These Easy Spanakopita Triangles are traditionally served as a Greek appetizer or snack. Mini spinach pies made with feta cheese, ricotta cheese and spinach leaves wrapped in flaky, buttery phyllo dough.
What is spanakopita?
Growing up Greek, I am no stranger to spanakopita. It was always at family parties in some form or another. And I always ate multiples!
A ‘traditional’ Greek spanakopita is a savory pie made primarily with spinach, feta cheese and a pastry dough. Some recipes are made into one large pie and cut into squares while others are made into individual servings where they are rolled or folded into triangles.
Growing up, my mother would make a triangle version ALL the time! They were one of my favorite appetizers to snack on while waiting for family to arrive. They were the perfect make ahead finger food.
She always used phyllo dough instead of puff pastry dough because of how flaky and buttery it is. My preferred phyllo dough is Athens. It is available in almost every grocery store and always gives me delicious results!
Spinach and feta cheese filling
The filling for this recipe is traditional in the fact that it has spinach and feta however my mother is always on a mission to make the ‘best of the best’. So over time she incorporated ricotta cheese into the filling. I find that the ricotta adds some much needed creaminess.
How to fold individual triangles
Folding your spanakopita is not hard I promise! I used to do it when I was younger and found phyllo dough to be pretty forgiving.
Just make sure to follow a few simple steps:
Step 1: Defrost your phyllo dough in the refrigerator. Keep your dough covered with a towel to prevent it from drying out.
Step 2: Layer one sheet of phyllo dough and sprinkle or brush your dough with melted butter. Add a second layer and repeat.
Step 3: Cut your rectangle into 3 long strips (lengthwise).
Step 4: Add 1-2 tablespoons of spinach filling to the bottom of each strip.
Step 5: Fold your dough by taking the bottom corner and folding it upwards over the spinach and feta filling. The bottom of the dough should line up with the edge.
Step 6: Continue folding your mini pies upwards like in the photo until you use all the dough. Then finish with some more butter.
Step 7: Finish by brushing your spanakopita with an egg wash and bake until golden brown.
If you want to bake your spanakopita in one baking dish, this recipe will show you how to make a large spanakopita pie that you can cut into squares.
What makes this recipe different
Most traditional spanakopita recipes do not have ricotta cheese or lemon juice. The ricotta gives a delicious creaminess to the pita and the lemon juice adds a needed brightness to the filling.
Delicious filling variations!
If you want, you can tweak the filling ANY way you please! Here are some popular and delicious ways:
- Add fresh parsley or dried oregano instead of dill
- Use green onions (scallions) or chives for a unique onion flavor.
- Add other spices like chili powder or paprika can add some heat or an added smoky flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce would be a delicious savory addition.
- Add freshly minced garlic instead of garlic powder.
- Add onion powder for more onion flavor to your filling.
- Add nutmeg! It is used in a lot of Greek cooking and goes very well with spinach!
How to freeze your spanakopita
These are great to make in advance when expecting guests. They freeze very well too!
To freeze your triangles, you need to first make sure your spanakopita are fully cooled. Then, to prevent sticking, flash-freeze them in a single layer. After about 20 minutes, they should be hard enough to combine together.
To ensure they don’t stick once they’re stacked, I suggest placing parchment paper in between your layers!
Reheating tips
Reheating your mini spinach feta pies are easy! You do NOT want to microwave them. Instead, place them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes or until they are warmed through.
Baking them will ensure they stay flaky!
Other tips!
- Brushing layers of phyllo dough with melted butter gives your dough extra crispiness
- Fill your triangles as much as you can so the ratio of dough to filling is equal
- Seal the edges of your spinach triangles with an egg wash so the filling does not spill out too much
- Frozen spinach can be used instead of fresh spinach if you want
Other Greek appetizers you may like:
Greek Marinated Lambchop Lollipops
Easy Spanakopita Triangles (Mini Greek Spinach Pies)
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ⅔ cup onions, diced
- 3 oz. fresh spinach leaves (or you can use 2 ½ oz. frozen) ((about ⅓ cup cooked down))
- 1 8 oz. roll phyllo dough (you need 16 sheets)
- 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ tbsp freshly squeeze lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly chopped dill
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- Sesame Seeds *Optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375° F.
- Saute your chopped onion in a skillet with 2 tbsp of butter for about 10 minutes or until translucent.
- If using fresh spinach, add it to your onions and saute for another 5 minutes or until the leaves are wilted down and water is fully evaporated. Take off heat.
- If using frozen spinach, make sure it is fully thawed. (A microwave can help do this quickly.)*There is a lot of excess water in frozen spinach so make sure to drain it very well. Take a few paper towels or a dish cloth and squeeze out any excess water. You do not want a watery filling!
- Add drained/cooled spinach, ricotta cheese, feta cheese, salt, onions, lemon juice, dill and garlic powder to a medium sized bowl and mix.
- Melt your butter in a saucepan or in a small bowl using your microwave. Scramble your egg in another bowl.
- Pull out your defrosted phyllo dough and lay one sheet down on the table.Make sure to cover your phyllo dough with a slightly damp dishtowel so it does not dry out!
- Carefully brush one sheet of phyllo dough lightly with butter. Add another layer of dough and brush again. You should have two buttered layers.
- Cut your phyllo dough into thirds lengthwise. Add 1½ - 2 tbsp of filling to the bottom of each strip of phyllo dough.
- Begin folding from the bottom up. You will want to maintain a right triangle. Continue folding the triangle upward until you reach the top. (See photos.) You should end up with 24 triangles.Brush your egg wash generously over the top and sides of your triangles and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat until finished. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you prefer.°
- Bake in the center of your oven for 12-15 minutes or until your dough turns golden brown.
Recipe Notes
- You want to fill your triangles with as much filling as you can without having it spill out.
- Make these ahead of time and reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through and crispy.
- To freeze your triangles, you need to first make sure your spanakopita are fully cooled. Then, to prevent sticking, flash-freeze them in a single layer. After about 20 minutes, they should be hard enough to combine and freeze together.
Nutrition
Hi, maybe I missed it, but how many triangles does this recipe make?
Hi Carolyn! Thanks for asking. I just updated it! 🙂 You should get 24 triangles! Let me know how they turn out!!
Hi, Aleka. This looks good. A question….the recipe instructs to layer two sheets of phyllo. Your narrative and the picture looks like three layers. Which do you recommend?
Hi Debbie! My mistake! Thank you so much for pointing that out. Initially I used 3 sheets of phyllo dough but thought the ratio of filling to dough was off (too much dough), so I changed it to TWO after I wrote the post. It is all fixed now. Please let me know how they turn out for you! 🙂