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This Spanakopita is healthy and super easy to make. All you need is 5 basic ingredients to make this popular Greek snack. With a few variations, nobody will be able to tell this is vegan.

Spanakopita is a fancy title for spinach filling in filo dough. It is really simple and quick to make everything but can be challenging if you are not familiar with the ingredients.

Filo dough is papery thin sheets (Filo literally means Leaf in Greek) that turn crispy really quickly in the oven. It is what makes the crunchy and flaky outside. But since it is so thin, it dries out really quickly and is delicate in texture. If you are not careful, it will crumble and you won’t be able to work with it. I show you a way to prevent that from happening.

But besides that, everything is pretty straightforward. You can make this in under an hour and it doesn’t need to bake long to get nice and golden brown. Super delicious snack and secretly healthy. I hope you enjoy it.

Important note: This post contains affiliate links, but it does not affect my opinion of the products. I used all of these and love these products. You can read my full disclosure here.

Main Ingredients

• Spinach. Spanakopita is traditionally made with spinach, but if you would like to put other greens, like kale or swiss chard, you can. Just take out any hard stems because this will rip your filo dough.
• Filo Dough. This is a necessity. Filo dough is paper-thin strips of dough that you will put your filling in. Make sure if it is frozen to put it in the fridge to thaw first.
• Vegan Butter. Filo dough will dry out very quickly, so this helps keep it moist and make it brown faster in the oven.
• Feta Cheese. This adds fat and tartness to the filling. You can buy vegan feta cheese (I use Violife), make your own, or omit.

Procedure

First we need to cook the filling to take out any moisture.

Wash the spinach and take about 4 cups of it. They do shrink a lot during cooking, so beware of that. I like to take out the stems, too, but that is completely optional.

In a pot, Sautee the onion and garlic to get some color of them. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Be careful that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the spinach.

Once the spinach turns a darker green and is wilted, it is ready. Add salt and pepper and let cool completely. Then add the feta cheese if using.

Now for the filo dough. Make sure it is not frozen, so put it in the fridge to thaw. This will make it easier to work with. You need about 6 sheets to make this recipe. The rest can go in the freezer for another recipe.

Melt some vegan butter in a saucepot and keep on the ready. You want this to brush on the filo.

Take three sheets out of the package. Set a damp towel on top of the ones you are not using to stop them from drying out. Brush butter carefully on top of the three sheets.

Use a pizza cutter to cut it into three equal sections. You want to aim for about 3 inches per section. Scoop out 1 tbsp. of filling in the bottom right corner. Fold it across to create a triangle and then fold it up. Keep folding until you have no more filo dough left. Brush butter on the top and place it on a tray.

This could take some practice to get right, but no one will judge you if your first few look misshapen.

Bake in your oven or toaster oven until golden brown. So delicious and flaky. I could eat a whole tray just to myself.

If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you! I love spanakopita and I was surprised at how easy it is to make them at home. Perfect to bring to a party and surprise your guests.