These Mini Spinach Feta Pies are SO easy to make- much easier than traditional Greek Spanakopita- but with all the same delicious, savory taste. They’re perfectly portioned into individual servings since they’re made in a muffin pan, and they can even be made in a mini muffin pan for an impressive and tasty vegetarian appetizer.
Best of all- this recipe uses only FIVE ingredients and takes only 20 minutes of hands-on time to make!
Spanakopita is traditionally made with filo (or phyllo) dough, like baklava. I love filo dough, but it can be a bit tricky and time consuming to work with. Usually, you create stacks of filo by placing individual sheets in a tray and brush melted butter on each sheet (…YUM), filling the inside with yummy things such as this mixture of spinach and feta.
Using puff pastry is a wonderful alternative- it has the same flaky, buttery flavor and a similar texture, but is much quicker and easier to work with.
I also love using pasta to make a quick and easy Spanakopita Pasta, which has all the yummy flavor without the hassle. I’m all about those shortcuts!
How to make mini spanakopita pies
Just line 9 muffin cups with puff pastry (or 24 mini muffin cups), mix together the filling, fill the cups, brush with an egg wash, and bake!
Can I make them in a mini muffin pan?
Yes!
In a regular muffin pan, these are a wonderful, light vegetarian meal for lunch or dinner when served with a Greek salad. And because the texture is so similar to a dense quiche, it would be great to serve for brunch as well.
And if you make a mini, appetizer version, it’s perfect for a holiday cocktail party! Just cook it for less time and cut the puff pastry smaller.
Or, make a batch to enjoy for lunch all week- just pop them in the microwave to reheat.
Tips and Tricks
- Get a block of feta and cut it yourself rather than pre-crumbled. It’s more moist and much more delicious! (but to save time, buy already crumbled if you’re in a rush)
- Beat the egg VERY vigorously that you use to brush the pies. I made the mistake of not doing this, and parts of the egg pooled on top because it wasn’t separated enough.
- Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can before using it, otherwise the pies may be too watery. I suggest leaving it out a room temperature to completely defrost before using it, so it’s easier to squeeze the liquid out.
For more puff pastry deliciousness, try this puff pastry asparagus tart and this cranberry baked brie en croûte.
Recipe for Mini Spinach Feta Pies (Spanakopita) below!
Mini Spinach Feta Pies (Spanakopita)
Equipment
- Muffin Pan
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 16 oz. frozen chopped spinach
- 8 oz. feta cheese finely chopped or crumbled
- 1/2 small yellow onion finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 3 eggs divided
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Unfold puff pastry and lightly roll with a rolling pin to remove seams.
- Cut the puff pastry into nine square(ish) pieces by cutting into a 3x3 grid.
- Line 9 muffin pan cups with the puff pastry, pressing down to push it up the sides to completely cover the inside of the cups.
- Thaw the frozen spinach and drain it of as much water as you can. I do this by putting the frozen spinach in a mesh sieve and running hot water over it until it's defrosted, then pressing down vigorously with a wooden spoon to squeeze the water out.
- Mix the spinach, feta, onion, 2 eggs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.
- Fill each pastry lined muffin cup with the spinach mixture (feel free to stuff it very full).
- Beat the remaining egg very thoroughly in another bowl.
- Brush the tops and edges of each spinach pie with the egg mixture, until egg is completely used up.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned on the outside.
- Allow to cool for five minutes before removing from muffin pan.
Notes
- For a smaller appetizer portion, use a mini muffin pan and cut the puff pastry into a 5x5 grid (a standard mini muffin pan has 24 cups; you will have one extra piece of puff pastry using this method). Cook at the same temperature for about 15 minutes.
- To use fresh spinach, cook it first (I usually steam it), and proceed with the directions by squeezing as much of the water out as possible.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
June Essex
Love these spinach and feta tartlets. Are they safe to freeze?
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them! Yes, you can definitely freeze. Reheating in the microwave will work though the crust won’t be crispy at all. You could also reheat in the oven – I would defrost them overnight, then throw them back in a muffin pan and reheat at 350 until heated through. Alternatively, you can form them in a muffin pan, freeze them uncooked, pop them out, and store in a zip-top bag or container in the freezer. Then you can place in a muffin pan and cook according to the directions after they’ve thawed out, and you can cook up as many as you like. Hope that helps!
Christine
This turned out great!!,,, I brought mini ones to a party and everyone loved them. But 10 minutes prep time??? It took me more like an hour or more. I did double the recipe and bought a block of feta but still, just wringing out the spinach was 10 minutes. ???? Also what is meant by “eggs, divided”?
Elizabeth
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! And it’s so funny you brought up the prep time- I’ve been rethinking how I calculate my prep times ever since my husband started cooking things from my blog and told me that my prep times really stress him out! I think sometimes my sense of time is distorted because a) I’m an experienced cook and work very efficiently, and b) I really enjoy it so I think time gets away from me when I’m prepping! I’m going to up the prep time a little bit on the recipe. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! To save time with the spinach, let it sit out at room temp for a few hours so it defrosts so it’s easier to squeeze the liquid out. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. And eggs divided just meant that you only use two in the spinach mixture, and one later to brush the tops (I mentioned it so people wouldn’t jump the gun and add all of them to the spinach mixture). Thanks again for your comment and have a good day!
Nancy
I roll my thawed spinach in a newspaper lined w paper towels and stick in fridge overnight. Great for drying it out a bit
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oooo that’s a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
Lisa
I use a potato ricer. Quickly and easily squeezes out all the liquid in the spinach.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great idea! Thanks for sharing this tip.
Stacey
If I make these the night before, can I put them in the fridge and reheat the next day or would it be best to freeze and reheat?
Elizabeth
I put my leftovers in the fridge and they were fine! The puff pastry isn’t as crispy if you microwave them to reheat, but it’s still delicious. Freezing will also work. Alternatively, you could assemble them without baking, refrigerate them overnight, and then bake them the next day, if you have the time.
Stacey Thompson
Assemble, fridge and bake the next day is a perfect idea! Thank you :)
Ellen
Yum! There is a dearth of Greek/Mediterranean restaurants where I live and I’ve really been craving spinach pie but didn’t want to deal with the hassle of filo dough. Problem solved thanks to your ingenious substitution! Thank you for sharing :)
Elizabeth
Thanks, Ellen! The puff pastry instead of filo is soooo much easier. Hope you like it!
Barbara Manning
Thank you! I love spanikopita but it’s always a hassle to make. I rejected puff pastry because I thought it would be too sweet. Now I realize that it was the filling that was sweet, not the pastry.
Also, try putting the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wringing it out. I find it’s quicker and faster and gets more of the moisture out. I’m definitely making these. And thanks for more vegetarian recipes, too!
Elizabeth
I’ve only just started using puff pastry for savory recipes and I’m hooked- it’s so buttery and delicious! Great tip with the kitchen towel- I’ll try that next time :-)
Donna
Can this be made ahead of a brunch, frozen without baking and day of party baked for 30 minutes at 400 degrees? If so should it be defrosted before baking or can it be baked frozen. This looks wonderful and very easy. Thank you.
Elizabeth
You can definitely make these ahead! I would defrost them before baking, just to make sure they don’t dry out too much in the oven and cook evenly. Have fun at your brunch!
Sue
Yum – these are so good for my hubbies morning snack… the rest if the office queues for a sample!
Elizabeth
Thanks Sue! Hope your husband liked them :-)
Judy
Could this be made using fresh spinach?
Elizabeth
Definitely! Thanks for asking this- I should have included it in my recipe notes and I’ll go and add it. To use fresh spinach, cook it first (I usually steam it), and proceed with the directions by squeezing as much of the water out as possible.
Judy
Thank you – I will definitely try this recipe. Looks delicious.
Lauren Naylor
These look so amazing! Esp for season:) Gonna try and make these this week. Pairing with a salad is a great ideA!
Elizabeth
Thanks Lauren! :)