Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer Recipe)

4.98 from 47 votes
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A delicious and easy Fatayer – Lebanese spinach pies made with homemade dough and stuffed with savory spinach filling. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or side dish and can be served hot or cold.

Freshly baked fatayer

Fatayer is a pastry I must have had hundreds, if not thousands, of times. It is a popular flaky pastry pie that can be filled with cheese, meat, or my personal favorite – spinach. In particular, Lebanese spinach pies are stuffed with a zingy, savory mixture of spinach, onion, pine nuts, sumac (the magical ingredient), and lemon juice. They can also be made in a variety of sizes and are perfect for meal-prep and to have as a snack or appetizer/side dish.

Watch the recipe video

The ingredients

Ingredients for fatayer

For the Dough

  • Flour: Use plain all-purpose flour.
  • Active dry yeast: Make sure it’s not expired.
  • Brown sugar: Just a bit of sugar is needed to feed the yeast
  • Salt:
  • Neutral oil: You can use vegetable oil, olive oil, or another neutral oil.
  • Luke-warm water: This will help activate the yeast. Make sure it’s just warm and not hot.

For the Filling

  • Spinach: Use fresh spinach leaves
  • Salt: A half of teaspoon salt is needed to macerate the spinach.
  • Sumac: This will give a tangy, almost citrusy flavor.
  • Onion: I like using red onion but you can also use white, yellow, or shallots.
  • Pine nuts
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Pomegranate molasses: Optional

How to make Lebanese spinach pies

Make the dough: First, mix the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, sugar, and salt), then add the like-warm water and oil and mix well. A slightly sticky, pliable dough will form. Knead this for 5-10 minutes till soft and elastic. Set aside in an oiled bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or muslin cloth. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes in a warm location so that it can rise.

When the dough has doubled in size, it’s ready to roll – it should be very fluffy and airy. Divide the dough into even-sized balls. It should make about 40 balls. You can weigh them (about 0.7 oz/20 g each), to be precise, or just eyeball them. Then, using a rolling pin or a glass bottle, roll each ball into a thin circle – about 1/8th inch (2-4 mm) in thickness and about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. While rolling each ball, keep the rest under a damp towel so the dough doesn’t dry.

Steps for making dough for spinach pastries

Make the filling: While the dough is resting, prepare the spinach mixture. Chop the spinach finely. Then, move it to a bowl and sprinkle the salt on top. Set aside for 8-10 minutes to macerate – this will help the spinach to release its liquid content.

While waiting for the spinach, finely chop the onions and, if needed, juice your lemons. Optionally, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a couple of minutes, stirring often. Then, squeeze the salted spinach with clean hands to remove as much of the liquid as possible. As you rub and squeeze it, the spinach leaves will wilt and soften naturally. 

Next, in a large bowl, mix all the filling ingredients (spinach, onion, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, and optional pomegranate molasses). At this point, you can also add in any additional seasonings you may like, such as paprika or cayenne pepper. Mix well to incorporate.

Steps for preparing spinach mixture

Assemble the pies: At this point, preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Next, add 1-2 Tbsp of the spinach mixture to each circle and fold in a triangular shape. Pinch two sides together, then fold over the third side and pinch it all together carefully so the pastry doesn’t come loose in the oven.

Steps for shaping Lebanese spinach pies

Bake the pies: Brush each pie with some olive oil. Then arrange them in a single layer on baking sheets and bake at 350ºF/175ºC (fan-assisted) for 30 minutes. The fatayers are ready when they turn golden brown and are heated through. You can enjoy them right away or at room temperature.

Before and after baking spinach fatayer

Recipe tips

  • Squeeze the salted spinach: Salt will help remove the water content from the spinach leaves (and season it, too). Then, squeeze it hard. This ensures the spinach pies don’t become soggy while baking.
  • The dough should be thin! The key is to roll it out as thin as possible. It may puff up slightly in the oven, so it’s good to compensate for this.
  • Experiment with flavor and ingredients: Although this recipe uses a traditional filling, feel free to experiment. For example, you could add crumbly feta cheese or spices like cayenne pepper or paprika.

FAQs

Can Fatayer be made in advance?

You can make them up to a week in advance and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can then reheat them or enjoy them cold. You can also freeze them.

Can Fatayer be frozen?

Yes, these can be frozen once baked. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag with baking paper to separate the pies (so they don’t stick together), and freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, place in the oven at 300ºF/150ºC for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the pastry).

What’s a good replacement for sumac?

Sumac can be found online or at Mediterranean shops. If you can’t find it, you can substitute lemon pepper.

Can I use frozen spinach instead?

You can use frozen spinach, too. Make sure to thaw it first and squeeze out all its liquid before you proceed with the recipe as usual.

What to serve with fatayer?

Lebanese spinach pies go great with a side of:
Yogurt
Tzatziki sauce
Hummus
Tomato and cucumber salad

A platter with homemade spianch fatayer

If you try these Lebanese spinach pies, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!

Lebanese Spinach Pies (Fatayer Recipe)

4.98 from 47 votes
By: Samira
A delicious and easy Fatayer – Lebanese spinach pies made with homemade dough and stuffed with savory spinach filling. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or side dish and can be served hot or cold.
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients 
 

For the dough

  • 4 cups white flour
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1.5 tsp dry yeast
  • 1.5 tsp brown sugar optional
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups water lukewarm

For the filling

  • 1 lb spinach
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4.4 oz onion 1 small red or yellow
  • 4 Tbsp lemon juice from 1 large lemon
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil plus more for greasing
  • 2 Tbsp pine nuts optionally toasted
  • 1 Tbsp sumac
  • 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses optional

Instructions 

Make the dough

  • In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt, then add the like-warm water and oil and mix well until a sticky pliable dough forms.
  • Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, till soft and elastic.
  • Place it in an oiled bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or muslin cloth. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes in a warm location to rise.

Make the filling

  • Chop the spinach finely and add it to a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and set aside for 8-10 minutes to macerate.
  • Finely chop the onions and, if needed, juice the lemon.
  • Optionally, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a couple of minutes, stirring often.
  • Squeeze the salted spinach with clean hands and remove as much of the liquid as possible.
  • In a large bowl, mix the spinach, onion, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, and optional pomegranate molasses). Mix well to incorporate.

Assemble the pies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºC/175.
  • When the dough has doubled in size, it's ready to roll. It should be very fluffy and airy. Divide the dough into 40 even-sized balls. You can weigh them (about 0.7 oz/20 g each) or just eyeball them.
  • Using a rolling pin or a glass bottle, roll each ball into a thin circle – about 1/8th inch (2-4 mm) in thickness and about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. While rolling each ball, keep the rest under a damp towel.
  • Add about 1-2 Tbsp of the spinach mixture to each circle (make sure to leave a margin) and fold in a triangular shape. Pinch two sides together, then fold over the third side and pinch it all together carefully, so the pastry doesn't come loose in the oven.

Bake the pies

  • Brush the pie with some olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on baking sheets.
  • Bake the fatayer at 350ºF/175ºC (fan-assisted) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
    You can enjoy them right away or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

To store: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Place them in an airtight container with baking paper to separate the pies, and freeze for up to 6 months.
To reheat: Place in the oven at 300ºF/150ºC for 20-30 minutes until heated.
Sourcing and substitutes: Sumac and pomegranate molasses can be found online or in Middle Eastern stores. Lemon pepper can be used as a substitute for sumac. Homemade pomegranate molasses can be made by simmering pomegranate juice. 
Check the blog post for serving suggestions and more tips!
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Lebanese
Freezer friendly: 6 Months
Shelf life: 1 Week

Nutrition

Serving: 4 pies, Calories: 262kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 866mg, Potassium: 350mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 4255IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




40 Comments

      1. Hi there,
        No you can just mix all the dry ingredients for the dough together and then add the warm water and oil and mix well. Make sure to follow the correct steps from here on. I hope this helps 🙂

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve been craving tangy spinach fatayer for a while, so decided to try making my own and they were delicious! I’ve never made my own dough or cooked with dry yeast before, but this recipe was so simple and easy to follow. Thanks for posting! I’m definitely making this recipe again.

  2. 5 stars
    My boyfriend and me just tried this Fatayer recipe for dinner and are absolutely amazed with the results, Samira! We will definitely do them again very soon, Thank you so much for sharing!