Spinach Puffs
Last weekend, my girlfriends and I gathered for our Annual Girls’ Christmas Beauty Bash. In what has become one of my favorite holiday traditions, we each bring a wrapped beauty or cosmetic item of a set value, food, and a bottle of bubbly, then gather to sip, eat, giggle, and play what has become an increasingly heated gift exchange game. I baked these Spinach Pastry Puffs and wrapped up this pretty set of lipsticks, which I fully admit I was tempted to steal for myself during the game.
This recipe is sponsored by Mountain Valley Spring Water.
I resisted snagging the lipsticks, opting for a mini set of these amazing, fancy lip balms instead…which was eventually stolen from me.
Fortunately for each of our appetites, this recipe for Spinach Pastry Puffs yields a large batch, so we could all happily gobble as many as we pleased.
Whenever I need an appetizer for a party that I know will be easy, impressive, and a total crowd-pleaser, I turn to puff pastry. These sheets of buttery, flaky dough are endlessly versatile, bake up beautifully golden every time, and can be found in the freezer section of any grocery store.
In past years, I’ve made Cranberry Brie Bites, Ham and Cheese Pinwheels, and Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites, and while those all have been hits, today’s Spinach Puffs might be the greatest of them all.
{A side note for fellow fans of The Emperor’s New Groove, a seriously adorable and (in my opinion) underrated Disney movie: You know the tasty Spinach Puffs Kronk makes in the film? I like to think that Kronk would approve of this Spinach Puff recipe too!}
To make these spinach puff pastry cups, being by cutting squares of puff pastry. I kept it easy by dividing my puff pastry into nine squares (three rows of three), which fit perfectly inside the wells of a regular muffin pan like these.
The puffs’ filling is inspired by one of the most revered appetizers of our time: spinach dip. It’s a quick, ever-delicious combo of cream cheese, spinach (I use thawed frozen spinach for maximum speed), feta cheese, and BACON.
The Spinach Puffs are creamy on the inside, buttery and flaky on the outside, and the touch of feta, bacon, and garlic in the filling makes them unquestionably addictive.
Despite the semi-fancy vibe puff pastry provides, this recipe is ultra simple. You don’t even need to wait for the cream cheese to soften before you start making the filling. THAT is how no-fuss this spinach cream cheese puff pastry creation truly is.
I was happy with the size of the Spinach Puffs baked in the regular muffin pan. They were sturdy enough to easily pick up with our fingers, and every bite of filling contained bits of both bacon and feta.
That said, if you wanted to make mini spinach puffs instead, I think you could cut the puff pastry into smaller squares, then bake the puffs in a mini muffin pan instead.
In addition to the food, drinks are another one my central focuses whenever I host a gathering. My girlfriends and I adore all things bubbles, and in addition to sparkling wine, I like to provide a nonalcoholic beverage for my guests that still feels special. A few of my friends are pregnant, and I don’t want them (or anyone else who’s taking a break from the booze) to feel as if they are missing out.
I recently discovered Mountain Valley Spring Water, which offers a line of the most adorable individually sized bottles of sparkling water. In addition to being fizzy and fun, the bottles look so cute on a party table.
For the party, I loved that I didn’t need to go to any extra work to make the water look nice, and my friends who weren’t drinking loved having a beverage option that still felt festive.
In addition their all-around YUM factor, these spinach puff pastry cups are a party planner’s dream appetizer. They can be fully baked and frozen weeks in advance.
Spinach Puffs also taste great both warm and at room temperature, so you don’t need to stress about timing the exact moment you pull them from the oven. Heat them up a little before your guests arrive, place them on the table, then enjoy the moment when they disappear.
More Crowd-Pleasing Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipes like Spinach Puffs:
GIVEAWAY ALERT! Mountain Valley Spring Water is giving away two tickets to a VIP dinner event and day long music festival in Austin, TX. Find more details including how to enter here.
Spinach Puffs
Ingredients
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon
- 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese — Neufchâtel, cut into large pieces
- 2 large eggs — divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 10 ounces frozen spinach — (1 package) thawed and thoroughly pressed dry
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta — about 2 ounces
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan — about 1 ounce
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry — (9- or 10-inch) thawed overnight in the refrigerator (I like Pepperidge Farm)
Instructions
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Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake bacon according to these directions for Baked Bacon. Let cool, then chop or crumble into bits. Spray 18 total cups in two standard muffin tins with nonstick spray.
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Meanwhile, place the cream cheese pieces in a wide microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 10 second bursts until the cream cheese is very soft and melty but not so hot that it is steaming. Stir in 1 egg, garlic powder, black pepper, and oregano until well combined.
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In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, feta, Parmesan, and chopped bacon with a fork, breaking apart the spinach. Scrape the cream cheese mixture on top of the spinach mixture, then stir the ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
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Unfold the first sheet of pastry on a lightly floured surface and gently roll to remove any creases (it will be a 10- or 11-inch square). Cut the pastry sheet into 9 even squares (three squares across and three down—they will be a little more than 3 inches on each side). Line the wells of the muffin pan with the pastry squares so that the center is pressed on the bottom of the muffin cups and the corners over hang the sides (see photo in blog post above). If needed, stretch the squares to be a bit larger so that they extend all the way up the sides. With a spoon or small scoop like this one, portion the spinach filling by heaping tablespoons and place it in the center of each muffin cup, dividing it evenly among the 18 cups.
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Bring the four points of each puff pastry square together towards the center so that they cover the filling, then lightly press them together in the middle (no need for them to totally stick or seal). In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg to make an egg wash and brush it over the tops of the pastry (you will not need the whole egg).
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Bake the puffs, one muffin tin on each rack, for 21 to 24 minutes, until puffy and deeply golden, switching the pans' position on the upper and lower racks halfway through. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife carefully around the edges to gently loosen them. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Puffs may be fully baked and then frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat in a 375 degree F oven directly from frozen, until warmed through.
- Filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In an ideal world, I would recommend filling the cups right before baking, BUT I think you could line the cups with the unbaked puff pastry squares, scoop in the filling, then store the pan in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Apply the egg wash just before baking.
- These are best enjoyed the day they are made but can last in the refrigerator for a day or so. Reheat in the oven prior to serving.
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1 puff) — Calories: 179, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 258mg, Carbohydrates: 13g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Protein: 5gDid you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
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About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
I’ve made your Cranberry Brie Bites the last couple years for my New Year’s Holiday Tea. This year I’m going to try these. Sounds like a good recommendation for them.
‘Val
I hope you enjoy them, Val!
Love how you used different cheeses instead of ricotta for a change. I would eat all of those!!! Yum (:
Thanks so much!
These look SO yummy!
Thanks, Gaby!
Will definitely make these, they look delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Love your site.
Thank you so much, Angela! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Who ever thought I’d get so excited over something centered around spinach!? These look absolutely to die for. So fluffy and savory and mmmmm… I’m drooling.
I don’t like spinach so much but this looks very delicious.
Thanks Cam! If you do give the recipe a try, I hope you enjoy it!
hey girl- this looks so yummy! The bash sounds like a lot of fun!
Thank you so much, Shawnna! We did have fun!
I’m over-the-moon thrilled that you referenced The Emperor’s New Groove! As soon as I spotted this recipe on your blog I decided I had to make it for my family’s Christmas potluck, as that movie is my little brother’s favourite and I knew he’d get the reference immediately. Reading through your blog, I loved that your mind went there too! Can’t wait to whip these up :)
It is such a good movie Rachel! I’m glad you appreciate it too :-) I hope you love the puffs also!
This looks yummy! Can you recommend a substitute for the Feta cheese or should I just leave it out? Definitely want to make these Spinach Puffs soon.
Hi Debbie, you could try goat cheese or just use additional Parmesan cheese! I hope you enjoy!
These are excellent! I made them as an appetizer on Christmas. I reheated the leftovers a couple days later and they were still great. Highly recommended!
WHOOO HOOO! Thanks so much Christine. I’m so happy you loved them!
Made these to take to a potluck tomorrow, and made some changes: halved the recipe (for the cream cheese egg mix I lightly beat the egg, then use a little over half the beaten egg in the mix, and saved the rest for the egg wash), omitted the bacon, substituted cheddar for the feta, used herb and garlic spreadable cream cheese instead of brick plain so I also omitted the extra oregano and garlic.
Sounds like I made a lot of changes but honestly, this was a terrific recipe and a great guideline. Not only are they tasty, but they’re very pretty, and easy to put together. Next time I wouldn’t use the cheddar as it was too mild to notice, I’d use the original feta or up the Parmesan as recommended. Thank you!
Tori, thank YOU for sharing this wonderful review. I”m glad this recipe has been such a great starter for you. Have fun at the potluck!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!! I made these last year from a very similar recipe that did not call for bacon. Although they were very good, I felt something was missing. Then I found your recipe and it had the missing secret ingredient! BACON! Lol. I doubled the bacon and then followed your recipe exactly. They were phenomenal. My kids ask for these all the time, and I usually give in because they are just that good. I can’t see waiting for a special holiday just to enjoy these. They are good year-round. Thanks again! :)
Hooray! I’m so glad they were well received! Thanks for taking the time to leave this wonderful comment too.
On my frozen spinach it says to cook before using.Should I cook it then let it cool,dry then use or will be ok to use as is once thawed?
Hi Jessica, I think it should be okay to just thaw and use it, as the puffs baking in the oven should cook the spinach. I hope you enjoy them!
BTW,this the only spinach puff pastry recipe I’ve came across so far that actually sounded like a great starter recipe.Im just now getting back into cooking more complex recipes like I use to.Ive been out of practice for 15 years so I’m a bit Rusty and don’t remember little tidbits on how to switch out this ingredient for that one.But after looking at countless videos ,how to,& recipe sites this one stood out to me.Making it tonight,so excited I used to love making spinach quiche so looking forward to this.