Spanakopita Spinach and Feta Triangles

Greek spanakopita triangles made with phyllo dough are filled with spinach, feta, Parmesan and garlic to make a vegetarian appetizer.

Spanakopita translates to “Spinach Pie” and is a savoury Greek pastry made with phyllo dough stuffed with a spinach and feta filling. The savoury pastry can be made into a round or rectangular pie, a large coil or individual triangles. My favourite version is making them into individual triangles so they can be served as a finger food.

These golden-brown spanakopita triangles are delicious and authentic. Spanakopita are a perfect make-ahead appetizer and are especially popular for parties. I’ve been making these for a really long time and no one ever gets tired of them!

The crispy irresistible phyllo triangles are filled with a customized filling of garlic, spinach, feta, Parmesan and nutmeg. The pastry is so flakey it shatters when you bite into it guaranteeing a crumbly mess! They’re perfect eaten on their own or consider serving them with Yogurt Mint Sauce for dipping.

Making spanakopita is easy! They’re made ahead, frozen and stored in the freezer which makes it easy to bake a few at a time for a snack or side, or to bake dozens for a crowd. Below is the list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions and tips.

Ingredients needed

• Frozen spinach
• Feta cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Nutmeg
• Salt & Pepper
• Egg
• Phyllo Dough
• Butter

Make the filling

• Squeeze out excess liquid from the spinach and discard the liquid
• Crumble the feta cheese
• Into a medium bowl add spinach, feta, Parmesan, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper and egg
• Mix the filling ingredients well and refrigerate until needed; can be made one – 24 hours ahead

Tips for working with phyllo dough

1. Phyllo dough (sometimes called Filo) is tissue-thin unleavened Middle Eastern dough that’s used for many sweet and savoury pastries. Brushing the dough with melted butter (or sometimes olive oil) keeps the dough from drying out and tearing and makes the dough become golden and crispy when baked.
2. Phyllo comes in 454g size boxes in the frozen section. Each box contains about 16 – 18 sheets. When buying phyllo, be sure and keep it chilled in a cooler on the way home to ensure it doesn’t start to thaw, and once home, immediately put it in the freezer.
3. Plan ahead when working with phyllo; allow 8 – 24 hours for it to thaw in the original package in the refrigerator. Not recommended to defrost at room temperature as it will thaw too quickly and condensation can build up which may cause the sheets to become gummy and stick together making it unusable.
4. It’s easier to work with thawed phyllo when it’s closer to room temperature. For this reason, remove the thawed phyllo (leave it in original package) from the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes before unrolling and using it. Do not open package until everything needed is ready.
5. To keep phyllo from drying while working with it, prepare two lightly dampened tea towels (spritz them with a spray bottle) and two large sheets of waxed paper. On a work surface lay out one dampened tea towel vertically and place a piece of waxed paper on top of it. Unroll the thawed phyllo from the original packaging and lay it out on top of that. Lay the second sheet of waxed paper over the phyllo stack and cover it with the second dampened tea towel. The phyllo should not touch the dampened towels.
6. Work quickly, with one sheet of phyllo at a time, and after removing a sheet from the stack, cover the remaining stack to keep it from drying out. Brush each sheet with butter as soon as you remove it.
7. Sometimes phyllo sheets can crack, tear or crinkle and you can easily recover from this by patching it with butter. You will be folding and/or stacking the dough anyways and once the product is baked you won’t be able to tell.
8. This recipe uses a full package of phyllo, but if your recipe does not require the whole package of phyllo, any leftover sheets can be re-rolled, wrapped well and refrigerated for a few days or re-frozen for up to two months.

Preparing to assemble spanakopita

• Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper
• Melt butter in a small saucepan, keep it warm, and pour ¼ cup at a time into a cup or bowl to use for brushing the phyllo; refill the cup with warm butter as needed
• Unroll the thawed phyllo sheets and place the stack vertically between two lightly dampened tea towels that are each lined with a piece of waxed paper (see above tips for more information)
• Place one phyllo sheet vertically on a work surface and brush the entire sheet lightly with butter, place a second sheet on top, lining it up, and brush lightly with butter

Assemble and freezing spanakopita

• Working with the first buttered sheets, use a ruler to equally measure five vertical strips and cut them with a pizza wheel or sharp knife
• Spoon a rounded ½ tablespoon of filling at the bottom end of each strip; fold one corner of phyllo over sideways and upward to create a triangular shape, until the end of each phyllo strip is reached; repeat process with remaining phyllo sheets until all sheets and filling are used up
• Brush all sides of the folded triangles with butter and place them spaced out in one layer on the prepared baking sheets; place sheets in the freezer for 2 hours or until triangles are frozen
• Once triangles are frozen transfer them to a large zipper storage bag, store the bag in the freezer and keep frozen until needed

How to bake spanakopita

Spanakopita are best when baked from frozen. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet(s) for as many triangles as you need to bake by lining with parchment paper. Arrange frozen triangles on the sheet(s), spaced out. Bake for 15 – 17 minutes until puffed, golden and crispy.

Can I bake spanakopita ahead of time?

For the optimum freshness and crispness, the spanakopita should be baked just before needed. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes. They may lose some of their freshness and crispiness. Not recommended to reheat leftovers in microwave.

What to serve with spanakopita

Spanakopita can be served as an appetizer, snack or side-dish and go well with a creamy dip like Yogurt Mint Sauce. This sauce is a quick and easy to make with yogurt, garlic, lemon, mint and parsley. If you prefer, you can also serve spanakopita with store-bought tzatzaki sauce.

No doubt these little triangles will impress your family and guests!