Vegan Spanakopita | Crispy, flaky phyllo pastry stuffed with a delicious savory spinach and tofu filling, baked until perfectly golden brown and crunchy. This vegan spanakopita tastes just like the real thing and requires minimal effort.
Traditional Greek spanakopita combines flaky, buttery phyllo pastry with a flavourful spinach and feta cheese filling.
Spanakopita can be folded into triangles, spirals, or baked in a casserole dish. In my vegan version, I’ve opted for smaller spirals.
Phyllo pastry is incredibly thin and crispy when baked, offering a contrasting texture to the soft spinach filling. Eat over a plate because crumbs will be flying.
To replace the feta cheese in spanakopita, I made a homemade vegan feta using tofu. It’s crumbly, nutritious, and completely takes on flavour.
What to use in place of feta?
During recipe testing, I tested 3 methods for replacing feta. The first and best option is tofu! It takes on flavour the best, and the texture is soft yet crumbly, similar to feta.
If you can’t eat tofu or don’t like it, use the next best option which is white beans. They were just as delicious but a bit drier. Follow the same instructions for the tofu feta, using a can of white beans.
The last method I tried was storebought vegan feta, and it was a fail. It completely melted in the oven and was a huge mess.
I do not recommend it, but if you have a trusted feta alternative, feel free to try it and let me know how it goes.
What is spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a Greek dish featuring flaky phyllo pastry, which are very thin sheets of pastry that turn crispy when baked, spinach, feta cheese, and lots of butter.
Spanakopita can come in many shapes and sizes. It can be baked in a casserole dish and served as a pie, or folded into triangles or variously sized spirals.
How to make spanakopita vegan
To replace feta cheese, I make a flavourful vegan feta using tofu. Flavour the tofu with lemon juice for tanginess, apple cider vinegar for depth, nutritional yeast for a cheesy umami flavour, and salt to enhance it all.
The spanakopita filling consists of vegan tofu feta, spinach cooked with yellow and green onion, garlic, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon.
Spanakopita is made with phyllo pastry, which is almost always naturally vegan as it’s normally made with oil, not butter. This is arguably the greatest blessing to the vegan community.
What kind of tofu is best for making vegan feta?
Tofu is the best resource for making homemade vegan cheese alternatives. It varies greatly in texture, from silken to extra firm, and it takes on any flavour thrown it’s way.
This vegan feta is made with firm tofu, which turns into a soft yet crumbly texture. Made with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and salt, it mimics the bold and tangy flavour of feta.
Don’t forget to press the tofu so that it can absorb the most flavour. Drain the tofu and press out all of the excess liquid, then wrap it in paper towel and place it under a heavy object for 10-15 minutes.
Ingredients
(Exact measurements are below)
Substitutions
Instructions
Cook the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the green onion and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the chopped spinach, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. The spinach will shrink significantly in size and become a darker green. You just want a gentle wilt on the spinach.
Clear a spot in the middle of your pan and add the dill, parsley, and garlic. Garlic cooks very quickly so cook until just fragrant, about 10-15 seconds.
Add the tofu feta ingredients to a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until crumbly yet smooth. Combine the tofu with the cooled spinach filling.
Open the phyllo sheets and drape a damp towel over the package so they don’t dry out.
Lay out a phyllo sheet, placing the long side closest to you. Brush it lightly with melted vegan butter. Place a second sheet on top of the first one, and brush it with more butter.
Spoon the spinach and vegan feta mixture along the edge that is closest to you. Leave about an inch gap from the edge.
Roll the empty gap over the spinach mixture and continue tightly rolling it into a log.
Begin turning one side of the phyllo log into itself. Continue turning until you have a circular spiral.
Transfer the spanakopita swirls to a baking sheet, brush with butter, and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm with Vegan Tzatziki.
Tips for making vegan spanakopita
What to serve with vegan spanakopita
Try my Greek-inspired Vegan Tzatziki or my Vegan Dill Dip! They’re refreshing and pair perfectly with spanakopita.
For a balanced meal, serve the pastry with Dill Pickle Chickpea Salad.
Looking for more delicious vegan appetizers? Try my Vegan Sausage Rolls or Vegan Lumpia.
Storage and reheating
Store vegan spanakopita in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container or wrapped tightly.
Vegan spanakopita can be individually wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F/180°C oven from the fridge or freezer.
FAQ’s
Vegan spanakopita can be frozen to enjoy at a later time. Allow them to cool, then store in a container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat it in the oven until warmed through.
Yes, frozen spinach can be used in vegan spanakopita. Thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
To replace feta cheese, make homemade vegan feta using tofu or white beans. I do not recommend storebought alternatives as they tend to melt in the oven.
Puff pastry and phyllo are different types of pastry. Puff pastry is airy and flaky, like a pie crust, whereas phyllo pastry is usually layered and becomes very crispy when baked.
Vegan Spanakopita
Equipment
- 1 nonstick pan
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
- 10 cups fresh spinach
- ½ a yellow onion diced
- 4 sprigs green onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh dill or half the amount of dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley or half the amount of dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 phyllo pastry sheets thawed
- ½ cup butter melted
- neutral oil for cooking
for the vegan feta
- 300 grams firm tofu or a can of white beans
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ teaspoons salt
Instructions
To make the vegan feta
- Add the ingredients to a food processor and blend for 30 seconds, until crumbly and soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
To make the vegan spanakopita
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat a large nonstick pan on medium heat with a drizzle of neutral oil. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until browned. Add the green onion and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and has shrunk significantly.
- Add the garlic and herbs and cook for about 15 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat. Once cooled slightly, add the tofu mixture and combine.
- Lay a phyllo sheet on your work surface with the longer sides at the top and bottom. Lightly brush the pastry with melted butter. Add another sheet on top of the first sheet, and butter it as well.
- Spoon the spanakopita filling in a log along the bottom of the phyllo, leaving a 1 inch gap from the edge. Fold the excess pastry over the filling, and continue tightly rolling it into a log.
- Begin turning one end of the log into itself and continue turning until you have a circular spiral. If parts of the phyllo tear, take a leftover piece of pastry and plaster over the tear with some melted butter.
- Repeat with the rest of the filling and pastry. You should make 4 spirals total.
- Transfer the spanakopita spirals to the parchment lined baking sheets. Brush the tops of each pastry with butter and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Disclosure: This blog post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
SHARE THIS RECIPE
Rating, commenting, and sharing my recipes really helps. Thanks for taking the time! Mention @theveggieyaya on Instagram.
Save this image to your vegan appetizer board on Pinterest.
Erika Piper
Hey there, I’m Erika. I’ve been meat-free for over a decade.
I’m here to provide delicious and affordable plant-based recipes for anyone interested.
Whether you’re a seasoned plant-based eater or just curious about trying it out, I’m here to support you with my easy and accessible recipes.
