Out of Milk, one case

Milk substitute for quiche

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Half and half

1 cup for every cup of milk

In quiche, replace the milk with the same amount of half and half; the custard sets a little richer and more tender. Thinned heavy cream, thinned evaporated milk and unsweetened soy or oat milk also work. The eggs do the setting, so keep the recipe's eggs as they are and change only the liquid. Plain water makes a rubbery, weeping custard.

Verdict —: Works
Best for —: quiche Lorraine and other classic quiches
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full milk card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Milk substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup milk	Verdict
1	Half and halfquiche Lorraine and other classic quiches	1 cupWorks	Works
2	Heavy cream + waterany baked quiche	½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup waterWorks	Works
3	Evaporated milk + waterany baked quiche	½ cup + ½ cup waterWorks	Works
4	Unsweetened soy or oat milkdairy-free quiche	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
5	Plain yogurt + watervegetable quiche with spinach, broccoli or tomato	½ cup yogurt + ½ cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
Not a swap	Water	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Half and half

richer and creamier than milk

Many quiche recipes call for half and half or cream in the first place. Used cup for cup in place of milk, it gives a custard that is richer and less likely to weep.

Best for: quiche Lorraine and other classic quiches, crustless quiche, quiche with watery fillings such as spinach or mushrooms
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Nowhere in quiche. It adds fat, so the slice is heavier than one made with milk.

To match milk exactly, thin it: 1/3 cup half and half plus 2/3 cup water per cup. In quiche there is no need to.

Heavy cream + water

richer than milk

Cream thinned with an equal amount of water is about as rich as light cream, a little richer than half and half, which suits a quiche custard.

Best for: any baked quiche, mini quiches and tartlets, when cream is left over from another recipe
Prep: Whisk the cream and water together, then whisk in the eggs.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Used straight with no water, cream makes a very rich, dense custard. That is a classic style, but it is not the quiche a milk recipe describes.

Evaporated milk + water

slightly cooked and caramel-like; cheese and bacon cover it

Evaporated milk with its water put back is milk again. It can also go in undiluted, cup for cup, for a firmer, richer custard.

Best for: any baked quiche, pantry cooking with no fresh dairy, make-ahead quiche that will be reheated
Prep: Mix ½ cup evaporated milk with ½ cup water per cup of milk.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: A plain cheese or leek quiche shows the canned-milk taste a little.

Use evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk.

Unsweetened soy or oat milk

leaner than milk, with a faint bean or oat note

The eggs set the custard, so a plain plant milk works as the liquid. Soy is the closest to milk in protein and gives the firmest set of the plant milks.

Best for: dairy-free quiche, quiche with strong fillings such as bacon, onion or smoked salmon
Prep: Check that the carton says unsweetened and unflavored. Add 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter per cup if you want some of the richness back.
Suits: dairy-free
Where it fails: Sweetened or vanilla cartons, which make a sweet quiche. Almond milk also works but is thinner still, and the custard sets softer.

Plain yogurt + water

mildly tangy

Plain yogurt whisked smooth with water pours like milk and bakes into a custard with a light tang. Sour cream thinned the same way does the same job.

Best for: vegetable quiche with spinach, broccoli or tomato, quiche with feta or goat cheese
Prep: Whisk the yogurt and water until no lumps remain before adding the eggs. Use plain, unsweetened yogurt; with thick Greek yogurt, add a little more water until it pours.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Nonfat yogurt can bake up grainy and weep. Use whole-milk yogurt, and do not overbake.

Water

eggy and flat

A quiche custard needs the fat and protein in the dairy to stay tender. Eggs and water alone bake into something closer to a firm omelet.

Best for: nothing in quiche
Where it fails: The custard turns rubbery and leaks water onto the plate and into the crust.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeMilk

A quiche filling is a baked custard: eggs set the liquid, and the fat in the liquid keeps the set tender. That is why richer dairy improves a quiche and thinner liquids make it firmer and wetter.

Tips for substituting milk

5 tips

Keep the usual custard proportion: 1 large egg for every ½ cup of liquid, whichever liquid you use.
Take the quiche out when the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly. It finishes setting as it cools; an overbaked custard cracks and weeps.
With soy, oat or almond milk, add 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter per cup to stand in for the milk fat.
Cook watery fillings such as spinach, mushrooms and zucchini first and squeeze or drain them. A thinner liquid has less margin for extra water.
Let the quiche rest 15 minutes before cutting so the custard firms up.

Questions

5 questions

Can I use heavy cream in place of milk in quiche?

Yes. Mix ½ cup heavy cream with ½ cup water for each cup of milk. Using cream straight also works and is a classic style, but the quiche is much richer and denser than the recipe intended.

Can I use yogurt in place of milk in quiche?

Yes. Whisk ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt with ½ cup water per cup of milk until smooth, then add the eggs. The quiche has a light tang. Avoid nonfat yogurt, which can turn grainy when baked.

Can I use almond milk in quiche?

Yes, cup for cup, if it is unsweetened and unflavored. Almond milk is thinner than dairy milk, so the custard sets softer and tastes leaner. Adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil or melted butter per cup helps.

How much half and half do I use for 1 ½ cups of milk?

Use 1 ½ cups of half and half, the same amount, with the same number of eggs. The quiche will be a little richer than it would be with milk.

Can I make quiche with no milk or cream at all?

Not with water. Use an unsweetened plant milk, thinned yogurt or thinned evaporated milk. A custard made of only eggs and water bakes up rubbery and leaks.