Vegan spanakopita triangles are made with crisp buttery phyllo dough and filled with chopped spinach and vegan feta cheese! These vegan spinach pies are always a favorite at parties! They look complicated but they’re super easy and absolutely irresistible!

Spinach pies have been a long-time favorite in my family. You might even say it was one of my mom’s signature recipes! I haven’t posted too many of my mom’s Mediterranean-inspired recipes, but I’m hoping to change that, as these recipes inspired me to love cooking, and the way it brings people together.
As I’ve mentioned before, my mom was Armenian. Her parents immigrated to America. They didn’t have much, but they did have their traditional recipes. These recipes were passed down to my mom, and then to me. My mom put her own spin on them, and her spinach pies were one such recipe.
Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish. In Armenia, they called it borek. Our family made cheese borek and spinach borek. Borek is made with flaky phyllo dough and filled with various fillings. Every family event includes both, along with other Mediterranean recipes like hummus, tabouli, pita bread, bulgur pilaf, and dolma (grape leaves.)
Her spinach pies were legendary and so easy to make!! I took her simple recipe and made a few vegan substitutes, and they turned out just as delicious! In my husband’s words, “These aren’t good, these are amazing!”
💗 Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and Easy
- Simple Ingredients
- Vegan and Dairy-Free
- Appetizer or Main Dish
- Flaky and Crisp Pastry
- Mediterranean Flavors
🌿 Ingredients and Notes
Phyllo Pastry: I use organic phyllo dough. There are many different brands available. The one I use is from Whole Foods and is called The Fillo Factory. It uses organic ingredients and is 100% vegan.
Frozen Chopped Spinach: Instead of using fresh spinach, I have always used frozen chopped spinach. A 16-ounce package is a perfect amount to make 15 spinach triangles. Be sure to defrost the spinach in the refrigerator overnight.
Vegan Feta: I make my own vegan feta using tofu, however, you can also buy store-bought vegan feta if you prefer.
Just Egg: The spinach and vegan feta need a binder. For this recipe, I use Just Egg. However, you could also use other vegan egg substitutes such as flax or chia eggs.
Vegan Butter: Using vegan butter or olive oil is essential to achieving a crisp phyllo dough. My favorite is Earth Balance. If you don’t want to use vegan butter, then brush olive oil on top of each triangle.
📋 Instructions for Vegan Spanakopita
Step 1: Defrost the chopped spinach and phyllo dough sheets overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Drain the spinach. Using your hands, squeeze all of the excess water out of the spinach. It’s very important that the spinach is not wet.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the spinach, vegan feta, just egg (or flax egg), salt, and black pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Combine with a spatula until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
Step 4: Depending on the type of phyllo dough you use, you’ll have either one or two logs. Cut one of the phyllo logs into three 4 inch long pieces.
Step 5: Carefully roll one of the phyllo dough logs out. Using a tablespoon, or cookie scoop, scoop out the spinach mixture and place it on the corner of the phyllo dough.
Use two sheets of phyllo dough and fold the dough into a triangle. Then continue folding one side over the other until the sheets are completely used.
Step 6: Continue placing the spinach on the phyllo dough sheets and folding it into triangles until all of the spinach mixture has been used. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should get about 12-15 triangles.
Step 7: Add one pat of butter to each triangle.
Step 8: Bake the vegan spanakopita for 10-12 minutes at 350 F on the middle rack or until golden brown.
Step 9: Allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Serve warm. Top with optional fresh herbs.
💭 Expert Tips
- Be sure to give the spinach enough time to completely defrost before mixing with the other ingredients.
- If you are pressed for time, you can defrost the spinach in the microwave, or run warm water over the spinach.
- Be sure to remove the extra water from the spinach. I have always squeezed the water out of the spinach with my hands like ringing out a towel. However, you can also use a cheesecloth or sieve to remove the excess water.
- Use two sheets of phyllo dough for each triangle.
- No need to melt butter and brush between each sheet, simply add one pat of butter on top of each triangle. It will melt in the oven covering the sheets and will crisp the dough perfectly.
❓ Recipe FAQS
Most phyllo dough is vegan. However, look at the ingredient list before purchasing. I recommend using The Fillo Company dough. It’s organic and says right on the front of the box that it is vegan-friendly.
Unfortunately, I have not found gluten-free phyllo dough, and this is an essential ingredient for this recipe. However, if you ever find gluten-free phyllo dough, comment below and let me know.
👩🍳 Variations and Substitutions
Flax Egg: If Just Egg is not available to you, or you’d rather use a natural substitute, then sub with two flax eggs. Use 2 tablespoons of ground flax, with 5 tablespoons of water. Whisk together, and allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.
Greek Spinach Pie Bake: To make this vegan spanakopita into a bake, you’ll need to layer 6 sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan, melt the butter, and brush it over the dough. Top with the spinach filling. Then layer an additional 6 sheets on top, and brush with butter. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 F.
Additional Fillings: If you’d like to add more seasonings or additional fillings, I suggest adding lemon juice to taste, minced garlic, green onion, fresh dill, or oregano.
❄️ Storage and Reheating
It is best to serve vegan spanakopita triangles immediately. That’s when they are fresh, warm, crisp, and absolutely perfect. When I take this recipe to a party, I prep them and bake them in the oven when I get there so that they are at the peak of their freshness.
However, if you have any leftovers, you can store them and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed container. I recommend placing them back in the oven to reheat at 325 F for 5-7 minutes to crisp and warm them before enjoying them again.
😋 More Vegan Mediterranean Recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Spanakopita (Spinach Pie Triangles)
Ingredients
- 11 ounces phyllo dough
- 16 ounce frozen chopped spinach
- ½ cup Just Egg
- 1 cup vegan feta
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegan butter
Instructions
- Defrost the chopped spinach and phyllo dough sheets overnight in the refrigerator.
- Drain the spinach. Using your hands, squeeze all of the excess water out of the spinach. It's very important that the spinach is not wet.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the spinach, vegan feta, just egg (or flax egg), salt, and pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Combine with a spatula until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Depending on the type of phyllo dough you use, you'll have either one or two logs. Cut the phyllo log into three 4 inch long pieces.
- Carefully roll one of the phyllo dough logs out. Using a tablespoon, or cookie scoop, scoop out the spinach mixture and place it on the corner of the phyllo dough. Using two sheets, fold the dough into a triangle. Then continue folding one side over the other until the sheets are completely used.
- Continue placing the spinach on the phyllo dough sheets and folding it into triangles until all of the spinach mixture has been used. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should get about 12-15 triangles.
- Add one pat of butter to each triangle. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown at 350 F on the middle rack.
- Allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Serve warm. Top with optional fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to give the spinach enough time to completely defrost before mixing with the other ingredients.
- If you are pressed for time, you can defrost the spinach in the microwave, or run warm water over the spinach.
- Be sure to remove the extra water from the spinach. I have always squeezed the water out of the spinach with my hands like ringing out a towel. However, you can also use a cheesecloth or sieve to remove the excess water.
- Use two sheets of phyllo dough for each triangle.
- No need to melt butter and brush between each sheet, simply add one pat of butter on top of each triangle. It will melt in the oven covering the sheets and will crisp the dough perfectly.
Tatum
Making these again tonight, they are amazing! The one thing I’ll do differently is to freeze the vegan butter for 20 or 30 minutes first because I had trouble slicing out pats last time. (It became a blob the last time.) I used Bob’s Red Mill powered egg replacer and it worked great. Thanks for yummy vegan take on one of my favorite foods!
Alison Corey
Thank you! These are a family favorite in our house. I’m glad you enjoyed them as much as we do!
Tayler Ross
The perfectly flaky pastry really sends these spanakopita over the top! Can’t wait to make them again!
Jessica Formicola
This is such a fun idea! Love that it’s vegan and I will definitely be making the next time my vegan friends come over for dinner!
Wanda
These are one of my favourite snacks to buy. Now I’m inspired to make them! Bookmarking!
Andrea
Wow! They are perfectly crispy and flaky with a fabulous filling. Can’t wait to try them.
Nathan
I love spanikopita, and it’s so great that there’s a way to make it vegan! Can’t wait to try this for myself, thanks for the recipe!