Spanakopita

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyGlutenWheat filo pastry above and below the filling.
• UsuallyMilkFeta in the filling; butter is often brushed between filo layers.
• OftenEggsMost fillings are bound with beaten egg.
• SometimesSesameSome bakeries sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Vegetarian as standard, but not vegan: cheese, egg and often butter.
• The Lenten version (νηστίσιμη, nistísimi) has no cheese or egg and uses olive oil.
• Not gluten-free: filo is wheat.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is spanakopita?

Spanakopita is a savoury pie of spinach and feta wrapped in layers of thin, crackly filo pastry and baked until golden. It's sold whole in trays and cut into squares, or as individual triangles and coils from bakeries. Greeks eat it for breakfast, as a snack on the go, or as a starter at the taverna.

What's in it

The filling is spinach (sometimes mixed with chard or other greens), feta, spring onion or onion, dill, often mint or parsley, olive oil and usually egg to hold it together. The pastry is filo, brushed with olive oil or melted butter between layers. Home cooks in some regions make their own thicker hand-rolled filo (χωριάτικο φύλλο, choriátiko fýllo, village pastry).

Related pies you'll see in the same bakery case:

• Spanakotyropita (σπανακοτυρόπιτα): spinach with more cheese, often more than one kind.
• Tyropita (τυρόπιτα): cheese pie, no spinach.
• Hortopita (χορτόπιτα): wild greens pie.
• Lenten spanakopita: no cheese, no egg, olive oil only.

Allergens and diets

Wheat and milk are built in. The filo is wheat, the feta is milk (sheep's or a sheep and goat mix, which is still milk), and butter is common between the sheets. Feta being sheep's milk doesn't get around a cow's milk allergy: most people who react to one react to the other.

Egg is in most fillings but not all. Lenten pies skip both egg and cheese, which can make them an option if you're vegan or allergic to egg or milk, but check the pastry and the tray it was baked in.

Sesame is a topping in some bakeries, particularly on coiled or village-style pies. It's easy to see if you look closely, but ask, because seeds can fall onto neighbouring trays.

On the menu

Look for σπανακόπιτα (spanakópita) in bakeries (φούρνος, foúrnos), pie shops and under ορεκτικά (orektiká, starters) in tavernas. Bakeries sell it by the piece. Νηστίσιμη (nistísimi) on the label means the Lenten, cheese-free version.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.