Vegan Spanakopita
Spanakopita is Greece’s most beloved comfort classic — layers of paper-thin golden filo pastry, crisp and buttery, wrapped around a generous, fragrant filling of tender spinach, creamy onion, fresh herbs, and rich plant-based feta-style cheese. Every bite delivers the perfect contrast: flaky, shattering pastry on the outside, warm, soft, savoury filling inside. This fully vegan version captures every bit of the traditional charm — no dairy, no eggs, just pure Mediterranean goodness. Wonderful as a main meal, a generous slice for lunch, or cut into pieces for sharing with family and friends 💚🇬🇷
Shared by peter
Time
70 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
medium
🛒 Ingredients
- #Filling;
- 800 g fresh spinach — washed, stems trimmed, roughly chopped
- 2 large onions — finely diced.. 3 spring onions — thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves — minced.. 2 tbsp olive oil — plus extra for cooking
- 250 g vegan feta-style cheese or firm tofu — crumbled
- 100 g thick unsweetened plant-based cream or coconut cream
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast — for rich cheesy depth
- 1 tbsp cornflour — to bind the filling.. ½ cup fresh dill — finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh dill — finely chopped.. ½ cup fresh parsley — finely chopped
- ¾ tsp salt — adjust to taste.. ½ tsp black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg — traditional in spanakopita
- #Pastry & Assembly;
- 1 packet filo pastry — approx. 250–300 g, thawed if frozen
- 80–100 ml olive oil or melted vegan butter — for brushing
- 1–2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional) — for golden crunch on top
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté onion for 5–6 minutes until soft and sweet. Add spring onions and garlic, cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
- 2
Add spinach in batches, stirring until wilted — about 4–5 minutes. Cook off excess moisture so the filling is not watery. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 3
Stir in crumbled vegan feta/tofu, plant cream, nutritional yeast, cornflour, dill, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well — the filling should hold together when pressed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 4
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush a rectangular baking dish generously with olive oil or melted vegan butter.
- 5
Unroll the filo pastry and keep it covered with a damp cloth so it does not dry out. Lay one sheet in the dish, letting edges overhang; brush lightly with oil/butter. Repeat to layer 6–8 sheets, brushing each one.
- 6
Spread all the spinach filling evenly over the pastry base. Fold overhanging edges in toward the centre.
- 7
Layer the remaining filo sheets on top, brushing each with oil/butter. Tuck the top edges neatly inside the dish. Score the top lightly into squares or diamond shapes with a sharp knife — this helps cut after baking. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
- 8
Bake for 35–40 minutes until deep golden and crisp all over. Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing — this helps the filling set. Serve warm 🥧✨