Paleo Quiche with Crab and Spinach (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

This paleo quiche with crab and spinach is a fantastic paleo Mother’s Day brunch recipe, but it’s versatile and quick enough to become a favorite paleo dinner or paleo brunch dish in your rotation. With an almond flour crust, this paleo quiche is so much like a cheesy, gluteny quiche! The crust comes together easily with my favorite ever food processor and I love my Vitamix to make the nutty cashew cream.

I’m kind of passionate about pie.

If a berry pie is ever on the menu, I have to get it. I just have to, and O knows better than to argue his choice at this point. Meandering through the bakery at Whole Foods is no different: that quarter blueberry pie? It’s going home with me, and no, I don’t care that it’s February.

That means I’m a firm believe that pie is always a good idea, especially for dinner or brunch. Pot pie? Without a doubt. Summer vegetable galette? YAS. Paleo quiche with crab and spinach? You already know I’m gonna say YES YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES!

Because, really, if you can have a buttery crust at any given meal, why would you ever not?

This paleo quiche with crab and spinach was inspired by a very, very non-paleo crab quiche my mom has been making for years. It’s always a favorite when I request it, like I did for Leo’s baek-il (celebration of his 100th day), and I’m a major fan of the cheesy, gluteny dish. So what’s a cavegal to do?

Paleoify it, of course. 

In honor of Mother’s Day and spring and brunching all the things, I set out to recreate this delish dish without gluten or dairy. I added spinach, too, because #veggies, and I have to say… I was majorly proud of myself. I added a few unusual ingredients (but still readily available at most supermarkets!) to make up for the missing cheese, so it feels more like a proper quiche and less like a frittata. 

There’s a real crust made from almond flour, too, and doesn’t mom deserve a real crust? Mom definitely deserves a real crust. If you’re avoiding the brunchtastrophes on Mother’s Day and treating mom at home, I just cannot think of a better dish for a paleo gal. Can you?

This quiche is super versatile, so you could swap crab for crisped bacon pieces or chicken or no meat at all! You could leave out the spinach and add roasted broccoli or chopped chard or whatever suits your fancy. You can double up on the crab or leave it at one can, depending on how much, on a seafaring scale of one to Blackbeard you want your quiche to go. 

Need other Whole30 and paleo Mother’s Day brunch ideas? I’m sharing a few of my favorite recipes in the next few days, so make sure you’re subscribed! You don’t want to miss them. Spoiler alert: mimosas?

To make this paleo quiche with crab and spinach, I used:

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Paleo Quiche with Crab and Spinach

This paleo quiche with crab and spinach is a fantastic paleo Mother's Day brunch recipe, but it's versatile and quick enough to become a favorite paleo dinner or paleo brunch dish in your rotation. With an almond flour crust, this paleo quiche is so much like a cheesy, gluteny quiche!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot or
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour ,( plus more for rolling out dough)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter , palm shortening or lard (very cold)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon ice water

Filling:

• 1/2 cup paleo mayonnaise , see note
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup cashews , ideally soaked in water at least 4 hours
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon tahini
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 2 cups fresh spinach , chopped
• 1 clove garlic, , chopped
• 1-2 6-ounce cans crab , drained
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt , to taste
• dash cayenne pepper

Instructions

To make crust:

1. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Cut in cold palm shortening until the size of small peas. Add the egg and pulse until just combined. If a dough begins to form, skip the ice water. If a dough does not yet begin to form, add 1 tablespoon ice water and pulse until a dough just begins to form.
2. Transfer the dough to a plastic wrap-lined counter. Shape into a ball and flatten into a disk. Chill 10 minutes. Remove from fridge and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper until about 12 inches in diameter, or as big as the widest diameter of your pie pan. If you have trouble with the dough sticking, sprinkle paper and dough with a bit of tapioca flour. Gently transfer to pie pan, repairing any cracks with your fingers. If you wish to parbake the crust, bake for 5 minutes at 375º. This will result in a firmer crust. To skip parbaking, move to next step.

To make filling:

1. Whisk together paleo mayonnaise and tapioca flour. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
2. Combine cashews, coconut milk, tahini, lemon juice, and water in a high-speed blender. Blend until totally smooth. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients: green onions, spinach, garlic, crab, salt, cayenne, and eggs. Stir until smooth. Pour into crust and bake at 375º for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Parbaking the crust will result in a slightly chewier crust. If you prefer a softer crust bottom, skip the parbaking.