Spanakopita is a spinach and feta pie, layered over phyllo dough. In this recipe, we put a spin on the traditional Greek recipe by baking it in a muffin tin, to make an easy grab-and-go snack for when you’re in a rush!
Frozen Vegetables
While this recipe uses spinach, frozen vegetables are a cost-effective way to add fibre, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants to your diet. The vegetables are picked at the peak of their freshness and flash-frozen, so no nutrition is lost. You also don’t need to worry about the produce going bad if you do not use it all. Not only are frozen vegetables cheaper than fresh, but they can also result in less food waste.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a heart healthy fat that you can easily add to your cooking. Olive oil contains ‘unsaturated fats,’ which can help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol in your blood. Typically, the Western diet is higher in ‘saturated fats,’ which can worsen cholesterol levels. Fats are also important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin A, D, E, and K.
Calcium
If you’re looking to add more calcium to your diet, these spanakopita bites can help you with that! Just ½ cup of spinach provides 130 mg, while 1 oz of feta provides 140 mg of calcium. Most people know that calcium is important for bone health, but did you know it is important in muscle contractions, blood clotting, and heart health? For reference, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium is 1000 mg/day for men and women aged 19-50.
Spanakopita Bites
Yields: 12 pieces
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: 2/3 – Complex
Ingredients
-
Spinach and Feta Filling
- ½ bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained (about 250g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup crumbled feta (about 150g)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried dill
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
-
Phyllo Crust
- Approximately 10-15 frozen phyllo sheets, thawed
- Approximately 4 tbsp olive oil
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a small amount of olive oil to grease the muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for the spinach and feta filling, and season to taste. You could also add ½ tsp red pepper flakes or 1 tbsp of lemon juice for more flavour. Mix well.
- To create the crust, cut out small squares from the phyllo sheets that are slightly bigger than the muffin cups. As a general rule, one phyllo sheet will be enough for one spanakopita bite. Phyllo sheets dry out fast, so work on one sheet at a time and make sure the other sheets are covered or lying on a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel.
- To assemble, layer 2 of the phyllo squares at the bottom of the muffin cups, and then brush with a small amount of oil. Repeat this step two more times until you have three layers, or 6 total phyllo squares. Add ~½ tbsp of the filling, and fold the phyllo dough over. It’s okay if it’s not completely covered! Brush the top lightly with olive oil. Repeat this step until you run out of filling.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Recipe adapted from: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/greek-spinach-and-feta-pie-spanakopita/ and https://www.themediterraneandish.com/spanakopita-recipe-greek-spinach-pie/
- Calcium. The Nutrition Source. (2024, December 4). https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/calcium/
- Canada, H. (2024, December 5). 10 reasons to buy frozen vegetables and fruits. Canada Food Guide. https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/cooking-skills/10-reasons-buy-frozen-vegetables-fruits
- Food sources of calcium. Food Sources of Calcium – Unlock Food. (2018). https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Bone-Health/Food-Sources-of-Calcium.aspx
- Types of fat. The Nutrition Source. (2025, January 7). https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/
