Vegan Spanakopita (Crispy Phyllo Greek Spinach Pie)
Vegan spanakopita tastes just like the traditional Greek spinach pie. Spinach, dill, and feta (vegan, of course) are sandwiched between crispy sheets of phyllo dough. My recipe is vegan thanks to plant-based butter and dairy-free cheese.
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Your Spanakopita Questions Answered
What is Spanakopita?
Spanakopita (pronounced span-ah-KOH-pee-tah) is a Greek spinach and cheese pie made with phyllo dough. A mixture of spinach, cheese, and dill is sandwiched between crispy sheets of phyllo. You can eat spanakopita as an appetizer or as a main dish. It’s such a classic dish that you can find it on just about every Greek menu.
What Makes This Spanakopita Recipe Vegan?
Traditionally, eggs and feta bind the filling together, and butter creates crispy layers of phyllo dough. Instead, we are going to use plant-based yogurt as our binder and dairy-free butter and feta cheese. The result tastes exactly like the classic. Truly. There are not many vegan conversions that I can say that about, but I can about this spanakopita recipe.
Does Phyllo Dough Have Eggs or Dairy?
Most commercial phyllo doughs are made with flour, water, and oil or vinegar, making it naturally vegan. Always double-check the label to make sure there are no animal products.
What Makes This Vegan Spanakopita Recipe Different?
Store-bought vegan feta for the win
Most vegan spanakopita recipes use tofu, tofu-based feta, or nutritional yeast. While they can be delicious, I don’t think they taste like true spanakopita, and we cannot have that here at Sinful Kitchen! In my opinion, store-bought vegan feta tastes so close to the original that I don’t even notice a difference. And the feta is a requirement. It brings a salty, tangy creaminess to spanakopita.
Dry Spinach
Getting the spinach as dry as possible is non-negotiable. Any excess moisture will create steam, which makes the phyllo soft and chewy.
Ingredients
Key Ingredients
Dairy-Free Feta
There are several brands on the market. Follow Your Heart and Violife are easily found at most large grocery stores, Sprouts, or Whole Foods. Follow Your Heart is my preferred brand.
Dairy-Free Butter
I only use dairy-free butter sold in sticks when making spanakopita, but you can also use a whipped version, but you will need more of it. The key is to melt the butter, but not to cook it.
Spinach
You can use either frozen or fresh spinach. To make it easy, I always use frozen, and the recipe is written with the assumption that’s what you are using. If you want to use fresh spinach, follow the steps outlined in my Julia Child Spinach Quiche recipe.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Tips Before You Start
Double Squeeze Method
You want to squeeze the water out of spinach until you think you can’t squeeze any more out. Then squeeze it again. I use frozen spinach and cut a small triangle at the corner of the bag. I close my hand around the triangle and squeeze until no more water comes out of the bag. Then bundle the spinach inside a clean tea towel and twist it as hard as I can. This will wring out as much water as possible and is the difference between crispy spanakopita and a soggy one.
Phyllo Dough
Phyllo dries out fast – as in minutes fast! To keep it from drying out, which makes it impossible to work with, lay the thawed phyllo dough out and then place a moist kitchen towel on top. This will help keep it moist.
Now, while working with phyllo, some sheets will inevitably tear. When this happens, add another layer on top and keep working. Torn sheets taste just as good!
How to Make Vegan Spanakopita
Step-by-step Instructions
One hour before you start
Thaw the spinach and phyllo dough while they are still in their packaging. Either store them overnight in the refrigerator or place them on your countertop one hour before you start.
Step One: Prepare the spinach
Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can. See the section above, ‘Tips Before You Start,’ for details on how I do it.
Step Two: Cook the onions and spinach
First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Then heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and stir only occasionally. You want the onions to be a slightly golden color. Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes to remove any remaining water. Move to a bowl and let cool for five minutes.
Step Three: Make the filling
Once the spinach onion mixture has cooled, add the vegan feta, dill, flat-leaf parsley, green onions, and plant-based yogurt. Mix and add salt and pepper as desired.
Step Four: Prepare the Phyllo dough
Melt the butter in the microwave. I recommend lowering the power level to 50% and melting in 20-30 second intervals until the butter is 80% melted. The remaining heat will melt the other 20%.
Remove the phyllo dough from its packaging, gently roll it out, and place a slightly moist towel on top. Brush a 9×13-inch baking dish with a layer of melted butter.
Step Five: Assemble
Lay the first sheet of phyllo and, using a pastry brush, lightly brush the sheet with melted butter. Repeat this until you have buttered half the sheets (usually between 8 and 10, depending on the brand).
Spread the spinach layer evenly over the buttered phyllo dough layers. Use a spatula to smooth it to the edges.
Add another layer of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat this until all the remaining sheets are buttered and stacked on top of each other.
Step Six: Score and bake
Use a sharp knife to score the top layers. Be sure not to cut all the way through. Cut 12 pieces if you are serving it as a main dish or 24 if you are serving it as an appetizer or part of a Mediterranean mezze. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Keep baking until the top is a deep golden color and the edges are crispy.
Step Seven: Rest and serve
Let the spanakopita rest for 15 minutes before cutting all the way through.
How to Serve Vegan Spanakopita
You can serve spanakopita as a main dish, a side, an appetizer, or part of a Mediterranean mezze. For a Greek-inspired meal, pair it with Greek cucumber and tomato salad or maroulosalata. If you have extra spinach, try making Greek spinach rice (spanakorizo). Have extra phyllo dough? Make pistachio baklava.
How to Store Vegan Spanakopita
Refrigerator
Store the spanakopita in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. When you’re ready, reheat the spanakopita in the oven for 10-15 minutes. This will help restore some of the crispy texture (but not all). I do not recommend microwaving it. The result will be a chewy dough.
Freezer
Pre-baked
You can freeze it before or after baking. To freeze it unbaked, fully assemble, wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. You can freeze it this way for up to two months. When you’re ready, preheat your oven to 375°F and place it in the oven while it’s still frozen. You will need to add 15-25 minutes to your cooking time.
Post-baked
Once baked, let the spanakopita cool completely. Slice into portions and freeze the individual portions in an airtight container. If you are stacking portions, lay a sheet of wax paper between each layer. You can freeze baked spanakopita this way for up to two months. When you’re ready, preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 15-20 minutes.
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this vegan spanakopita recipe as much as I do! Before you go, please leave me a rating and let me know your thoughts. Your feedback is valuable to other readers and me.
Vegan Spanakopita (Crispy Phyllo Greek Spinach Pie)
Equipment
- 1 9×13 baking dish
- 1 large skillet
- 1 pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
- ½ cup melted vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained
- 10 oz vegan feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened vegan yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- One hour before you start: Thaw the spinach and phyllo dough while they are still in their packaging. Either store them overnight in the refrigerator or place them on your countertop one hour before you start.
- Prepare the spinach: Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can. I recommend squeezing the spinach in the packaging or in your hands. Then, once you think you are done, place the spinach in a tea towel or cheese cloth and wring it dry. Your goal is to get as much water out of the spinach as possible.
- Cook the onions and spinach: First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Then heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and stir only occasionally. You want the onions to be a slightly golden color. Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes to remove any remaining water. Move to a bowl and let cool for five minutes.
- Make the filling: Once the spinach-onion mixture has cooled, add the vegan feta, dill, flat-leaf parsley, green onions, and plant-based yogurt. Mix together and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Prepare the Phyllo dough: Melt the butter in the microwave. I recommend lowering the power level to 50% and melting in 20-30 second intervals until the butter is 80% melted. The remaining heat will melt the other 20%. Remove the phyllo dough from its packaging, gently roll it out, and place a slightly moist towel on top. Brush a 9×13-inch baking dish with a layer of melted butter.
- Assemble: Lay the first sheet of phyllo and, using a pastry brush, lightly brush the sheet with melted butter. Repeat this until you have buttered half the sheets (usually between 8 and 10 sheets, depending on the brand). Spread the spinach layer evenly over the buttered phyllo dough layers. Use a spatula to smooth it to the edges. Add another layer of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat this until all the remaining sheets are buttered and stacked on top of each other.
- Score and bake: Use a sharp knife to score the top layers. Be sure not to cut all the way through. Cut 12 pieces if you are serving it as a main dish or 24 if you are serving it as an appetizer or part of a Mediterranean mezze. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Keep baking until the top is a deep golden color and the edges are crispy.
- Rest and serve: Let the spanakopita rest for 15 minutes before cutting all the way through.
Notes
- Thaw the phyllo properly: For the best results, thaw frozen phyllo dough overnight in the refrigerator while it is still sealed in its original packaging. Bring it to room temperature before unrolling it.
- Keep the phyllo covered: Phyllo dough dries out quickly. Keep the unused sheets covered with a barely damp kitchen towel while assembling the spanakopita.
- Drain the spinach thoroughly: Removing as much liquid as possible is essential for a crisp crust. After squeezing the spinach by hand, wring it out in a clean tea towel or cheesecloth.
- Check the filling before adding salt: Vegan feta varies considerably in saltiness. Taste the finished filling before adding additional salt.
- Do not oversaturate the phyllo: Brush each sheet lightly with melted vegan butter. Too much butter can make the bottom heavy or greasy instead of crisp.
- Phyllo sheet counts vary: Use approximately half of the sheets for the bottom and the remaining sheets for the top. The exact number will depend on the brand and package size.
- Score before baking: Score only through the top layers of phyllo. This makes the spanakopita easier to cut after baking without crushing the crisp pastry.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven or toaster oven until warmed through and crisp. The microwave will soften the phyllo.
- Freezing: Assemble and score the spanakopita, then freeze it unbaked. Wrap the pan tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 15 to 25 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
More Greek Recipes….
- Puff Pastry Spanakopita
- Vegan Baklava with Pistachios
- Greek Cucumber and Tomato Salad (Horiatiki)
- Greek Green Lettuce Salad (Maroulosalata)