Vegan Spanakopita

FEATURED COMMENT: "I LOVED the crunchy crackly scrunched up phyllo crust and the filling is so good I had to force myself to stop eating it before it went in the pie. I've tried many vegan recipes and this really is the best vegan spanakopita!" - Sarah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ See more reader reviews here.

Ok, hold up,  because today we've got an incredible Vegan Spanakopita recipe coming on through. It all started with my A-Mazing Vegan Feta Cheese, and you know, if you've got a cracking recipe for that, then you just have to make Vegan Spanakopita!

What Is Spanakopita?

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek savory pie made with layers of perfectly flaky, golden, and oh-so-crispy phyllo dough with a comforting, creamy, delicious filling of spinach and feta cheese. Traditionally, the filling is enriched with eggs but they aren't necessary. You still get perfectly, rich and creamy, easily sliceable pie without them in this Greek vegan recipe. 

As well as that yummy, addictive vegan feta cheese, and dark green spinach, I took the liberty of adding onion, garlic, fresh parsley, and mint for freshness. And even a little touch of nutmeg. Not traditionally Greek at all,  but it all works so well and takes that vegan spanakopita pie right over the top. This is one of my favorite recipes using phyllo (filo) dough.

Is Phyllo Dough Vegan?

Phyllo pastry is layered sheets of tissue-thin pastry dough and it is typically found in the freezer section next to things like pie crusts and puff pastry. It is pretty much always vegan so you don't need to look for a specific vegan phyllo dough. Double-check the ingredients list just in case, but I have never come across one in the grocery store that wasn't vegan. So there is no excuse not to indulge in this crispy, creamy, vegan pie.

Phyllo (sometimes spelled filo) pastry can be a bit daunting though, because it's so tissue-paper thin, but trust me on this, if it tears, it doesn't matter! The more folds and wrinkles there are the better, and when it comes to the top, you are just screwing the sheets of pastry up in your hands like like do when you screw up a sheet of paper into a ball. It will look good whatever. So, so forgiving.

Traditional feta cheese is not vegan. It is made with animal milk and also usually rennet. But don't worry because I have created THE most amazing vegan feta cheese recipe. It works so well in this spanakopita.

I highly recommend you enjoy it in its own right when it's not squidged in a pie, one day when you have a chance too. It's one of my many vegan tofu recipes and has to be tasted to be believed.

This is what you need to make this vegan Greek spinach pie:

• Fresh spinach.
• Phyllo pastry (most store-bought phyllo pastry is accidentally vegan). Don't forget to defrost it in plenty of time. It needs 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge to thaw. When thawing, do not remove it from the package.
• Vegan feta cheese - Please note that this recipe works best with my recipe for dairy-free feta cheese and will be way cheaper to make with it too. Violife feta cheese does not perform well in this recipe.
• Onion, garlic, lemon zest, and fresh herbs, parsley, and mint.
• Olive oil or melted vegan butter.

Success Tip - This recipe does not work as well with store-bought feta cheese alternatives. I highly recommend you make my vegan feta recipe. It will work out a lot more budget-friendly and will have a better taste and texture.

Here's the low down on how to make the best Vegan Spanakopita:

Step 1 - Sauté the spinach in a pan until wilted, then once it is cool, squeeze out all of the excess liquid from it.

Step 2 - Mix the spinach with the vegan feta and all of the other filling ingredients.

Step 3 - Layer up half of the sheets of phyllo pastry in an oven-proof dish, brushing each sheet with some olive oil or melted vegan butter.

Step 4 - Spoon the spinach mixture into the pastry and level off.

Step 5 - Brush the remaining pastry sheets with oil or butter, one by one, and screw each one up gently in your hands before placing on top of the filling until the surface is covered, then bake.

Don't panic if your phyllo pastry tears. It doesn't matter. Just patch it up by laying another sheet on top and no one will ever know!

All the components of this recipe can be made ahead. You can sauté the spinach ahead of time and keep it in the fridge and you can make the vegan feta cheese and store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can even mix all of the filling ingredients together to save storage space or assemble the pie completely the day before you bake it.

You can serve Spanakopita in so many ways. It's great served with other Greek vegan food and makes a great side dish, but it also stands alone as a main dish very well.

Serve hot, warm, or cold for dinner, light lunches, brunch, picnics, or an appetizer. It's great when served with most of my salad recipes or with a bowl of Kalamata olives, some extra feta, and some really good bread like my No Knead Focaccia.

This recipe makes a large pie. If you have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge. It will keep for up to 5 days.

Eat the leftovers cold, or cut off what you need and place on a small baking tray in the oven at 350°F until heated through. Time will vary depending on how big a piece you are warming but an individual piece takes about 15 minutes. The pastry will crisp up shatteringly again once it has been baked.