Easy Puff Pastry Spinach Pie (Spanakopita)
This flavorful Spinach Feta Pie recipe is a spin-off of the traditional Greek dish “Spanakopita”–except it uses fluffy puff pastry dough instead of delicate phyllo dough. Great for a light dinner, lunch, brunch or savory breakfast.
Use frozen spinach and pre-made puff pastry, along with a few other simple ingredients and serve as an entree, main dish or side dish with chicken, lamb or beef.
This recipe is similar to traditional Spanakopita, only it uses puff pastry instead of phyllo dough.
Why this recipe works
- Puff pastry – puff pastry dough is easier to work with than the traditional and delicate phyllo dough
- Simple ingredients – some variations use ricotta or cottage cheese as an additional binding agent; this dish uses cream cheese
This savory spinach pie is sort of like a spinach pot pie. Serve this with a side of Tzatziki sauce and pita bread!
Here’s what you’ll need
You’ll need a piece of parchment paper and some dried beans to blind bake the bottom crust first.
- Frozen puff pastry dough-you’ll need two sheets of puff pastry; one for the bottom crust and one for the top crust. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry comes in a box with two sheets.
- Frozen chopped spinach
- Cream cheese
- Swiss cheese– shredded
- Parmesan cheese
- Butter
- Onion
- Eggs – large eggs; 2 for the spinach mixture and one for an egg wash
- Greek seasoning blend
- Salt and pepper to taste
Here’s how to make puff pastry Spanakopita
This is an overview. Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Thaw frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator. Bring cream cheese to room temperature; Rinse and drain the spinach; chop the onion and shred the Swiss cheese; let the cream cheese sit at room temperature. Set all this aside.
- Blind bake the bottom sheet of puff pastry
- On medium heat, in a medium saucepan, saute onion and garlic
- In a large bowl, combine spinach, cream cheese, shredded Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, sauteed onions & garlic, Greek seasoning blend. Taste for salt and add more if desired. Combine well and place a few cupfuls in the crust.
- Take the last sheet of puff pastry roll it out to a 12″ x 12″ square; place it over the pie plate and fold the edges in a rope-like fashion around the edge; use a pastry brush and brush the egg wash over the top crust; use a sharp knife and cut a few slits in the top crust to release any steam; bake uncovered on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown
Recipe tips
- Double-check to make sure you bought puff pastry instead of phyllo dough. They’re usually right next to each other in the frozen section of the grocery store.
- Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator and not at room temperature. WHY? Cold puff pastry “puffs” more than room temperature puff pastry.
- Bring cream cheese to room temperature
- You’ll use two of the eggs in the spinach filling; the third is for an egg wash to go over the puff pastry crust and top
- Saute the onion while the crust is baking; this makes the recipe go much faster
- Allow pie to rest about 10-15 minutes before serving
- Use a serrated knife for slicing
What is Spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a traditional Greek, or Mediterranean dish made of spinach, feta cheese and seasonings, baked in phyllo dough. It’s often served in little triangles as an appetizer, or served as a side dish with other Greek-inspired dishes like Saganaki, lamb, dolmas, pita and Tzatziki, a Greek yogurt dip.
Do I cook the spinach first?
No. Simply thaw frozen spinach and drain it well. Squeeze the spinach in a dishcloth many times to ensure all the moisture is out.
Can I use fresh spinach?
You can, but it’s a hassle. Fresh spinach cooks down a lot…frozen is easier and tastes just as good! (One pound of fresh spinach cooks down to yield about 1 1/2 cups… this recipe uses about 3 cups of frozen, so you’d need to cook about 30 ounces of fresh.)
Storage and reheating
Keep the spinach pie covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, use the microwave or heat in the oven, uncovered, at 250ºF for about 15-20 minutes (until the spinach filling is warm).
This puff pastry spinach pie is perfect for busy holidays! You can easily make it ahead and serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! Thank you!
Puff Pastry Spinach Pie (Spanakopita)
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry (most have 2 sheets of pastry in them- we'll use both); thaw pastry sheets in refrigerator for best results)
- 24 ounces frozen spinach , cut leaf or chopped, drained
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, packed tightly (you'll use about 4 oz. of a 6 oz. block of cheese)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1½ teaspoons Greek seasoning blend
- 2 whole eggs for filling
- 1 whole egg , for egg wash
- 1 teaspoon water , for egg wash
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 400ºF
- Thaw pastry and bring cream cheese to room temp (See Recipe Notes)1 package puff pastry, 8 ounces cream cheese
- Rinse and drain frozen spinach; squeeze moisture out by placing spinach in a dish towel; set aside24 ounces frozen spinach
- Shred Swiss cheese until you have one cup, packed; set aside
- Chop onions and garlic; set aside½ cup chopped onion, 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- In a small bowl, lightly beat two eggs; set aside2 whole eggs
- Make the egg wash: beat one whole egg with 1 teaspoon of water; set aside1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon water
Blind Bake the Crust
- Roll one sheet of puff pastry into 12" X 12" square; Place in unprepared pie plate; press dough into pie plate bottom and sides; using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust; place a layer of parchment paper on top of the crust and add dried beans to weight down the crust; bake on the middle rack for 15-minutes or until golden brown; remove and allow to cool slightly1 package puff pastry
Prepare the filling
- In a medium skillet on medium low heat, melt butter; add onions and saute 3-5 minutes; add garlic and cook for another minute; set aside2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, spinach, sauteed onions and garlic, eggs, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese and Greek seasonings ; combine well an taste for salt; add salt and pepper if desired24 ounces frozen spinach, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic, 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, packed tightly, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1½ teaspoons Greek seasoning blend, 2 whole eggs, 8 ounces cream cheese
- Scoop spinach mixture onto pastry crust
- Place second sheet of pastry on top of spinach mixture; fold excess pastry dough into a rope shape around the pie; lightly brush with egg wash1 package puff pastry, 1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon water
- Bake at 400ºF uncovered for 15-minutes, or until top crust is light golden brown
- Allow pie to rest for about 10 minutes; slice with serrated knife and serve
Notes
- Thaw the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator. You want to work with thawed, cold dough; if puff pastry sits at room temperature too long, it gets warm and won’t puff.
- You will have some spinach filling leftover; refrigerate and save for later or serve as a warm side dish or a nice filling for quesadillas. Or, add more cream cheese and serve it as a dip!
- For a pretty presentation, use a serrated knife to slice
