Easy Spanakopita Recipe

Spinach and Feta Pie—also known as Spanakopita—is a beloved Greek dish and a staple in my Bulgarian kitchen. In Bulgaria, we often cook with feta cheese, phyllo pastry, and fresh greens like spinach.

This flaky, savory pie is made with layers of golden brown phyllo dough, a rich spinach filling, and plenty of crumbled feta cheese.

It’s the perfect Mediterranean comfort food, whether you’re hosting a dinner or craving a meatless everyday meal.

Why You’ll Love This Spinach and Feta Pie:

• Tastes just like a Greek vacation on a plate!
• It’s light, savory, and packed with flavor from feta, spinach, scallions, onions, and herbs.
• No fancy tools—just a pan, knife, and a few mixing bowls.
• Versatile: serve it warm, room temperature, or cold.
• It freezes beautifully and is perfect for make-ahead meals.

What You’ll Need:

• 700 g (1.5 lb) fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3–4 green onions, finely sliced
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup cream cheese or ricotta
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
• 12–16 sheets of phyllo dough (thawed, if frozen)
• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 tbsp mixed white and black sesame seeds — for sprinkling on top

How to Make This Spanakopita Recipe:

1. Sauté the yellow and green onions in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

2. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach mixture with feta, cream cheese (or ricotta), parsley, dill, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).

5. Brush a baking dish with melted butter. Layer 5–7 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter.

6. Spread the spinach filling evenly on top.

7. Add another 5–7 phyllo sheets on top, brushing each one with butter.

8. Score the top into squares using a sharp knife.

9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

10. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

11.Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 Storage:

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• To freeze: Let pie cool completely, wrap well in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze.

More Recipes You’ll Love:

• Feta Salad Dressing
• Cabbage Casserole
• Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
• Oven Baked Okra
• Easy Cauliflower Pizza Recipe

Recipe Tips for the Best Spanakopita:

Don’t skip pre-scoring the pie:
Scoring (lightly slicing the top layers of phyllo with a sharp knife) before baking makes the pie easier to cut cleanly once baked. It also allows steam to escape so the top gets golden and crisp.

Why use ricotta or cream cheese?
These make the spinach filling extra creamy and moist without overpowering the traditional feta flavor. It balances the saltiness and gives a soft, rich texture—especially helpful if your feta is crumbly and dry.

Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes! Frozen spinach works great—just thaw and squeeze out all the excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Use about 1 lb (450 g) frozen spinach as a substitute for fresh.

What thickness of phyllo should I use?
Look for standard #4 or #7 phyllo dough. It should be thin, but not paper-thin like strudel dough. Thicker country-style phyllo can also be used, just reduce the number of sheets slightly.

Can I skip the butter?
If you don’t want to use melted butter, extra virgin olive oil is a traditional and flavorful alternative. It also makes the pie lighter and vegan-friendly (if skipping cheese or using vegan feta). You can even combine butter and oil for the best of both worlds!

Keep phyllo from drying out:
Cover the unused phyllo dough with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel while assembling the pie. It dries out very quickly once exposed to air.

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5 from 8 votes

Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita)

This homemade Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita) is a savory Greek-inspired recipe made with golden brown layers of phyllo pastry, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh spinach. A delicious meatless meal you’ll love!

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 6

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 700 g 1.5 lb fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 3 –4 green onions, finely sliced
• ▢ 2 –3 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 garlic clove, minced
• ▢ 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ▢ ½ cup cream cheese or ricotta
• ▢ ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ A pinch of ground nutmeg, optional
• ▢ 12 –16 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed, if frozen
• ▢ ½ cup melted butter
• ▢ 1 tbsp mixed white and black sesame seeds, for topping

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Sauté the yellow and green onions in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the spinach mixture with feta, cream cheese (or ricotta), parsley, dill, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well.
• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Brush a baking dish with melted butter. Layer 5–7 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter.
• Spread the spinach filling evenly on top.
• Add another 5–7 phyllo sheets on top, brushing each one with butter.
• Score the top into squares using a sharp knife.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Keep phyllo covered with a damp kitchen towel while working to prevent drying out.

You can freeze this pie before or after baking—wrap well in plastic and foil.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 161mg, Sodium: 1091mg, Potassium: 523mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 8215IU, Vitamin C: 22.9mg, Calcium: 353mg, Iron: 4.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: bulgarian

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