Spanakopita puff pastry is an easy and delicious appetizer or savoury snack! The aromatic flavours of fresh spinach, dill, and creamy feta filling are baked in a flaky phyllo dough crust. This great recipe is a take on Greek spinach pie and is a popular appetizer or satisfying snack! This appetizer is similar to classic spanakopita but without making your own homemade phyllo dough. Win-win!
INGREDIENT NOTES
Puff phyllo pastry: Puff pastry is easier to work with than thin phyllo pastry sheets. Puff pastry is not as delicate and produces a beautiful, golden brown, buttery, flaky texture when baked. Puff pastry is sold in the freezer section, so the phyllo dough must be thawed before working with it.
Leave the phyllo in the plastic wrap or box and refrigerate overnight in the freezer or at room temperature for 2-3 hours. The phyllo pastry should be cool to the touch before putting it in the oven so that the fat (butter) is cold and helps the puff pastry rise in the hot oven. You can pop the puff pastry in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to cool down.
Spinach: I would recommend using fresh spinach for this recipe. There’s no need to saute the spinach beforehand. I like to use pre-washed baby spinach. Chop the spinach leaves into smaller pieces. Spinach contains a lot of water content and wilts down quite a bit when it cooks.
Fresh herbs: Fresh Italian parsley and dill make all the difference to this spanakopita pie. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend substituting dry herbs for fresh herbs.
Rice: Adding rice to spanakopita is one of my favourite tricks to remove any excess moisture released from the spinach. So that the bottom of the phyllo pastry doesn’t get soggy, it helps to add rice to the spinach mixture and bake the spanakopita in a hot oven (at least 375°F – 400°F) on bake. You don’t want to add too much rice because if there’s not enough excess liquid, then you’ll end up with crunchy rice.
Cheese mixture: You can use any type of mozzarella and cheddar cheese or omit it if you’d like. I use the mixed cheese blends in the dairy section at the grocery store because it’s more convenient, but you can grate your own mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I find better results when using high-quality cheese because then the cheese doesn’t turn too dark when it’s baking in the oven.
RECIPE TIPS
- Wash and pat dry the green onions and fresh herbs. They should be dry before adding them to the spinach mixture to eliminate as much moisture as possible.
- Butter puff pastry is found in the freezer section at your grocery store. I love using President’s Choice two pre-rolled sheets (10″ x 10″ sheets) because they’re pre-rolled, making them easier to work with. This recipe uses both pastry sheets. The pastry dough will need to be thawed before use. You can thaw the pastry in its individual plastic bags or in the unopened box at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- The pastry should be cool to the touch when using and before it goes into the oven. This will help the puff pastry puff up beautifully in the hot oven.
- Allow enough time for the oven to preheat so that it’s at 400 degrees F when you put the spanakopita puff pastry in the oven. This is because puff pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. If you have a large enough oven and baking sheet, then you can place both spanakopita galettes on the same baking sheet. Allow a couple of inches in between because the pastry will puff and expand as it bakes.
- Use a light-coloured baking sheet so that the spanakopita can bake evenly. The oven should be on bake, and place the baking sheet on the second rack from below. The high heat helps the puff pastry rise and become crispy. If it doesn’t cook properly on the bottom, then the bottom may become soggy.
HOW TO MAKE SPANAKOPITA PUFF PASTRY: STEP BY STEP
STEP 1: Sauté onion and prep the spinach and herbs. Sauté the diced onions on low to medium heat for 10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. Wash and dry the fresh herbs. Dice the green onions, and discard the very end of the bottom stems. Include both the white and green parts of the green onions. Dice the fresh parsley and dill. Removing some of the stems. Chop the baby spinach.
STEP 2: Prepare the spanakopita filling. Combine the chopped spinach, green onions, parsley and dill in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands. In a small separate bowl, whisk together one egg. Pour in the whisked egg, olive oil, salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese, and rice. Mix well together.
STEP 3: Roll out the puff pastry. Remove the puff pastry from its packaging and use a rolling pin to roll out each individual sheet to about 11″ x 11″. You can cover the bottom and the top of the puff pastry with parchment paper to make it easier to roll out. Or you can spread some flour on the surface before rolling out the puff pastry dough.
STEP 4: Assemble the spanakopita puff pastry. Preheat the oven to 400°F on bake. Spoon the spinach filling on top of the rolled-out sheet of puff pastry, leaving one to two inches of the border uncovered. Brush the border with olive oil and fold each side over towards the centre. Brush the outside phyllo with olive oil.
STEP 5: Bake the spanakopita. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top of the spinach mixture. Place the spanakopita galette into the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Allow the spanakopita to rest on the baking sheet or a cooling rack for a few minutes. Once cooled, transfer to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut each spinach pie into nine pieces.
STORING & SERVING
This spanakopita puff pastry is best served warm after it has cooled and settled for a few minutes. To serve, slice in three columns and then three rows, so you’ll get nine pieces for each pastry sheet for 18 pieces total.
Allow the spanakopita to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. To reheat the next day, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the leftover spanakopita puff pastry until it’s warmed through. It takes about 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy this tasty spinach and feta pie with a side of Greek salad or with tzatziki sauce for a full Greek meal!
Easy Greek Spanakopita Puff Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packet butter puff pastry dough 450 grams – comes with two 10″ x 10″ pre-rolled puff pastry sheets
- 1/2 of a yellow onion peeled, diced, and sautéed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to cook with the onions
- 100 grams baby spinach
- 1 bunch green onions about 1 cup diced
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 1 egg room temperature and whisked
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil for the spanakopita mixture
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 tablespoon short or medium-grain white rice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon roasted garlic powder optional
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the puff pastry
Instructions
- Saute onion and prep the spinach and herbs. Sauté the diced onions on low to medium heat for 10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. Dice the green onions, and discard the bottom stems. Include both the white and green parts of the green onions. Dice the fresh parsley and dill. Removing some of the stems. Chop the spinach.
- Prepare the spanakopita filling. In a large bowl, combine the chopped spinach, green onions, parsley, and dill. Mix together with a large spoon or your hands. In a small separate bowl, whisk together one egg. Pour in the whisked egg, olive oil, salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese, and rice. Mix well together.
- Roll out the puff pastry. Remove the puff pastry from its packaging and use a rolling pin to roll out each individual sheet to 11" x 11". You can cover the bottom and top of the puff pastry with parchment paper to make it easier to roll out.
- Assemble the spanakopita puff pastry. Preheat the oven to 400°F on bake. Spoon the spinach filling on top of the rolled-out sheet of puff pastry, leaving one to two inches of the phyllo border uncovered. Brush the border with olive oil and fold each side over towards the centre. Brush the outside phyllo with olive oil.
- Bake the spanakopita. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top. Place the spanakopita galette into the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Allow the spanakopita to rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet or a cooling rack. Once cooled, transfer to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut each spinach pie into nine pieces.
Notes
- This recipe uses both pastry sheets. The pastry dough will need to be thawed before use. You can thaw the pastry in its individual plastic bags or in the unopened box at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- The pastry should be cool to the touch when using and before it goes into the oven. This will help the puff pastry puff up beautifully in the hot oven.
- Allow enough time for the oven to preheat so that it's at 400°F when you put the spanakopita puff pastry in the oven. This is because puff pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. If you have a large enough oven and baking sheet, then you can place both spanakopita galettes on the same baking sheet. Allow a couple of inches in between because the pastry will puff and expand as it bakes.
- Use a light-coloured baking sheet so that the spanakopita can bake evenly. The oven should be on bake, and place the baking sheet on the second rack from the bottom. The high heat helps the puff pastry rise and become crispy. If it doesn't cook properly on the bottom, then the bottom may become soggy.
Nutrition
Date Published: May 4, 2023
Easy Greek Spanakopita Puff Pastry Recipe
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