Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Breakfast Quiche with Almond Flour Crust
There is something genuinely special about a slice of smoked salmon and cream cheese breakfast quiche sitting on your plate first thing in the morning. It feels indulgent, like you have gone to real effort, but this version comes together faster than you might expect and delivers serious nutritional value alongside all that flavour. Think silky eggs, flaked wild smoked salmon, tangy light cream cheese, fresh dill and briny capers nestled inside a golden almond flour crust. It is everything you love about a classic bagel with lox, transformed into a warm, sliceable breakfast that genuinely keeps you full until lunch.
The big difference between this quiche and the traditional kind is where the nutrition lands. Classic quiche recipes lean heavily on heavy cream, full-fat cheese and a butter-loaded pastry crust that can push a single slice past 400 calories before you have even added a side. This version uses a simple pressed almond flour base instead, which brings healthy fats, natural fibre and a pleasantly nutty flavour without any refined flour. The custard filling swaps heavy cream for a combination of whole eggs and a small amount of reduced-fat cream cheese blended with plain Greek yoghurt. That swap alone boosts the protein content significantly while keeping the texture wonderfully creamy. Each slice comes in around 280 calories with over 18 grams of protein, which is a breakfast that genuinely works for your body.
Smoked salmon is one of those ingredients that earns its place in a healthy kitchen on multiple levels. It is an outstanding source of omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart health and reduce inflammation. It is also rich in B vitamins, particularly B12, and provides a solid hit of protein without adding bulk to your calorie count. Paired with eggs, you are building a breakfast that fuels sustained energy rather than a quick spike and crash. The capers and red onion add brightness and a little bite. Fresh dill ties everything together with that clean, herby note that makes smoked salmon dishes taste so unmistakably fresh. A squeeze of lemon zest stirred into the egg mixture lifts the whole thing.
This quiche is genuinely built for real life. You can bake it on a Sunday, slice it into eight portions and have breakfast sorted for most of the week. It reheats beautifully in a low oven or even a microwave, and the flavours actually deepen overnight as everything settles together. It works just as well served at room temperature, which makes it brilliant for a weekend brunch table where people arrive at different times. If you are hosting, a few extra slices arranged on a board with some cucumber ribbons, lemon wedges and a scattering of fresh herbs looks genuinely impressive. This is the kind of recipe that makes your mornings feel considered and nourishing without asking too much of you on a weekday.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour (blanched, finely ground)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (adds fibre and helps bind the crust)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cold water (add more a teaspoon at a time if needed)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt (for the crust)
- 6 large eggs (free-range if possible)
- 120 g reduced-fat cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 3 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt (full-fat for best texture)
- 180 g wild smoked salmon (roughly torn into pieces)
- 2 tbsp capers (rinsed and drained)
- 0.5 medium red onion (finely sliced into thin half-moons)
- 3 tbsp fresh dill (roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from one unwaxed lemon)
- 0.3 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 0.3 tsp fine sea salt (for the filling, adjust to taste as salmon is already salty)
- 30 g baby spinach leaves (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart tin or quiche dish with a small amount of olive oil.
A loose-bottomed tin makes it much easier to release the quiche cleanly once baked.
- 2
Make the crust by combining the almond flour, ground flaxseed and sea salt in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and cold water, then mix until the mixture comes together into a soft, press-able dough. It should hold its shape when pressed between your fingers.
Do not overwork the dough. It does not need kneading like wheat dough. Just mix until it clumps together.
- 3
Transfer the dough to your prepared tin and press it evenly across the base and up the sides using the back of a spoon or your fingertips. Aim for an even thickness of about 5mm throughout.
Chilling the pressed crust for 10 minutes in the fridge before blind baking helps it hold its shape better.
- 4
Place the crust in the oven and blind bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden at the edges. Remove and set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
- 5
In a large bowl, beat the eggs together until smooth. Add the softened cream cheese and Greek yoghurt, then whisk everything together until the mixture is combined and mostly smooth. A few small flecks of cream cheese are fine.
Letting the cream cheese soften fully at room temperature for 20 minutes beforehand makes this step much easier and prevents lumps.
- 6
Stir the lemon zest, black pepper and sea salt into the egg mixture. Add the chopped dill and fold gently to combine.
- 7
Scatter the chopped spinach across the base of the pre-baked crust. Arrange the torn smoked salmon pieces evenly over the spinach, then scatter the red onion slices and capers across the top.
Distribute the salmon evenly so every slice gets a good amount.
- 8
Carefully pour the egg and cream cheese mixture over the filling, allowing it to settle into all the gaps. Gently tap the tin on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Pour slowly from a low height to avoid disturbing the arranged filling.
- 9
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 28 to 32 minutes until the custard is just set in the centre with only the faintest wobble. The top should be lightly golden.
Avoid overbaking. The quiche will continue to firm up as it cools, so pulling it out when it has a slight wobble gives you a creamier texture.
- 10
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with extra fresh dill and a few thin lemon slices if serving immediately.
Resting time is important. Cutting too early will cause the filling to run before it has fully set.
Nutrition per serving
282kcal
Calories
18g
Protein
8g
Carbs
20g
Fat
3g
Fibre
2g
Sugar
520mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Use wild-caught smoked salmon where possible for a higher omega-3 content and a cleaner, less salty flavour compared to farmed varieties.
- ✓
If your almond flour crust starts to brown too quickly at the edges, cover the sides loosely with a strip of foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- ✓
The quiche sets more firmly once completely cool, so if you are meal prepping and plan to serve it cold or reheated, allow it to cool fully before slicing.
- ✓
Taste your filling before pouring it in. Smoked salmon varies quite a bit in saltiness, so you may not need any added salt at all.
- ✓
For extra flavour, add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the egg mixture. It adds depth without overpowering the salmon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Crustless Low-Carb Version
Skip the almond flour crust entirely and pour the filling directly into a well-greased quiche dish. This brings the total carbs down to under 4g per serving and makes it even faster to prepare.
- •
Spinach and Leek Addition
Saute one sliced leek in a teaspoon of olive oil until soft and add it alongside the spinach. The mild sweetness of leek pairs beautifully with smoked salmon and adds extra potassium and vitamin K.
- •
Herbed Goat Cheese Swap
Replace the reduced-fat cream cheese with the same weight of soft goat cheese for a tangier, slightly more complex flavour. Goat cheese also tends to be easier to digest for people who are sensitive to cow dairy.
- •
Mini Individual Quiches
Press the almond flour crust into a greased 12-hole muffin tin, fill each one with a spoonful of filling and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 18 to 22 minutes. Great for grab-and-go breakfasts and lunchboxes.
Substitutions
- •Reduced-fat cream cheese → Soft goat cheese or labneh (Both work well in the same quantity. Labneh gives a lovely tangy depth and is slightly higher in protein.)
- •Almond flour → Oat flour (Use the same quantity of oat flour for a higher-fibre crust. The texture will be slightly denser and the recipe will no longer be grain-free.)
- •Fresh dill → Fresh chives or tarragon (Chives give a milder onion note. Tarragon is more assertive and anise-like but works surprisingly well with salmon.)
- •Capers → Finely diced dill pickles (Dill pickles bring a similar briny, acidic note. Use about the same quantity and pat dry before adding.)
- •Plain Greek yoghurt → Dairy-free coconut yoghurt (For a dairy-lighter version, use an unsweetened coconut or almond-based yoghurt in the same quantity. The texture will be very similar.)
🧊 Storage
Store cooled quiche covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep slices in an airtight container or cover the tin tightly with cling film. Reheat in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or in the microwave on medium power for 60 to 90 seconds.
📅 Make Ahead
This quiche is ideal for meal prep. Bake it fully on the weekend, cool completely, then slice and store in the fridge. The flavours improve after a day as the dill and salmon infuse through the custard. You can also press and blind bake the crust the night before, wrap it and store at room temperature, then add the filling and bake fresh in the morning.
