Why You’ll Love These Spinach and Feta Pastries
- Spanakopita, but quicker—the classic flavors of one of my favorite Greek dishes are captured in these easy pastries that can be assembled and baked in less than 35 minutes
- It’s a cheater recipe—using store-bought puff pastry cuts out the hassle of making your own dough
- Delicious, creamy, flavorful filling—spinach, cream cheese, queso fresco, feta, and seasonings combine to make the most delicious spanakopita-esque filling
- Versatile—serve these pastries for brunch, lunch, dinner, as an appetizer, side dish, or all by themselves
What is Spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish made with buttery, ultra-thin layers of phyllo dough layered around a savory seasoned spinach and feta filling. I grew up eating my mom’s spanakopita, and it is one of my favorite dishes ever.
For this recipe, we’ll be making “cheater” spanakopita using puff pastry, which eliminates the need to make your own dough or assemble layers upon layers of delicate phyllo. The filling is adapted from my mom’s amazing spanakopita filling—everyone say thank you to mom for sharing! The result is a quicker and easier pastry that captures the essence of spanakopita but is quick enough to make on days where you don’t have the time to assemble and bake the classic dish.
Spinach and Feta Pastries Ingredients
Puff pastry: One box (two sheets) will yield eight spinach and feta pastries. If you, like me, store your puff pastry in the freezer, make sure you leave it out on the counter for 30-40 minutes to thaw before rolling it out to make these pastries.
Spinach: One box of frozen spinach is used in this filling. Make sure you thaw your spinach—either by setting it out on the counter or microwaving it for about 5 minutes—before using it. Also, you must drain it! I recommend using paper towels or a kitchen towel to squeeze out as much liquid as possible before adding the spinach to the filling.
Cream cheese: One block of cream cheese (softened in the microwave) makes the filling extra creamy and binds all the ingredients together.
Feta: Would these pastries really be spanakopita-inspired without feta? Plain crumbled feta and Mediterranean-seasoned feta make the filling extra delicious.
Queso fresco: Yes, you read that right—we’re adding queso fresco to the filling! While this cheese may not be considered a traditional addition to spanakopita filling, you’ll have to trust me on this one. The cheese’s mild flavor, crumbly texture, and the fact that it doesn’t quite melt completely add a certain je ne sais quoi to the filling.
Seasonings: A bit of dill, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt add flavor to the filling.
An egg white, plus some water: An egg white wash is brushed over the surface of the puff pastry, which helps it brown while baking. An entire egg may also be used, but I have found that the extra fat from the yolk makes the puff pastry too brown for my liking.
Other Tips & Notes
- Docking the pastry dough. You want to dock (or poke small holes into) the center of each puff pastry square to let steam escape and prevent that area from puffing up while baking, creating a level area for the filling to sit. Leaving an undocked border will let the edges puff up more than the inside, keeping the ooey gooey cheesy filling in place while baking.
- Do not overbake. Since ovens differ, make sure you keep an eye on these pastries and take them out once they have puffed up and turned golden brown. If you overbake them, the puff pastry may become a bit crunchy and the filling may become dry.
- When to Serve. These pastries are very versatile and can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, as an appetizer, as a side, or really any time for any occasion. Dip them in tzatziki, serve them with your favorite salad, or snack on them alone—they’re great any way you serve them.
- Leftovers & Reheating the Pastries. Store any leftover pastries in an airtight bag or container in the fridge. To reheat, either warm them up in the oven (using a pizza stone is helpful) or pop them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 400 degrees.
For all the spanakopita-lovers out there, this easy, “cheater” version of the classic dish may just become your new go-to when you’re running low on time. Read on for the recipe—then make sure you leave a rating and review once you’ve tried these pastries for yourself!
Easy Spinach and Feta Pastries (Spanakopita Inspired)
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
Ingredients
- 1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 10 oz frozen spinach thawed and drained—see Note 1 below
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
- ¼ cup crumbled Mediterranean herb feta
- 1½ tsp dried dill
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Add the softened cream cheese, thawed and drained spinach (see Note 1 below), feta, Mediterranean herb feta, queso fresco, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a medium mixing bowl. Stir using a spoon or spatula, making sure all ingredients are well combined. Set aside.8 oz cream cheese, 10 oz frozen spinach, 1 cup crumbled feta, 1 cup crumbled queso fresco, ¼ cup crumbled Mediterranean herb feta, 1½ tsp dried dill, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp onion powder, ⅛ tsp salt
- On a lightly-floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry into a large (10" x 10") square. Cut this large square into four smaller squares—about 5"x5" each. Repeat the same process with the second puff pastry sheet.1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
- Use a fork to dock, or poke small holes into, the middle of each puff pastry square. Leave about a ½-¾" undocked border around the edge. Add about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling to each puff pastry square, spreading it into a diagonal across the docked portion of the dough (so the filling will peek out when two opposite corners are pinched together).
- Whisk together the egg white and water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, dab some of the egg wash onto the corner of the puff pastry square that will be folded in last—this will act as glue to hold the two corners together. Fold in the opposite corner, then the corner that has been brushed with egg wash. Pinch/press the two corners together to secure them. Brush the outside and edges of each pastry with more egg wash.1 egg white, 1 tsp water
- Bake 4 pastries at a time on a half sheet pan covered with a silicone baking mat (or parchment) for 18-20 minutes at 400°F, turning the pan 180° halfway through to ensure even baking. The pastry should be puffy and golden brown and the filling should be cooked but not dried out when the pastries are done baking.
- Remove the spinach and feta pastries from the oven and move them to a wire cooling rack using a spatula. Once they have cooled slightly, enjoy the pastries! Store any leftovers in an airtight bag or container in the fridge. See my notes in the post content above for tips on reheating these pastries.
Notes from the Happy To Be Here Kitchen
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