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Home » Recipes » Easy Spanokopita- Greek Spinach and Feta Pie

Easy Spanokopita- Greek Spinach and Feta Pie

Published: Oct 14, 2019 · Modified: Oct 18, 2019 by Farah Abumaizar · 15 Comments

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Baked greek spinach pie spanokopita with pomegranate molasses glaze on the side

This easy spanokopita is a Greek spinach pie. Think flaky golden filo dough filled with a feta and ricotta spinach mixture. The crunchy exterior gives way to the tastiest creamy interior. Everyone who tried this had seconds!

Easy Spanokopita- Greek Spinach Pie. What is it?

It’s a Greek savory pie, filled with feta cheese and spinach, onions or spring onions, and usually eggs to thicken. This is where I used ricotta instead, to give creaminess to the feta and also enhance the flavor. It’s always baked in filo pastry, but the shape differs. You can find spanokopita spirals, sheet pies, and this lovely one pictured.

Breakdown of the ingredients:

Greek spinach pie with feta mix in a bowl with a wooden spoon

The filling is composed of:

A sautéed red onion

Feta Cheese

Ricotta Cheese

Thawed frozen spinach. Make sure to thoroughly drain this- press as much water out of it as you can so that the filling doesn’t make the pastry soggy.

Toasted Pine nuts- not typically used, but I love toasted nuts in anything, and they go perfectly in the filling.

Dried oregano

And to encase the lovely filling we use:

Filo Dough this comes from the freezer section of supermarkets. Thaw before use, and see more tips for using filo dough below.

Olive Oil most spanokopita recipes use melted butter to brush over the filo layers, but I feel a lot better about my waistline using olive oil here. It was an experiment and it worked! The layers were so light and still turned the perfect golden brown crispy color. Not to mention, the flavor of olive oil is spot on with this Mediterranean dish.

Easy Spanokopita- How to work with filo dough:

Everyone says it’s really hard to work with filo dough. I didn’t find it to be that difficult. This is probably due to the nature of this recipe, where the filo is sort of arranged and scrunched around the filling in a messy manner. Here’s some tips to keep in mind, and you can also check out this link for more extensive filo tips.

The Filo dough should be thawed, but still cool. I’d recommend thawing for overnight in the fridge (in the closed box) , but I thawed mine for a few hours before using and it still worked out great.

Filo dough dries out very quickly, so while assembling, lay a damp kitchen towel over the opened pack of dough.

Don’t panic if your dough tears. You can just use another sheet, or still use the torn sheet in one of the upper layers.

Brush each two layers dough thoroughly with olive oil. The olive oil is what will get the layers to crisp up the oven.

Assembling your Greek Spinach Pie:

In a large baking pan lined with parchment paper, place two sheets of filo dough vertically from top to bottom. Brush all over with olive oil. Place two sheets horizontally from left to right, and brush with olive oil. This is like the shape of a + sign.

Now, place two sheets of olive oil diagonally from the top left of the pan to the bottom right, and brush with olive oil. Place two sheets of filo pastry from the top right of the pan to the bottom left and brush with olive oil. This is in the shape of an X. Keep going until you’ve finished 16 filo sheets in the shape of a rough star. Heap the spinach feta filling in the middle of this.

Assembled raw greek spinach pie spanokopita on baking sheet

Now scrunch the edges of the filo pastry towards the center of the filling, in a messy heaped sort of shape like in the photo below. Brush the edges of this with olive oil, then you are ready to bake!

Assembled raw greek spinach pie spanokopita on baking sheet

The Pomegranate Molasses Honey Glaze:

This is the cherry on top of the greek spinach pie. I love the tanginess and sweetness that a little of the glaze drizzled on top of the finished pie offers. It’s as simple as whisking together two parts honey to one part pomegranate molasses. You can try using balsamic vinegar instead of the pomegranate molasses, or leave this out entirely.

Making ahead and storing:

You can prepare the pie in it’s entirety, wrap well and keep it in the fridge overnight before baking the next day.

Leftovers should be stored in the fridge and still taste delicious heated in the oven 2-3 days later.

You can even freeze the whole pie before baking, store well wrapped in the freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight, and bake as directed (might have to add a few more minutes of total baking time).

Baked greek spinach pie spanokopita with pomegranate molasses glaze on the side

Easy Spanokopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Pie)

A crispy golden filo dough pie filled with a creamy feta and ricotta mixture
5 from 7 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: greek
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 380kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 200 g feta cheese 8 oz
  • 100 g ricotta cheese 1/2 cup
  • 400 g frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained 14 oz, small bag
  • 2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 16 filo dough sheets from one box of filo pastry, thawed
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

For the pomegranate molasses honey glaze:

  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200 C (425 F)
  • In a small skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and once hot add the diced onion. Cook until soft and translucent 3-5 min, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the feta, ricotta, spinach, toasted pine nuts, oregano, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cooked onion until thoroughly combined. Set filling mixture aside.
  • In a large baking pan lined with parchment paper, place two sheets of filo dough vertically from top to bottom. Brush all over with olive oil. Place two sheets horizontally from left to right, and brush with olive oil. This is like the shape of a + sign.
  • Now, place two sheets of olive oil diagonally from the top left of the pan to the bottom right, and brush with olive oil. Place two sheets of filo pastry from the top right of the pan to the bottom left and brush with olive oil. This is in the shape of an X.
  • Repeat the entire process one more time (top to bottom, left to right, then an x). Each time you place two sheets of filo dough down, you have to brush them thoroughly with olive oil. You'll end up with a rough star shape.
  • Place the spinach feta filling in a circular shape in the middle of the star.
  • Scrunch the edges of the filo dough towards the filling, leaving most of the filling exposed, just like the picture shows. Brush these scrunched up edges thoroughly with olive oil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. While it's baking, you can prepare the pomegranate molasses honey glaze.

For the glaze:

  • Mix together the honey and pomegranate molasses until combined. Use this for drizzling over the pie when it's out of the oven.
  • Serve the spanokopita warm or at room temperature, with extra glaze for whoever wants it.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adriane says

    February 20, 2022 at 7:04 pm

    5 stars
    Sooo Yummy. I used the block sheep/goat feta and some good ricotta. The pinenuts add texture. I loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipie.

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      February 21, 2022 at 9:09 am

      I am so happy you liked it Adriane! Adding ricotta is a great idea, thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  2. Adriane says

    February 20, 2022 at 7:03 pm

    5 stars
    This recipie is excellent. I used the block sheep/goat feta and some good ricotta. The pinenuts add texture. I loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipie.

    Reply
  3. Sonya says

    January 20, 2020 at 1:19 pm

    Hi! Looks good!! You think I can use pomegranate vinegar instead? Can’t seem to find molasses/syrup. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      January 20, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      You just want something a little tangy! Pomegranate vinegar or balsamic should do just fine, just make sure the final texture when mixed together is still thick and sticky so it just glazes the top instead of seeping in. Do let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  4. Demeter says

    October 14, 2019 at 4:16 pm

    5 stars
    I love Greek flavors! Thank you for breaking down the whole process to making it and getting it right.

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      October 14, 2019 at 9:25 pm

      I hope you try this and love it Demeter! Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Annie @ Annie's Noms says

    October 14, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    5 stars
    Spinach and Feta is such a great flavour combination especially when cooked alongisde flaky filo! I just know my family would love this and I’m going to make it for them ASAP!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      October 14, 2019 at 9:25 pm

      Great! I really hope they all love it as much as we did!

      Reply
  6. Adrianne says

    October 14, 2019 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    Pine nuts are my favourite and I love that you have toasted some for this recipe. Spinach and feta, well we all know that is the best combination ever. Yum, this is a fantastic looking pie!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      October 14, 2019 at 9:25 pm

      It’s a huge favorite with us! Thanks Adrianne!

      Reply
  7. Dannii says

    October 14, 2019 at 11:12 am

    5 stars
    This brings back happy memories of island hopping round Greece. One of my favourites.

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      October 14, 2019 at 11:13 am

      My dream is to island hop around Greece! Until then, I’ll eat all the food I can 🙂

      Reply
  8. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says

    October 14, 2019 at 10:58 am

    5 stars
    I love the flavours, and I love the presentation – this is my kind of meal, and one for my family to enjoy too!

    Reply
    • Farah Abumaizar says

      October 14, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Thanks Alexandra! Hope you love it

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Farah! I've been cooking and baking most of my life. I love Middle Eastern food, and decadent breakfast and desserts. Welcome to my food world!

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