Vegan Spanakopita - My take on the great Greek spinach and feta pie! Featuring shatteringly crisp phyllo pastry, and a soft, salty, vegan feta-cheesy, spinachy filling, all baked up to golden perfection.
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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
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 an amazing recipe for that, then you just have to make Vegan Spanakopita!
We're talking shatteringly crisp phyllo pastry, with a super delicious, soft, salty, tangy, creamy, vegan feta and spinach filling, more crispy, phyllo layers baked to golden perfection ... and that's it. Stop right there. All of your cheesy vegan and vegetarian spinach pie dreams have come true. Your life is complete. Done and done.
This is a rustic, super tasty vegan Greek-inspired dish that looks way more complicated than it is. And when it comes to comfort food, it doesn't get much better thank this!
Mel x
What Is Spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a traditional Greek savoury pie made with layers of perfectly flaky, golden, and crispy phyllo dough with a comforting, creamy, delicious filling of spinach and feta cheese. Traditionally, the filling is enriched with eggs, but they really aren't necessary. You still get a perfectly rich and creamy, easily sliceable pie without them in this vegan Spanakopita recipe.
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Phyllo pastry - Store-bought phyllo pastry (sometimes spelled filo) is pretty much always 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, it's really important to not remove it from the package.
- Vegan feta cheese - Made with my tofu-based recipe and included below in this recipe. You can make it in your food processor in a few minutes. It holds up in the filling way better than store-bought feta cheese.
- Fresh spinach - Fresh is best, but you can use frozen as long as you defrost it and squeeze out all of the liquid before adding it to the filling. You will need about 283 grams or 10oz (frozen weight).
- Flavour givers - Onion, garlic, lemon zest.
- Fresh herbs - I like to use parsley and mint. I love the freshness the mint brings, but you can safely omit it if you don't have any.
- Olive oil or melted vegan butter - Either works well. This is for brushing the phyllo for that shatteringly crisp texture and a nice colour.
- Nutmeg - This might seem like a strange addition but it works so well with the other flavours. You can safely omit it if you don't have any.
And here is what you need to make the easy vegan feta (this can be done up to 4 days ahead and stored in a container in the fridge):
How To Make Vegan Spanakopita
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner:
1 - Make the vegan feta. It's just a case of blending the ingredients in a food processor.
2 - Sauté the spinach in a pan until wilted, then once it is cool, squeeze out the excess liquid.
3 - Add the feta and other filling ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.
4 - Layer up half of the phyllo sheets in an oven-proof dish, brushing each sheet with olive oil or melted vegan butter.
5 - Spoon the spinach mixture into the pastry and level it off. Brush each of the remaining pastry sheets with oil or butter, and screw them up (just like if you were screwing up a sheet of paper) gently in your hands before placing them on top of the filling. Keep going until the surface is covered.
6 - Here's what it will look like once done. Then all you have to do is bake until golden.
Don't Worry About Perfection!
Phyllo pastry can be a bit daunting because it's so tissue-paper thin, but trust me on this, if it tears, it doesn't matter! If it's one of the bottom layers, just patch it up by laying another sheet on top, and no one will ever know. As for 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!
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Spanakopita in so many ways. Enjoy hot, warm, or cold for dinner, light lunches, brunch, picnics, or an appetizer. It's great when served with other Greek food, or with a simple crispy salad dressed in a tangy vegan vinaigrette.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Traditional feta cheese is not vegan. It is made with animal milk and usually rennet too. 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.
You can make the feta and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or make the entire filling recipe and store that in the fridge. You can even assemble the pie completely the day before you bake it. Just keep it well covered in the refrigerator.
Recipe
Vegan Spanakopita
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 16 oz (454 grams) phyllo pastry , (you will find it in the freezer department with the pie crusts)
- ½ cup (120 mls) olive oil or melted vegan butter , divided. Aquafaba can be used instead for oil-free, but oil or butter is highly recommended for crunch, colour and flavour.
For the vegan feta
- 12oz (350 g) extra firm tofu , (don't press it)
- ½ cup (120 ml) melted refined coconut oil , it MUST be refined and not unrefined or virgin
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice , (zest first and save for the pie filling)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar , or white wine, or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill , (leaves not seeds) - please note the finished feta does not taste of dill at all - Strangely, it helps the feta flavour.
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons fine sea salt , NOT table salt
For the filling
- 16 oz (454 grams) fresh spinach
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic minced very finely
- 1 cup (25 grams) fresh parsley , chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint , optional but recommended if you have some
- zest of a medium lemon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Defrost the phyllo pastry - Put the unopened package/box in the refrigerator overnight, or leave at room temperature for about 4 hours. Do not open it until you are going to assemble the pie.
- Make the feta (this can be done up to 4 days ahead & stored in the fridge) - Add all of the ingredients to a food processor (this recipe does not work well in a blender, even a high-powered one), starting off with only half of the salt. Blend it all up until smooth, then taste and add more salt as needed. Blend to incorporate it after each addition. Remember that this is feta so it should have quite a salty edge. I like to use the full 2 teaspoons in mine.
- Prepare the spinach - Heat a large sauté pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil or butter over medium-low heat and add the spinach. It will be piled ridiculously high, but within a few minutes it will wilt down. Use tongs to move it about and keep it cooking until it is completely wilted, soft and dark green. It will take about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool.
- Once it is cool take handfuls of spinach and squeeze over the sink until as much liquid as you can is removed. Place each handful in a large mixing bowl once done.
- Prepare the filling - To the spinach, add the vegan feta cheese, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon zest, nutmeg and pepper. Mix it all together really well.
- Assemble the pie - Grease an 8 x 12-inch or 9 x 13-inch (or similar) oven-proof dish with a little of the olive oil or melted vegan butter and preheat your oven to 350℉ (175 °C).
- Open the phyllo pastry and lay it out flat on the counter. Have a clean, damp dish towel ready to cover it with so it doesn't dry out while you're working. If the sheets are way more than double the size of your dish, cut them all in half right down the middle; otherwise, just use them as they are. Some overhang is good.
- Brush the top sheet of phyllo with oil or melted butter and gently lift it and lay it in the centre of the oven-proof dish. Keep the remaining sheets covered with the damp cloth. Push the pastry sheet down gently into the dish, letting the excess hang evenly over the sides. Don't worry if some of it falls back down the sides and into the bottom of the dish. Repeat, brushing each sheet with a little oil or butter and laying them on top of each other in the dish until you have used about half of the sheets. If any of them tear, just keep going. It doesn't matter because there are multiple layers.
- Spoon the spinach mixture onto the pastry layers in the dish and level it with a spatula, then scrunch up the edges of the overhanging pastry and arrange them around the edge of the filling.
- Now you need to brush each of the remaining phyllo sheets with oil or butter and take each one and scrunch it up loosely in your hand, then lay it gently on top of the feta spinach filling. Keep going until they are all used, then gently tweak them a bit to cover any big gaps. Some small gaps are fine.
- Bake - Put the pie in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Open the oven, turn it around (to make sure it bakes evenly) and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until very golden brown and shatteringly crispy.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before you try to cut it. It's good served warm or cold.
NOTES
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Riva J Martin says
I made this for a competition at a party - Nobody had any idea that it was vegan and people did a blind vote not knowing who made what. I won first place!!!
Melanie McDonald says
Oh wow, Riva, that's awesome! This makes me very happy!
Kan says
WOW! This brought back so many pre-vegan memories. Firstly, the feta recipe is a keeper. I use to love feta, never found a good vegan replacement in the stores, but it had all the taste and textures I remember. Made it with this recipe and it was not only delicious, but was a show-stopper. It is one pretty dish.
The only change I would make is grilling the onions. I kept getting little textural bits of onion that took me out of my food coma, but other than that little change, highly recommend and thank you!!
Thomas says
I made this for my girlfriend and she absolutely loved it. It tastes just like the real thing, except even better because it's cruelty free! Thanks for this recipe!
Melanie McDonald says
Love to hear that! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your reviews. It's much appreciated!
Jo says
Amazing recipe. Everyone loved it.
Elaine D says
This recipe is fantastic and
easy !! My spouse is so fussy with Vegan recipes and loved it.
The feta is also very good on salad!! Thank you for a great recipe.
Nichole says
This recipe is perfection! I’ve never made spanakopita before but I’ve eaten it many times and this one is amazingly flavorful and perfectly crisp. I served it with homemade vegan tzatziki and a Mediterranean pearl couscous salad. Delicious!!
Melanie McDonald says
Sounds delicious! So pleased you're enjoying it, Nichole!
Irina says
Wow. It is delicious. Thank you for a great recipe. A keeper
Makayla Taylor says
I used to always have spanikopita growing up, but since I went vegan I wasn't able to have it...until I found this recipe! I made it for the 1st time today and was very pleased with how it turned out. The homemade feta and all the fresh greens made the flavour just amazing! Thank you for the recipe, I'm really happy about the results :)
Samantha says
Made this yesterday! Love the balled up top! I thawed frozen spinach and squeezed it out to reduce a step. Easy peasy! And I used spray oil for the phyllo sheets which also made my life easier. I didn't have parsley but I subbed kale and that went great. Thanks for this fun recipe - my whole family loved it!
Marie says
I saw your recipe and got excited as I have not had spanakopita since going meat free and dairy free in 1993. I was going to make it with a flat layering on top and decided to do your "flower" technique as I call it. :-) I had bought Phillo Factory, unthawed it in the fridge overnight, and right out of the package it was partially dry and brittle and extremely thin, worse than thin paper, and not able to be handled the way you did in the video. I could not use a soft pastry brush to even gently brush the oil on it because it would tear just to touch it! So, I oiled my hands and patted each sheet. And it was so dry I did not have time to keep putting a moist towel on it. Was I thankful to do your technique with the top and no one could see the bottom layers for the tears and holes!! Hee-hee. Will not buy that dough again. Anyway, the pie came out excellent in looks and flavor! It was served to a group of 8 people, one a gourmet chef, and everyone thought it was excellent! I used Mori-Nu Extra Firm tofu and it did great. Thank you for this recipe! I am going to make the filling in a regular pie for fun.
Anna says
Delicious! Look forward to making it again!
Brittany says
This recipe is so delicious! The feta alone is so good I could eat it with a spoon. I made my spanakopita into appetizer triangles and they turned out amazing. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying the recipe! You're so right about the feta. I always have a pot of it in my fridge now. It goes with so many things!
Linda says
Wondering where you can find vegan puff pastry as it’s usually made with tons of BUTTER
A Virtual Vegan says
This recipe isn't made with puff pastry. It's made with phyllo (sometimes labelled filo) pastry which isn't made with butter. I've never seen a store bought phyllo that wasn't vegan but it's always wise to check the ingredients just in case.
A lot of other store bought frozen or fresh pastries including puff are vegan too though. These days not many of them use butter, probably because it's cheaper not to!
Linda says
Right , can’t believe I mixed that up. So then on another note is how to make it also gluten free ?
A Virtual Vegan says
You would need to find gluten free phyllo pastry to make it gluten-free. The filling is naturally gluten free. I've never looked for gluten-free phyllo so I'm not sure if it's possible to buy it.
Lori B says
It was so delicious even the non Vegans loved it
Amanda M Fast says
This recipe was very easy & super delicious!
Kate says
I made this recipe for 60 canvassers this morning. It was a massive hit. The vegan feta cheese was delicious and so easy! Thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased it went down well. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review Kate!
Charlotte says
This looks AWESOME and I want to make it! I have a bag of kale that needs to be used up. Do you think I could cook it longer and use that instead?
Melanie McDonald says
I think it will be ok if you cooked it until really tender first and removed all the stems. It might still affect the overall texture and make it a little drier as spinach is so much wetter, but as long as you are ok with that. Good luck!
Sally says
I’ve been waiting since seeing this in your Instagram stories. I made it as soon as you posted it this morning and it’s in the oven now. The filling is amazing. We can’t wait to eat it!
Sarah says
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!