Tbsp more of the cornstarch (just in case) and voila! Cute, very delicious little quiches. They didn't want to pop right out of the muffin tins though (dark coated metal which were oil sprayed prior to filling). I think crusts will do the trick nicely. Will report back on that. So in conclusion, I would say that the brand name of your tofu (Silken) was where I went wrong (I tend to think literally). Three cheers for Susan V!
if I only knew...
February 21, 2010 at 8:36 pmThank you so much Sahari–I do believe the silken tofu is a culprit..I was cooking today and tried it straight out of the box and voila that's the yucky taste that ruined my 1st attempt. I even tried boiling the silken tofu to see if it helped get rid of the yuck to no avail. This week I am going to try it again. Susan V your recipes have completely inspired me:)THANK YOU
Anonymous
March 4, 2010 at 6:02 pmI have a dumb question to ask about these, due to the fact that I have always hated eggs and have never tried quiche of any variety. Are these supposed to be eaten hot or cold? I have noticed people saying that these are especially delicious the next day. Did you reheat them, and if so, how? Do they need to be reheated in the oven, or will a microwave do the trick without reducing them to sludge?
Sandy
September 13, 2010 at 3:53 pm@ Anonymous the egg-hater: Quiche is served hot, room-temperature (whatever that is . . . ) and cold, depending on the occasion, I guess. I personally like it best hot but that’s me. I’ve reheated egg-based quiche-in-a-crust in the microwave and had it turn out just fine, with sometimes a little water exuded on the plate. Do you like the way other tofu-based foods reheat in the zapper?
Sandy, a veggie-loving omnivore
roxbanta
March 21, 2010 at 7:42 pmFinally made this today. Very good. I made it with kale instead of mushrooms and it was great. A great quiche recipe that will probably do well with a variety of veggie ingredients. Thanks for your blog, love it!
Sherri - Konin - PDX Yogini
March 21, 2010 at 8:10 pmWe so, so love this recipe! We have made several variations, mostly because neither of us like mushrooms. Favorites have been fresh asparagus & red bell pepper, broccoli & carrot.
Tonight I used the recipe for inspiration to make a savory bread pudding out of a stale baguette a neighbor gave us on a walk earlier this week (she's a caterer and had just got home from an event with leftover baguettes). For veggies I used some carrot, celery, red onion, fresh garlic and a good-sized bunch of green curly kale. Popped the whole thing in a 9 x 12 pan and the house smells fabulous!
Thanks for the great recipes, inspiration and the handy pressure cooker beans reference (it is printed out and stuck to my fridge)!
Abbeygirl
March 27, 2010 at 8:52 amOh, this recipe is so good and so easy. I too used spinach and sun dried tomatoes. I also added a little more corn starch, and used a metal non stick muffin tin. They baked for 35 minutes and came out of the pan in one piece after cooling for 10 minutes. The only thing I would recommend is make a double recipe as they disappear fast!!!
Ping Tree
March 27, 2010 at 11:43 amVery nice. this is perfect to trick my kids for a very healthy meal – they LOOOVVEEEE tarts and for sure this tufo flavoured treat as well.
Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe.
Jonathan
March 27, 2010 at 11:45 amThis is definitely one of my most favourite food blog. I od not find only rare and delicious began treats but many sorts of wonderful recipes as well!