Puff Pastry Spanakopita

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Make puff pastry spanakopita in 40 minutes! This vegan optional recipe has the same delicious creamy spinach and feta cheese blend you love. But here’s the twist: instead of layering and buttering finicky phyllo dough, we’re using rich, flaky puff pastry. It’s buttery and golden, making the process easier without sacrificing flavor.

A square of puff pasty spanakopita on a serving spoon.

Puff pastry spanakopita is the ultimate shortcut for getting those delicious flavors you love without the hassle of buttering every single layer of phyllo dough. With this nontraditional recipe, you will still have a savory Greek spinach pie you know and love!

This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight or a laid-back weekend dinner. You only need 10 – 15 minutes of hands-on time, and after 30 minutes in the oven, you’ll have rich, buttery, flaky spanakopita on the table. I recommend serving this with cauliflower and tahini sauce. It is a recipe loaded with Mediterranean flavors!

Much like my Lebanese baklawa recipe, this puff pastry version delivers all the traditional, savory goodness without the time-consuming process of layering and buttering endless sheets of phyllo. It’s a game-changer that makes spanakopita an easy go-to meal. What’s even better? You can make this recipe with either dairy or dairy-free ingredients. The substitutions for butter, yogurt, and feta taste just as good as their dairy counterparts–I know people say that all the time, but trust me, these swaps do!

Puff Pastry Spanakopita

At a Glance

EASE: Easy!
CUISINE: Greek
COURSE: Main
TIME: 40 Minutes
DIET: Vegan and Dairy-Free Optional

Key Ingredients

Ingredients used in making this recipe.

Dill and Parsley

Add a complexity of flavor to this recipe. I recommend using fresh herbs if thy are in your budget.

Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a key ingredient in spanakopdia. You can use vegan feta or dairy feta cheese.

Puff Pastry

Look for frozen puff pasty near the pies at your grocery store. Before making spanakopdia, you will want the puff pastry to thaw. You can do this in the fridge overnight or take it out 40 minutes before you need it.

Spinach

When making spanakopdia, I strongly recommend using frozen spinach. It is fast and easy. Once it thaws, you will want to squeeze as much water as possible. I cannot stress this point enough. If you prefer fresh spinach, you must follow the procedures used in making Julia Child spinach quiche: washing, blanching, and cooking before adding the spinach to the other ingredients.

Yogurt

Spanakopdia needs an ingredient to bind it together; I used vegan Greek yogurt. You can also use traditional dairy Greek yogurt or an egg.

See the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

Instructions

Step One: Prep

  • Start by thawing the puff pasty and frozen spinach. This step takes place 40 minutes before cooking.
  • Thaw the spinach and squeeze as much water out of it as possible.
  • Dice the onion, cut the green onions, and finely chop the fresh dill and parsley.
Hands squeezing water out of spinach that is still in the bag.

Step Two: Filling

  • Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and green onions, sautéing until soft (about 5 -7 minutes).
  • Add the spinach to the pan and cook for a few minutes to remove any extra moisture. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Diced onions in a skillet.

Step Three: Mix the Filling

  • In a large bowl, combine the cooled spinach mixture with crumbled feta, beaten eggs (or egg substitute), dill, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
Spinach filling mixed together in a bowl.

Step Four: Prepare the Puff Pastry

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the thawed puff pastry sheets.
  • Cut the sheets as necessary to fit into your baking dish.
  • Generously butter your dish
Puff pastry cut to fit a casserole dish.

Step Five: Assemble the Spanakopita

  • Lay the first sheet of puff pastry on the bottom of your dish.
  • Spread the spinach and feta filling evenly over the puff pastry base.
  • Place the second puff pastry sheet over the filling to cover it completely.
  • Brush the top with melted butter for a golden shine.
Spooning spinach filling onto the first layer of puff pastry.

Step Six: Bake

  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and crispy.
  • Let the spanakopita cool slightly before cutting it into squares or triangles.
  • Serve warm as an appetizer or a main dish.
Baked spanakopita being cut into serving squares.

Traditional Spanakopita Method: Traditional spanakopita is made with phyllo dough instead of puff pastry. Begin by bringing the phyllo dough to room temperature. Once softened, divide the dough into two equal portions.

Using melted butter or olive oil, brush each individual sheet of the first half and layer them one by one in a baking dish. After layering the first half, spread the spinach filling evenly over the dough.

Next, butter each sheet of the second half of the phyllo in the same manner, layering them on top of the filling. Bake in a preheated oven until the phyllo turns crisp and golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

My Best Tip

  • Squeeze all the water out of the spinach as possible. I cannot overstate this. Spinach has a lot of water naturally. You can squeeze it with your hands, or I can cut the corner out of the corner of the bag, form a tight ring with my hand, and squeeze the water.
A square of puff pasty spanakopita on a plate with a fork.

Perfect Pairings

Storing and Reheating Instructions

  • Refrigerator: Let the spanakopita cool completely. Then, wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. Note that the puff pastry will soften.
  • Freezer: You can also freeze spanakopita, either baked or unbaked. For baking, cool it fully, wrap it tightly, and freeze it for up to 2-3 months.
  • Reheat: To reheat, skip the microwave (it’ll make the pastry soggy). For fridge leftovers, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until crispy. For frozen, bake directly at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes if already baked, or follow the original recipe temperature and bake for 30-35 minutes if unbaked.
Hands setting down a baked spanakopita.

If you tried this puff pastry spanakopdia recipe or any other recipe on my blog leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.

A square of puff pasty spanakopita on a serving spoon.

Puff Pastry Spanakopita (Vegan Optional)

Make puff pastry spanakopita in 40 minutes! This vegan optional recipe has the same delicious creamy spinach and feta cheese blend you love. But here's the twist: instead of layering and buttering finicky phyllo dough, we're using rich, flaky puff pastry. It's buttery and golden, making the process easier without sacrificing flavor.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Diet:
Servings: 6 Main Dishes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 9×13 Baking Dish
  • 1 Medium-sized mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 package 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
  • 1 bunch green onions finely chopped
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 pound (16oz) frozen spinach thawed and drained
  • 10 oz (280g) feta cheese or vegan feta crumbled
  • ¼ cup yogurt or vegan yogurt
  • ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter optional or egg wash for brushing the top

Instructions

Step One: Prep

  • Start by thawing the puff pastry and frozen spinach at least 40 minutes before cooking.
  • Thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible.
  • Dice the onion, green onions, and finely chop the dill and parsley.

Step Two: Filling

  • Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and green onions, sautéing until soft (about 5-7 minutes).
  • Stir in the spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes to remove excess moisture.
  • Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

Step Three: Mix the Filling

  • In a large bowl, combine the cooled spinach mixture with crumbled feta, dill, parsley, yogurt, salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed.

Step Four: Prepare the Puff Pastry

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the thawed puff pastry sheets if needed.
  • Grease your baking dish with butter or oil (for dairy-free) and cut the puff pastry sheets to fit the dish.

Step Five: Assemble the Spanakopita

  • Lay the first sheet of puff pastry at the bottom of your baking dish.
  • Spread the spinach and feta filling evenly over the pastry base.
  • Place the second puff pastry sheet on top to cover the filling.
  • Brush the top with melted butter or an egg wash for a golden finish.

Step Six: Bake

  • Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and crispy.
  • Let the spanakopita cool for a few minutes before slicing it into squares or triangles.
  • Serve warm, either as a main dish or appetizer.

Notes

Storing and Reheating Instructions

  • Refrigerator: Let the spanakopita cool completely. Then, wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. Note that the puff pastry will soften.
  • Freezer: You can also freeze spanakopita, either baked or unbaked. For baking, cool it fully, wrap it tightly, and freeze it for up to 2-3 months.
  • Reheat: To reheat, skip the microwave (it’ll make the pastry soggy). For fridge leftovers, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until crispy. For frozen, bake directly at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes if already baked, or follow the original recipe temperature and bake for 30-35 minutes if unbaked.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 396mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 9480IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 363mg | Iron: 2mg
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