This spinach packed vegan Spanakopita recipe is quick and easy to make with tofu or vegan feta cheese and filo dough or pastry puffs. It bakes up light and flaky with a delicious protein-packed spinach filling. This authentic-tasting Greek spinach pie will be a hit with the whole family! Delicious enough for a special holiday dinner, but easy enough for a weeknight meal!

You will love this vegan Spanakopita recipe because it’s…

quick and easy to make.

a beautiful dish for brunches, holidays, or a special dinner.

packed with healthy spinach and high protein tofu.

dairy-free, nut-free, and can be made gluten-free as well.

quite possibly the most delicious way to eat spinach!

What you will need to make a vegan Spanakopita and why…

Ingredients:

Spinach – this makes up the majority of the filling. You will need 1 full pound. This seems like a LOT of spinach, but it will cook down! You can use fresh or frozen spinach. I have used both and it comes out well with each type. Just be sure to thaw frozen spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Olive Oil – to saute the onion, garlic, spinach, and tofu. You will also need a little more to brush onto the phyllo dough if you are using that instead of pastry puff.

Onion – diced and sauteed with the spinach for flavor. (optional)

Garlic – for flavor (optional)

Salt – for flavor

Pepper – for flavor

Vegan Feta or Tofu – you have 3 options for this. (All work well).

Tofu Feta – I make my own – I make my own vegan feta cheese by marinating the tofu in nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, miso paste, and a few other spices. Firm Tofu – If you don’t have time to make tofu feta, you can simply add firm tofu and season it with nutritional yeast and salt. Storebought Vegan Feta – You can also use store-bought vegan feta like Viola brand. (Make sure to add store-bought feta after cooking the spinach).

Pastry Puffs or Phyllo (Filo) Dough – Pasty puffs are vegan and the quickest and easiest way to make this dish, but you can also use phyllo dough. I always buy it frozen to save time and effort, but you can also Pasty puffs are vegan and the quickest and easiest way to make this dish, but you can also use phyllo dough. I always buy it frozen to save time and effort, but you can also make your own phyllo dough if you are feeling ambitious!

Tools:

Baking Dish – 13″ x 9″ lasagna pyrex baking dish 13″ x 9″ lasagnaworks well.

How do I make a vegan Spanakopita or a spinach pie?

Get prepared:

Take frozen pastry puff or filo out of the freezer and allow it to warm to room temperature. (This will take about 45 minutes.If you forget, you can carefully microwave it for about 20, flip it and then microwave it again for 20 seconds to warm it up.) Pre-heat oven to 400° F.

Make the filling:

Saute diced onion in olive oil until it’s translucent. Add garlic, tofu, nutritional yeast (or my tofu feta), salt, and pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes. (If using store-bought feta, add it at the end.) Add spinach and cook for a few minutes until spinach wilts. (If using the store-bought feta instead of the tofu feta, add it now). Set the tofu spinach mixture aside while you prepare your pastry.

Prepare your pastry and bake:

Brush the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil and place one of the pastry puffs on the bottom. Pour the spinach filling on top and spread out evenly. Place the second pastry puff layer on top of the spinach layer. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes until it puffs up and turns golden brown.

Pro tips for making perfect Spanakopita:

Allow the puff pastry to warm up to room temperature before you try to work it or it will break.

Keep your filling relatively dry. Press your tofu well to get out excess water and if you are using frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it and press the water out first before using. A wet filling will make it soggy and your pastry puff won’t rise and puff up as well.

Bake until your pastry puff rises and turns a golden brown.

Variations:

For more flavorful tofu, you can mix up my recipe for tofu feta ahead of time and use it instead of plain tofu.

If using phyllo dough instead of pastry puffs, add one layer at a time brushing a little olive oil on each sheet before setting another thin sheet on top. Use about 3-4 layers on the bottom and 6-8 layers on top. Follow the rest of the instructions as you would for the pastry puff.

How do I make gluten-free Spanakopita?

To make this gluten-free, you can use Schar brand gluten-free pastry puffs. There are also a few other brands of gluten-free phyllo dough if you are lucky enough to find it. If you can’t find any of these, you can also use my gluten-free vegan pie crust recipe to make this into a spinach pie.

Variations of vegan spinach pies:

Spanakopita Triangles – Cut each of your pastry puff sheets into 4 smaller squares. Put about 1/3 cup of filling in the center of each square and fold it over using a little water to stick the pastry together at the edges.

Spinach Empanadas – Roll out a traditional vegan pie crust (or my gluten-free vegan pie crust) and use biscuit cutters or the rim of a large glass to cut out circles about 5 inches in diameter. Fill the center with a few tbsp of spinach filling and press the sides together. Bake at 375° F for about 20 minutes until golden brown. If you want more detailed instructions about how to make empanadas this Roll out a traditional vegan pie crust (or my gluten-free vegan pie crust) and use biscuit cutters or the rim of a large glass to cut out circles about 5 inches in diameter. Fill the center with a few tbsp of spinach filling and press the sides together. Bake at 375° F for about 20 minutes until golden brown. If you want more detailed instructions about how to make empanadas this vegan empanadas post will help you through the process.

Spinach Pot Pie – Use the spinach and tofu mixture as the filling in a pot pie. Use your favorite vegan pie crust or my Use the spinach and tofu mixture as the filling in a pot pie. Use your favorite vegan pie crust or my gluten-free vegan pie crust recipe to make a pot pie. Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes.

Somemore delicious vegan recipes using spinach…

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for daily vegan inspiration and recipe ideas! Tag me at #thehiddenveggies! I love to see what you made too!

5 from 4 votes Print Vegan Spanakopita Prep Time 50 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 1 hr 15 mins A light layered Greek pastry filled with spinach and vegan tofu feta. Course: Main Course Cuisine: Greek Keyword: Vegan Spanakopita, Vegan Spinach Pie Servings : 8 Calories : 427 kcal Author : Monica Davis | The Hidden Veggies Ingredients 16 oz Spinach fresh or frozen

2 tbsp Olive Oil (plus a little more for brushing)

1 small Onion diced

1-3 cloves Garlic minced

14 oz tofu or my tofu feta recipe or store bought vegan feta

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (omit if using my tofu feta recipe instead of plain tofu.)

1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using store-bought feta since it's already salty).

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 package Puff Pastry or Filo Dough (Use gluten-free pastry puffs if needed). US Customary - Metric Instructions Get prepared: Take frozen pastry puff or filo out of the freezer and allow it to warm to room temperature. (It takes about 45 minutes). (If using my vegan tofu feta, make the feta and let soak in the marinade for at least 1/2 hour before cooking.) Pre-heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Make the filling: Saute the peeled and diced onion in 2 tbsp olive oil until it's translucent. Add garlic, tofu, nutritional yeast (or my tofu feta), salt, and pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes. (If using store-bought feta, add it at the end.) Add spinach and cook for a few minutes until spinach wilts. (If using the store-bought feta instead of the tofu feta, add it now). Set the tofu spinach mixture aside while you prepare your pastry. Prepare the pastry and bake: Brush the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil and place one of the pastry puffs on the bottom. (Cut it to fit if necessary). Pour the spinach filling on top and spread out evenly. Place the second pastry puff layer on top of the spinach layer. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 25- 30 minutes until it puffs up and turns golden brown. Recipe Notes Allow the puff pastry to warm up to room temperature before you try to work it or it will break.

Keep your filling relatively dry. Press your tofu well to get out excess water and if you are using frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it and press the water out first before using. A wet filling will make it soggy and your pastry puff won't rise and puff up as well.

Bake until your pastry puff rises and turns a golden brown.

For more flavorful tofu, you can mix up my recipe for tofu feta ahead of time and use it instead of plain tofu.

If using phyllo dough instead of pastry puffs, add one layer at a time brushing a little olive oil on each sheet before setting another thin sheet on top. Use about 3-4 layers on the bottom and 6-8 layers on top. Follow the rest of the instructions as you would for the pastry puff. Nutrition Facts Vegan Spanakopita Amount Per Serving (4 inch square) Calories 427 Calories from Fat 261 % Daily Value* Fat 29g 45% Saturated Fat 7g 44% Sodium 490mg 21% Potassium 367mg 10% Carbohydrates 32g 11% Fiber 3g 13% Sugar 1g 1% Protein 11g 22% Vitamin A 5315IU 106% Vitamin C 16.7mg 20% Calcium 126mg 13% Iron 3.7mg 21% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*This was originally published on 5/23/19. It was updated on 3/30/20 to include new pictures and more concise instructions.