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Home » Appetizer » Lebanese Spinach Pies

Lebanese Spinach Pies

4.93 from 14 votes
Rate this Recipe
Total 1 hr 40 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Serves 24 servings

By: Mariam E.  |  May 14, 2020This post may contain affiliate links, read my disclosure policy for details

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Lebanese Spinach Pies, also known as Fatayer Bi Sabanekh in Lebanon, are tasty savory pastries made from dough and spinach. These pastries are soft and have a sour zing to them. These homemade dough stuffed with spinach, onion and other ingredients are a staple of Lebanese cuisine. They are absolutely delicious and can be frozen and reheated any time.

Lebanese Spinach Pie served on a plate with lemon wedges and garnished with parsley

What are Lebenese Spinach Pies

Spinach Pies are very nutritious. The stuffing is made from spinach, which is full with amazing benefits, caramelized onions, tomatoes, black pepper, salt, and sumac and lemon juice to give it the citrusy flavor. Some people also add citric acid in place of the lemon juice to make them more sour and less moist.

a piece of spinach pie with a bite showing the filling

Fatayer pies can be made with endless stuffing options but the most popular ones are spiced ground meat, cheese and spinach filling.

How to make Lebanese Spinach Pies

The first thing to do is to prepare the dough this way you prepare the filling while the dough rises.

Dough Ingredients

spinach pie dough ingredients laid out

Mix the yeast, warm water and sugar in a cup and let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture rises and doubles in size. This step is important to make sure the yeast is active.

spinach pie dough mixture shown in bowl

In an electrical mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients in. Start by adding in the yeast and mix, then gradually add in the warm milk and oil gradually. Continue kneading the dough for 1-2 minutes until the dough collect well.

showing the dough mixed and ready to rest

Remove the bowl out from the mixer and collect with your hand to make a round dough. Return to the bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap for 45-1 hour until the dough doubles in size. As shown in the photo below.

risen dough in a bowl

While you wait for the dough to rise, let’s make the filling!

How to make Spinach Fatayer Filling

Ingredients

spinach pie filing laid out

First thing I like to do since I use fresh spinach is to sauté the chopped spinach and shrink them. Next, set on a strainer and allow the liquids to drain and the spinach to cool.

fresh spinach saute

Meanwhile, caremalize the diced onions with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. This is just to soften up the onion a little so they are not crunchy. Once this step is done, dice the tomatoes.

Let’s get back to the spinach. At this point they are cool enough, and you will drain them one more time by squeezing them with your hands to remove all the excess water or use a towel cloth.

spinach pie filling ingredients in a bowl

All the main ingredients are ready to combine now. In a bowl, place the spinach, onions, tomatoes, salt, sumac, black pepper, cayenne pepper (optional). If you are using citric acid, place in now. Mix to combine well. Set aside. If you are using lemon juice mix in right before you are ready to fill the pies.

finished spinach pie filling in a bowl

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Let’s get back to the dough. Remove it from the bowl, sprinkle some flour on it and knead a little bit with your hands on a marble slab or cutting board to deflate it. Cut up the dough and form into small even balls.

dough formed into small balls

You can also roll the dough into a big piece and cut out 3 inch circles with a cookie cutter or some sort of round lid like a mason jar lid. This will prevent you find rolling each dough at a time.

demonstration on how to close the spinach pie into a triangle shape

Using a normal kitchen teaspoon place a heaping teaspoon of filling on the dough. Wrap the dough in the form the shape shown in the photo. You basically pick up two sides of the round dough and close them together then close the back part to form a triangle like shape. Make sure you pinch the edges very well to seal it and prevent it from opening. Repeat for the reminder of the dough mixture.

finished raw spinach pie on a sheet pan

Place the pieces on a large sheet pan or two lined with a parchment paper leaving 1 inch apart. Brush generously with lightly flavored olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then brush with more olive oil and continue baking for another 5-10 until they get a light golden brown color depending on your oven.

baked spinach pie on a sheet pan

Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to cook for a minute or two before serving. Serve with some lemon wedges. Enjoy these Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer) as an appetizer, snack or side dish at any time.

Expert Tips and Notes.

  • Drain the spinach really well to prevent the pies from getting soggy bottom. This will ruin the pies.
  • Roll the dough as thin as you can. This will making the pies so much softer and crispier and give it a flaky texture.
  • Use warm milk and water only for the dough.
  • Do not skip the sumac, this gives a citrus flavor to the filling.
  • To make it more sour, use one less lemon and add 1 tsp. citric acid.
  • Add 1 tsp. paprika for a little bit of color and 1 tsp. to add extra heat.

Freezing and Storing Tips

  • You can store them in an airtight container or zip lock freezer bag after they cool completely. Place a parchment paper over the pies if you are placing on top of each other to prevent hem from sticking to each other.
  • If you are making these to freeze, undercook for 5 minutes to allow them to fully cook when ready to reheat. Cook at the same temperature. This will prevent the pies from drying up when reheating. Brush with some lightly flavored olive oil and bake for another 10 minutes when you complete the cooking.

Substitutions

  • You can used frozen spinach if you cant get fresh spinach. Squeeze out all liquids. But fresh is highly recommended.
  • You can use Rhodes dinner roll dough (the Orange color 36/pack) if you don’t want to make your own dough. Be sure to thaw, let it rise, and then thinly roll it.
  • Can substitute lemon for citric acid. Please taste to tell how much you need.
  • Do not substitute fresh onion with frozen onion or omit.
  • Do not replace fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes.

Other Lebanese Recipes you may like

  • Cabbage Fattoush Salad
  • Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad
  • Lebanese Shaabiyat recipe
  • Lebanese Lentil Soup

baked lebanese spinach pies served on a plate with lemon wedges

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you including this delicious and simple Lebanese Spinach Pies. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!

You can also sign up for my blog newsletter to receive all the new recipes that I will be posting straight to your inbox. Tag me on INSTAGRAM so I can see your delicious recreations. Until our next recipe. XoXo…

Lebanese Spinach Pies filling

Lebanese Spinach Pies

4.93 from 14 votes
Created by Mariam E.
These delicious spinach pies make the perfect snack, appetizer or side dish any day! They are made with homemade dough and a delicious spinach filling.
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Pin
Rate
Prep Time 1 hr 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Lebanese
Servings 24 servings
servings

Ingredients

Spinach Filling

  • 2 lbs fresh spinach roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (to saute the spinach)
  • 3 medium vine tomatoes petite diced
  • large onion diced and caramalized
  • 2 tbsp sumac
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice or replace with 1.5 tsp citric acid
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional to add heat)
  • 2 tbsp pomegranete molasses (optional)

Dough

  • 4 cups all purpose or bread flour
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1/3 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tbsps sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp active yeast
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup lightly flavored olive oil for brushing only

Instructions

Making the dough

  • Mix the yeast, warm water and sugar in a cup and let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture rises and doubles in size. This step is important to make sure the yeast is active.
  • In an electrical mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients in. Start by adding in the yeast and mix, then gradually add in the warm milk and oil gradually. Continue kneading the dough on low speed for 1-2 minutes until the dough collect well together.
  • Remove the bowl out from the mixer and collect with your hand to make a round dough. Return to the bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap for 45-1 hour until the dough doubles in size.

Making the filling

  • Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pot and sauté the chopped spinach to shrink them. Next, set on a strainer and allow the liquids to drain and the spinach to cool.
  • Once this step is done, dice the tomatoes.
  • Let's get back to the spinach. At this point they are cool enough, and you will drain them one more time by squeezing them with your hands to remove all the excess water or use a towel cloth.
  • All the main ingredients are ready to combine now. In a bowl, place the spinach, onions, tomatoes, salt, sumac, black pepper, cayenne pepper (optional). If you are using citric acid, place in now. Mix to combine well. Set aside. If you are using lemon juice mix in right before you are ready to fill the pies.

Assembling the Spinach Pies

  • Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Let's get back to the dough. Remove it from the bowl, sprinkle some flour on it and knead a little bit with your hands on a marble slab or cutting board to deflate it. Cut up the dough and form into small even balls.
  • You can also roll the dough into a big piece and cut out 3 inch circles with a cookie cutter or some sort of round lid like a mason jar lid. This will prevent you find rolling each dough at a time.
  • Using a normal kitchen teaspoon place a heaping teaspoon of filling on the dough. Wrap the dough in the form the shape shown in the photo. You basically pick up two sides of the round dough and close them together then close the back part to form a triangle like shape. Make sure you pinch the edges very well to seal it and prevent it from opening. Repeat for the reminder of the dough mixture.
  • Place the pieces on a large sheet pan or two lined with a parchment paper leaving 1 inch apart. Brush generously with lightly flavored olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then brush with more olive oil and continue baking for another 5-10 until they get a light golden brown color depending on your oven.
  • Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two before serving. Serve with some lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Drain the spinach really well to prevent the pies from getting soggy bottom. This will ruin the pies.
  • Roll the dough as thin as you can. This will making the pies so much softer and crispier and give it a flaky texture.
  • Use warm milk and water only for the dough.
    rain the spinach really well to prevent the pies from getting soggy bottom. This will ruin the pies.
  • Roll the dough as thin as you can. This will making the pies so much softer and crispier and give it a flaky texture.
  • Use warm milk and water only for the dough.
  • Do not skip the sumac, this gives a citrus flavor to the filling.
  • To make it more sour, use one less lemon and add 1 tsp. citric acid.
  • Add 1 tsp. paprika for a little bit of color and 1 tsp. to add extra heat.
  • If you are making these to freeze, undercook for 5 minutes to allow them to fully cook when ready to reheat. Cook at the same temperature. This will prevent the pies from drying up when reheating. Brush with some lightly flavored olive oil and bake for another 10 minutes when you complete the cooking.
  • You can store them in an airtight container or zip lock freezer bag after they cool completely. Place a parchment paper over the pies if you are placing on top of each other to prevent hem from sticking to each other.
  • Do not skip the sumac, this gives a citrus flavor to the filling. To make it more sour, use one less lemon and add 1 tsp. citric acid. Add 1 tsp. paprika for a little bit of color and 1 tsp. to add extra heat.
  • You can store them in an airtight container or zip lock freezer bag after they cool completely. Place a parchment paper over the pies if you are placing on top of each other to prevent hem from sticking to each other.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3712IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate the recipe below and mention @cookinwithmima and tag #cookinwithmima so I can see your recreations.
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  1. Donna says

    May 7, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    Haven’t made these yet, but can you tell me (for the nutritional information) how many pies are in a serving?

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      May 8, 2021 at 9:35 am

      Hi Donna,
      It’s per piece

      Reply
  2. ashok says

    April 10, 2021 at 4:06 am

    5 stars
    My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      April 11, 2021 at 9:44 am

      Hi Ashok!
      Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your review!

      Reply
  3. Maria Sanders says

    April 6, 2021 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    Always loved theses pies that I use ti buy at the Daily Bread Middle Eastern Store /Bakery in Miami and this recipe is very close. I make them with wheat bread, and skip the tomatoes so they do get soggy, and also make them larger so I can have one for lunch. The first time I made it I ran out of the spinach mixture so I increased the amount of spinach and other ingredients. Delicious. They freeze very well.

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      April 7, 2021 at 12:35 pm

      Hi Maria!
      Thanks so much for leaving a review! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  4. Lisa Yarad Sekela says

    April 1, 2021 at 3:13 pm

    When I was growing up my grandma used to make them with cabbage you wouldn’t happen to have the recipe for that?

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      April 2, 2021 at 10:43 pm

      Hi Lisa,
      I have never heard of them made with cabbage. May have been a spring roll filling maybe?

      Reply
  5. Teresa Latiz says

    February 14, 2021 at 7:38 pm

    These were so delicious , I decided to add some feta cheese and a little lemon zest as well!!!

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      February 16, 2021 at 11:30 pm

      Hi Teresa,
      That sounds like a delicious addition!

      Reply
  6. Lalita says

    January 24, 2021 at 11:01 am

    I am very excited to try these! We don’t have dairy, is it okay to substitute the whole amount of liquid for water? Or should I add some oil for the fat that would be in milk?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      January 24, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      hi Lalita,
      I personally haven’t tested a non-dairy version with this dough recipe so I can’t tell. But oil won’t replace the milk. I would say the best substitution would be unsweetened almond milk, the unflavored version. It has the fats and not starchy like oats milk for example. Also some sort of non flavored dairy free yogurt might also work as a replacement.

      Reply
  7. Nichole says

    January 19, 2021 at 9:56 am

    I met a Syrian woman on a flight to Chicago she let me try her spinach pies and gave me her recipe I lost her recipe and tried yours and they turned out so good. Thank you for posting I think these little treats are so good and so good to pack for traveling!

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      January 20, 2021 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Nichole
      I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Happy it came helpful to you.

      Reply
  8. kay says

    December 16, 2020 at 10:13 pm

    what canvusevonstead of sumac

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      December 16, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      Hi Kay,
      Sumac gives the pies a unique sour flavor. If you don’t have it available at all, you can add a tiny bit of citric acid or lemon juice to replace sour flavor of the sumac.

      Reply
  9. NELLIE says

    October 13, 2020 at 10:53 pm

    5 stars
    A huge thank you for this absolutely delicious recipe! I made the spinach pies yesterday & they were so yummy! The dough was excellent. I will definitely be making these again. Many thanks for sharing this amazing recipe with us. Nellie

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      October 15, 2020 at 8:27 am

      Hi Nellie!
      Thanks so much for leaving a review. Greatly appreciated. I am glad you enjoyed the pies!

      Reply
  10. Fatimah says

    August 27, 2020 at 9:23 pm

    Cam we leave the dough un cooked for the second day? And can we add a little salt to it. I felt the dough needed a little

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      August 28, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Hi Fatimah,
      you can definitely add a little bit of salt if you like. I do not recommend leaving it uncooked. The dough continues to right and will deflate and the dough won’t be soft anymore.

      Reply
  11. alicia says

    June 29, 2020 at 7:20 am

    4 stars
    These were really good. We just had sooo much spinach filling leftover using fresh spinach for that amount of dough. So, we decided to serve it up as a side salad to go alongside the spinach pies.

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      June 29, 2020 at 9:47 am

      Hi Alicia!
      Glad to hear you enjoyed the pies! It’s important to blanche the spinach to shrink them and then drain them. They become a very small amount. Also try to use more filling in the pies. We like ours pretty full so it doesn’t feel like we are eating more dough than filling. Thanks for the review.

      Reply
  12. Katerina says

    May 15, 2020 at 7:00 am

    5 stars
    These little pies look marvellous! We love handheld pies and spinach is always popular around here. What a lovely weekend supper this would be!

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      May 17, 2020 at 11:07 am

      Hi Katerina!
      Thank you so much for your review! I am glad you like the pies.

      Reply
  13. Aya says

    May 15, 2020 at 1:34 am

    5 stars
    Super delicious

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      May 20, 2020 at 12:53 pm

      Hi Aya,
      Thank you so much for leaving a review! I am glad you enjoyed the pies!

      Reply

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