Anna Louise Mini quiches are one of the most useful things you can make for a party, a picnic, a buffet, or a packed lunch.
Everything that makes a full-sized quiche wonderful — crisp buttery pastry, a silky egg and cream filling, well-seasoned and golden on top — in an individual, hand-held, completely self-contained portion that needs no cutting, no serving utensil, and no plate.
Mary Berry’s mini quiche recipe uses a reliable sweet shortcrust pastry blind baked in shallow bun tins, filled with the classic cheese and bacon filling, and baked until the filling is set and golden.
The recipe is adaptable — the filling variations are endless — and once you have the method the possibilities for flavour combinations are genuinely limitless.
Make a large batch, freeze half, and you have the most versatile food in your repertoire for the next three months.
The Method That Makes Mini Quiches Perfect
Blind baking. The biggest mistake with mini quiches is skipping the blind bake. The pastry cases must be pre-baked until dry and pale golden before the filling goes in.
At the small scale of a mini quiche, the difference between blind-baked and un-blind-baked pastry is even more pronounced than in a full-sized quiche — a soggy base is immediately apparent in a small, individual portion.
The right ratio of egg to cream. For mini quiches the filling needs to be slightly richer than a full-sized quiche filling — a higher proportion of double cream ensures the filling sets silky and smooth rather than slightly rubbery in the smaller portion size.
Not overfilling. Fill each pastry case to about three-quarters full — the filling rises slightly during baking and needs a little headroom. An overfilled mini quiche bursts over the pastry and is difficult to remove from the tin.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Mini Quiches (Makes 24)
For the Shortcrust Pastry
- 300g plain flour, sifted
- 150g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Pinch of fine salt
- 3–4 tbsp cold water
For the Classic Cheese and Bacon Filling
- 150g smoked bacon lardons or smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 200ml double cream
- 100ml whole milk
- 100g mature Cheddar, finely grated
- ½ tsp English mustard powder
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped (optional)
Filling Variations
- Cheese and onion: Replace bacon with two finely chopped and softened onions. Same filling method.
- Spinach and feta: Replace bacon with 75g wilted and thoroughly squeezed spinach and 75g crumbled feta in place of Cheddar.
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese: Replace bacon with 75g flaked smoked salmon and replace half the Cheddar with 75g cream cheese stirred into the egg mixture.
- Mediterranean: Replace bacon with sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and basil. Use Parmesan instead of Cheddar.
How to Make Mary Berry Mini Quiches — Step by Step
Step 1 — Make the Pastry
Pulse the flour, salt, and cold butter in a food processor to fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together.
Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Line the Tins
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Lightly grease two 12-hole shallow bun tins.
Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness. Using an 8cm round cutter, cut out 24 circles. Press each circle gently into a tin hole — ease it in without stretching. The pastry should come up the sides of each hole cleanly.
Refrigerate the lined tins for 20 minutes. This firms the pastry and significantly reduces shrinkage during blind baking.
Step 3 — Blind Bake
Line each pastry case with a small square of baking parchment — scrunch it slightly so it fits easily — and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans. Bake for a further five to six minutes until the pastry is pale golden and completely dry on the base. Remove from the oven.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
Step 4 — Make the Filling
Cook the bacon lardons in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for four to five minutes until crispy and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, double cream, and whole milk in a large jug. Add the mustard powder, nutmeg, half the grated Cheddar, chives if using, and generous seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 5 — Fill and Bake
Divide the crispy bacon evenly between the blind-baked pastry cases. Pour the egg and cream mixture carefully over the bacon — fill each case to about three-quarters full. Scatter the remaining Cheddar over the top of each mini quiche.
Place the tins on baking trays — this makes them easier to handle and catches any drips. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the filling is set with a very slight tremble and the tops are golden.
Step 6 — Cool and Remove
Leave the mini quiches to cool in the tins for ten minutes before removing — the filling sets more firmly as it cools and they release from the tin much more cleanly when slightly cooled than when hot.
Run a small palette knife around the edge of each quiche if needed. They should slide out cleanly.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Mini Quiche
Blind bake every time. At the small scale of a mini quiche there is no forgiveness for an underbaked pastry base. Ten minutes with beans, five to six minutes uncovered. Every time without exception.
Refrigerate the pastry-lined tins for 20 minutes before blind baking. This firms the pastry and prevents the sides from sliding down during the blind bake. Do not skip this.
Use an 8cm cutter for a 12-hole bun tin. The 8cm circle gives just enough pastry to line each hole cleanly without stretching. Too small a circle means thin, fragile pastry. Too large means folds and pleats that look untidy.
Fill to three-quarters only. The filling rises slightly during baking. Overfilled cases burst over the top of the pastry and are difficult to remove cleanly.
Make a large batch and freeze half unbaked. Mini quiches freeze beautifully once assembled but before baking. Freeze on the tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen at 190°C for 22 to 25 minutes.
Cool in the tin for ten minutes before removing. Hot quiches are fragile. Ten minutes of cooling sets the filling enough to release cleanly. Rushing this step risks breaking the pastry.
Serving Suggestions
At a party or drinks gathering — pile them on a platter and watch them disappear. In a picnic basket — they travel and keep beautifully. As a buffet component alongside other finger foods. In a packed lunch — much better than a sandwich. As a starter for a more formal dinner in two or three per person.
How to Store Mary Berry Mini Quiche
At room temperature: Best eaten on the day. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days — refresh in a 160°C oven for five minutes before serving.
In the freezer: Freeze unbaked assembled quiches for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 190°C for 22 to 25 minutes. Or freeze baked, cooled quiches for up to 2 months — defrost and warm in a 160°C oven for eight minutes.
Mary Berry Mini Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make pastry: pulse flour, salt, and cold butter to fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water until dough coheres. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Grease two 12-hole bun tins. Roll pastry to 3mm. Cut 24 circles with an 8cm cutter. Line tin holes. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Line each case with scrunched parchment and baking beans. Blind bake 10 minutes. Remove beans and parchment — bake 5–6 minutes until pale golden and dry. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
- Cook bacon lardons until crispy. Drain. Whisk eggs, cream, and milk. Add mustard powder, nutmeg, half the Cheddar, chives, and seasoning.
- Divide bacon between cases. Pour filling to three-quarters full. Scatter remaining Cheddar on top.
- Bake 15–18 minutes until set with a slight tremble and golden. Cool in tins 10 minutes before removing.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ready-made pastry?
Yes — good quality all-butter shortcrust pastry works perfectly as a shortcut. Roll and cut as directed.
Can I make these without blind baking?
No — at this small scale a soggy base is obvious and unpleasant. Blind baking takes fifteen minutes and is completely non-negotiable for mini quiches.
Can I make these in a muffin tin instead of a bun tin?
Yes — use a 10cm cutter and a 12-hole muffin tin for slightly deeper mini quiches. Increase the blind baking time to 12 minutes covered and 7 uncovered, and the filling baking time to 18 to 22 minutes.
Why are my mini quiches sticking to the tin?
Either the tin was not greased properly or they were removed while still too hot. Grease each hole thoroughly including the rims, and leave to cool for a full ten minutes before attempting to remove.
How many does this recipe make?
Twenty-four mini quiches from two 12-hole bun tins. The recipe can be halved for twelve quiches or doubled for forty-eight for larger gatherings.
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