Flaky, buttery puff pastry is rolled around spinach, feta & mozzarella to create these outrageously delicious Spinach Feta Pinwheels!

I hosted my book club earlier this month. Our book selection was Exit West, a fictional account of a couple escaping the war-torn Middle East through magical doors. Through these “doors” they were transported to three different countries to the west, one being Greece. This spanakopita appetizer is a riff on the Greek spanakopita recipe, and is absolutely scrumptious!

Spinach Feta Pinwheels on a white serving tray.

Why You Must Make

  • It’s a fun twist on the traditional spanakopita, Some of the Greek spinach pie ingredients were incorporated into this spanakopita appetizer.
  • With spanakopita or homemade baklava, there’s fussy phyllo dough to fiddle with! Using puff pastry makes quick work of a yummy spinach puff pastry appetizer!
  • They are delicious!!!
Labeled pinwheel ingredients on a metal sheetpan.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Staples: Eggs, Garlic Salt.
  • Nutmeg – Grate from a whole nutmeg if possible. Otherwise, just use a pinch of ground nutmeg.
  • Frozen chopped spinach – Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then squeeze very dry before using. PRO-Tip: Use a potato ricer to remove excess liquid.
  • Feta, in a block – It’s better quality feta than what is already crumbled, but both will work.
  • Mozzarella, grated – Pre-shredded cheese is fine. Chop shredded cheese to make smaller pieces that will disperse more thoroughly.
  • Green Onions – Also known as scallions.
  • Frozen puff pastry – A brand with butter in the ingredients preferred. Dufour brand is great. Trader Joe’s also has this available during the holidays, so stock up.
Spinach Feta Pinwheels on a white square plate.

How to Make

Spinach Pinwheels process shots labeled 1, 2.
  1. Make the egg wash. Make the filling. Roll out the puff pastry and brush with the egg wash.
  2. Top the surface with the cheese mixture, then the spinach. Leave about a ½-1 inch free of toppings on one of the short sides. This will help the pinwheels seal.
Spinach pinwheels process shots numbered 3,4.
  1. Roll up the pastry like a jelly roll. Slice, then chill briefly for the best puff pastry rise.
  2. Bake, cool slightly and DIG IN!!!

Expert Tips 

  • Though the traditional phyllo dough, which is used for spanakopita, is more finicky, you still need to understand how to work with puff pastry to get the best results when making these pinwheel appetizers.
  • PRO TIP: For the best-tasting spinach feta pinwheels, look for an all-butter puff pastry brand. I use Dufour, but note that it will be much more expensive.
  • To prevent your pinwheels from unraveling while baking, make sure about 1/2-inch of one short end of your puff pastry is free of filling. Double-check that it’s brushed with egg wash, then roll up from the opposite end, so that the filling-free edge adheres to the rolled cylinder.
  • The pastry can warm up while you’re working with it. It bakes up best when chilled so I always pop it in the freezer while the oven heats up. If you have the time, you can cover the sheet pan with the pinwheels with plastic wrap and park them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
  • PRO TIP: Puff pastry puffs up best when baked cold, but it also needs to be baked at a high temperature. I like to rechill the pinwheels in the fridge before baking, then bake at 400° as directed.
  • Brushing the puff pastry with an egg wash before rolling helped keep the spirals from unfurling, though a little reshaping was necessary before and immediately after their time in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Difference Between Phyllo, Fillo, Filo, and Puff Pastry?

Phyllo, Fillo, and Filo are just variations in the spelling of tissue-thin sheets of dough. The word means “leaf” in Greek as the sheets are as thin as a leaf. They’re also quite delicate and become brittle if left exposed to the air. For that reason, a damp towel is placed over filo when it’s out to be used in a recipe.
Puff pastry, or pâte feuilletée in French, is a laminated dough, formed when chilled layers of butter are formed between layers of dough by folding, chilling, and refolding. Due to those layers of butter, the dough “puffs” when baked.
Both filo and puff pastry can be found in the frozen section of many grocery stores. They are generally not interchangeable in recipes.

What is Spanakopita?

This appetizer is based on spanakopita ingredients. It’s a Greek pie with phyllo as a top and bottom crust with sauteed spinach, onions, feta, and egg filling.

How Do You Store Puff Pastry Appetizers?

With feta cheese in the filling, these pinwheel appetizers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Gently reheat before serving. They also can be frozen for up to 3 months.

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Two spinach feta pinwheels on a white plate

Spinach Feta Pinwheels

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 16 pinwheels

A twist on the classic Greek spanakopita using puff pastry!

Ingredients

  • 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
  • ½ cup crumbled feta (buy a block and crumble it yourself)
  • ¼ cup grated mozzarella
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • A few grates of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted (look for a brand made with butter like Dufour)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the egg and water, and set aside.
  2. Mix together the cheeses, onion, and seasonings. Set aside.
  3. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to flatten the seams. Brush the surface with your egg wash.
  4. Top the surface with the cheese mixture, then break apart the spinach and spread evenly over the surface. ***Leave about an inch free of toppings on one of the short sides.***
  5. Starting on the short side that's covered with filling, roll up the pastry like a jellyroll.
  6. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Slice the roll into ½-¾ inch slices and place them on the prepared sheets.
  7. Pop them into the refrigerator or freezer to let them cool as the oven preheats to 400 degrees.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes or until they're golden.

Notes

Puff pastry "puffs" the best when it's cold, so always refrigerate your sheet pan of sliced pinwheels before baking for the best results.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

2 pinwheel

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 74Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 250mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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