Creamy cashew cheese, spinach and herbs are nestled between layers of flaky phyllo pastry to make this mouth-wateringly delicious vegan spanakopita. You’d never guess this scrumptious Greek-style pie was dairy-free!
Spanakopita is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Not only did it save me from having to dine on sad dinner salads in my early vegetarian days (so many diners in my area serve spanakopita!), but it’s insanely delicious.
It’s hard to believe it took me this long to share a recipe for vegan spanakopita on this site. I’ll admit it: I was totally intimidated by the idea! If you’re not familiar with the dish, spanakopita is a Greek spinach and feta pie. Oh, and it contains eggs. So it’s not super vegan-friendly!
But I was happy to discover that an eggless and dairy-free spinach pie wasn’t all that tough to make. Plus it was delicious!
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What You’ll Need
- Raw cashews. Cashews serve as the cheesy component in this recipe. They absolutely need to be raw in order to create the right texture and flavor. You’ll be blending them, so soak them in some water to soften them up before getting started. If you forget to soak your cashews ahead of time, just boil them for 15 minutes.
- Non-dairy milk. Just about any variety will work, as long as it’s unflavored and unsweetened.
- Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. The bottled stuff just isn’t as good!
- Garlic.
- Salt & pepper.
- Frozen spinach. You might be able to substitute fresh spinach, though I haven’t tried it. I’d recommend chopping it finely and steaming it briefly before adding it to the filling.
- Onion.
- Scallions.
- Fresh herbs. We’re using fresh dill and oregano. I highly recommend using fresh as the recipe specifies, but if you absolutely insist on using dried you’ll need to cut the amounts by about â…”.
- Frozen phyllo pastry. Look for this near where frozen pie crusts are sold at your store. It needs to thaw before you use it, so be sure to plan ahead. I normally leave mine in the fridge overnight, then on the counter for a few hours before cooking.
- Olive oil.
How to Make Vegan Spanakopita
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
- To make your filling, start by placing your cashews, milk, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper into a blending device. You can use a larger blender or a food processor with an s-blade like I’m using. Blend the mixture until relatively smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth — after all, we’re trying to replicate feta cheese, which is crumbly.
- Add the spinach, onions, scallions, dill and oregano to your device and just pulse it until everything is mixed. At this point you can taste-test it and make any adjustments needed.
- To layer your spanakopita, start by placing a sheet of phyllo in a lightly oiled baking dish. Be careful, as phyllo is super thin and delicate, so it tears easily. Have a few extra sheets on hand in case some of them break.
- Lightly and carefully brush the phyllo with olive oil, then place another sheet on top of the first. Keep layering and brushing until you’ve got 8 sheets down.
- Tip: Keep a damp (but not soaked) tea towel on hand, and use it to cover your stack of unused phyllo sheets if they start to dry out while you’re working.
- Spread half of your spinach filling over the last phyllo sheet.
- Arrange another 8 layers of phyllo over the filling, then spread the rest of the filling over those layers.
- Arrange a final set of 8 phyllo layers over the top filling layer, then spread a thin coat of olive oil over the top phyllo layer.
- Pop the dish into the oven and bake your vegan phyllo pie until the top is crispy and golden.
Leftovers & Storage
Vegan spinach & feta pie is best served right away, but if you have leftovers they’ll keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
To reheat, thaw your pie (if it was frozen), then place it into a 400°F oven until heated through. If you’d like, you can place it under a broiler for a few minutes after heating to recrisp the pastry.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m afraid I haven’t found a way to do that. I haven’t come across any gluten-free vegan phyllo brands, or even recipes to make your own. If you find one please let me know!
Most phyllo dough is made from little more than flour and water, so it’s totally vegan. Always check the ingredients list though, because you never know when someone is going to decide to add milk powder to something for no apparent reason! 😒
I haven’t done it myself, but I’m sure you can! Use this vegan hand pie recipe as a guide for folding and baking them, and make sure to have plenty of phyllo on hand because the ratio of pastry to filling might change a bit when making them as triangles.
More Greek-Inspired Vegan Recipes
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Amazing Vegan Spanakopita
Creamy cashew cheese, spinach and herbs are nestled between layers of flaky phyllo pastry to make this mouth-wateringly delicious vegan spanakopita. You’d never guess this scrumptious Greek-style pie was dairy-free!
Ingredients
-
1 ½
cups
raw cashews,
soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed -
¾
cup
unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk -
3
tablespoons
lemon juice -
4
garlic cloves -
1 ½
teaspoons
salt,
plus more to taste -
½
teaspoon
black pepper -
24
ounces
frozen spinach,
thawed, drained, and squeezed to remove excess moisture -
1
medium onion,
diced -
¼
cup
chopped scallions -
2
tablespoons
chopped fresh dill -
2
tablespoons
chopped fresh oregano -
24
sheets
frozen phyllo pastry,
thawed -
½
cup
olive oil,
plus more as needed
Instructions
-
Place the cashews, milk, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper into a large blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend until relatively smooth.
-
Add the spinach, onion, scallions, dill and oregano to the food processor. Pulse until well mixed.
-
Taste-test the mixture and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
-
Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
-
Arrange a sheet of phyllo pastry in the bottom of the pan, then carefully brush a layer of olive oil on top.
-
Arrange a second sheet of phyllo on top of the first, gently working out any bubbles between the two. Brush the second sheet with olive oil.
-
Repeat until you’ve layered 8 sheets, finishing with a phyllo sheet (don’t brush the top of the last one with oil).
-
Evenly spread half of the spinach mixture on top of the last phyllo sheet, smoothing out the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
-
Arrange 8 more phyllo sheets on top of the spinach filling in the same manner, then top with the other half of the spinach filling.
-
Repeat the layering arrangement using the last 8 phyllo sheets. Brush the top sheet with olive oil.
-
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
-
Allow to cool for a few minutes, cut into 8 square and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Amazing Vegan Spanakopita
Amount Per Serving (1 square (â…› of recipe))
Calories 464
Calories from Fat 258
% Daily Value*
Fat 28.7g44%
Saturated Fat 5.1g26%
Sodium 804mg34%
Potassium 753mg22%
Carbohydrates 44.9g15%
Fiber 4.8g19%
Sugar 2.6g3%
Protein 11.2g22%
Calcium 140mg14%
Iron 6.7mg37%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.