A cute twist on traditional cheese and spinach pockets! The beauty of these Ricotta and Spinach Puff Pastry Bites is that you get so much more out of just one sheet of puff pastry because there’s a higher filling to pastry ratio!
I am addicted to cheese and spinach triangles. For Friday nights in, I’ve been known to head to the supermarket to pick up microwave popcorn and frozen cheese and spinach triangles. Choose a chick flick, open a bottle of wine, and I’m good to go.
Ahhh. My idea of a perfect Friday night. Never in a million years would I have written that 10 years ago.
I really want to say that since I’ve started blogging, I’ve never bought microwave popcorn or frozen triangles. But that would be a blatant lie. There are just some days when I can’t muster up the enthusiasm to cook. Sometimes I wonder how it is that I can cook all day and yet have nothing to eat that night. Well actually, I do. I give away a lot of food. And sometimes I give away what I should be having for dinner myself!
So yes, I eat take out – very rarely, because I grew up believing take out is bad and I can’t shake that. More likely is that I pick up frozen savoury pastries or samosas, or something like that. I have it in my irrational mind that because I have to bake them, they are half home-made. 🙂
Weird that I’m admitting to you that I love frozen triangles when I’m sharing a recipe for puffs! So blowing right past that awkward realisation…..
I like these because they are shaped differently to the usual cheese and spinach triangles you commonly see. And not only that, you get more out of one sheet of pastry because there’s a higher “filling to pastry” ratio. You get 9 of these puffs out of each sheet of puff pastry, whereas I get 4 if I make triangles for around the same amount of filling.
I wasn’t going to share these, I thought they were too boring. But when I gave a stash of them to a friend recently, she instantly wanted to know how I made them into that shape. So here’s the recipe. 🙂
– Nagi
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Ricotta and Spinach Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 egg
- 7 oz / 200g ricotta (preferably full fat but low fat also works) (Note 1)
- 8 oz / 250g frozen chopped spinach , thawed and squeezed of excess water
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (or tasty or gruyere or any other melting cheese with flavour)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Pastry
- 2 sheets puff pastry (25cm/10" square), defrosted
- 1 egg , lightly beaten (egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Spray 2 standard muffin / cupcake tins with oil.
Filling
- Place egg in a bowl and lightly whisk. Add remaining Filling ingredients and mix to combine. Taste and adjust salt to taste.
Pastry
- Cut each pastry into 9 equal pieces (18 in total). You probably won't use 3 pieces.
- Mould 15 pieces of pastry into the muffin tins.
- Divide the Filling between each, then bring the four corners into the centre and press down to stick together. Don't overfill otherwise you won't be able to seal the pastries or they will burst open when baking (which regularly happens with mine).
- Brush with egg wash, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing.
- Serve warm or cool.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
These look perfect for my retreat lunch! I’m so excited to make them.
How long should I plan on having them in the oven if I’m making them two days ahead and then baking from frozen? Alternately, will they survive being baked the night before and then reheated day of?
Hi Diana! Absolutely they survive great reheated the next day! Otherwise I’m guessing 30 minutes from frozen raw 🙂 N x
Can they be par Cooked and then placed into the freezer?
Hi Fiona! I would freeze them raw then cook from frozen 🙂 N x
Easy & delicious. Thanks for sharing
So glad you enjoyed this Jude! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x
20 minutes and my pastries still look so pale! Anybody else had this problem??
I changed the temp to 375
Mine took 35 minutes. They were well worth the wait! I used gruyere. I also used a 10 oz package of spinach, and adjusted the other ingredients accordingly. That way I used the all the spinach and all the pastry.
Glad you enjoyed it Kristy, thanks for letting me know! N x
What size muffin pan should I use?
Standard!
Oh my goodness, these are fun, delicious, easy and pretty! I added a little Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic. Yum! I just need something small to take to a dinner party. I think they are going to make a big hit!
That’s so great to hear Angela! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time to let me know! N x
I love the combo of spinach with Feta cheese — would feta make the filling be too dry?
Love the easier way to assemble instead of all the folding for triangles.
Can’t wait to make these!
Thanks!
I think it will be a tad strong in flavour, try half ricotta half feta! 🙂 N x
Can these be pre-made and then frozen ahead of time to cook at a later date for a party?
Yep! Thawed then refrozen raw puff pastry won’t puff up quite as much but the difference is very small. I don’t notice it myself unless I line them up next to each other! N xx
Can I use fresh spinach as opposed to frozen spinach? I have fresh spinach… Should i pop it on the freeze prior to cooking or does it make no difference?
Thank you in advance 🙂
Thank you for asking this question as I was wondering the same thing.
And Nagi, Origarto for such yummy and food ideas.
Gosh yes! Just finely chop it into shreds then saute or even steam lightly to wilt it right down 🙂 Then use per recipe, no need to freeze! N x
Thank you 😀 I made them this afternoon, absolutely delicious!!! May have inhaled 4 almost immediately… too good to resist!! ^.^
I’m cooking for a party of 80 and don’t want too much to do on the night or day. I’d really like to cook these in advance freeze then reheat. Have you tried it this way?
High praise!!! So pleased you enjoyed this Tenille, thanks for letting me know! N xx
The recipe sounds great and will try it this week but have you tried it in smaller pans or mini muffin tins to add to my antipasto platter. Please let know soon
i did them in mini muffin pans for 20 minutes. cut them in 2 inch squares but did not cover just left them flat with edges up a bit. i forgot the butter but they were great. hub and i just ate 6 of them. dangerous – lol
Not yet but no reason why it wouldn’t work!
These look amazing – I’m having a large party and need a lot of small bites. How would you adapt the recipe for mini muffin tin size? Wondering how well this would work – size of pastry cut – amount of filling and time to bake them etc..
Thank you!
Hi Lisa! Just need to cut the pastry smaller 🙂 It would be terrific made bite size! Still around the same bake time because it’s mainly the pastry that requires the cooking. 🙂
Love the idea of the muffin pan – takes the fiddly out of it, and makes them a good size….if you only want to inhale 6 or 8……:-)
Being a spice & herb addict, I added a tsp of Sumach and ½tsp of ground cloves, 20g of fresh basil (home grown), and I also used home grown Silverbeet. Oh, and I added 50g of Sun Dried Tomatoes.
Thanks Nagi – this was my first of your recipes, and won’t be the last.
Ha!!! You’d be horrified if you saw how many of these I can inhale in one sitting – ha ha! 🙂
I made these for our Melbourne Cup munchies and they were soooo good, especially eaten hot out of the oven! I made a double batch and they disappeared very quickly.
Thanks for another fantastic recipe Nagi.
I’m so glad to hear that Alison!!! Thanks so much for trying my recipe 🙂 Hope you won a bundle on the Melbourne Cup! 😉 N x
Can I use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen?
You sure can, but you will need loads, probably around 500g / 1 lb 🙂
Looks delish. Just wondering if I can prep spinash and ricotta filling a day in advance?
You sure can! Funny you ask that, that’s actually what I did on the weekend for a big party I hosted!
Thank you. I’m planning to make for my son’s party on the weekend. When you have million other things to do for the party, 10minutes is soooo precious. Haha
Actually I make the puffs in the muffin tin (to get the shape) then freeze them again. It puffs up just fine baking from frozen. Sometimes I even bake in advance, let cool then reheat. That works fine too!
Which works better – making them, including baking and then reheat the next day or making them, freeze without baking and bake the day off?
Absolutely delicious. My familly devoured these.
I’m so glad to hear that Suzie! Thank you for letting me know! N x
So simple yet so delicious. Made those for my daughter’s welcome home party and they disappeared like magic.
Thanks Nagi
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Karin! THANK YOU for coming back to let me know, and glad to hear your daughter is home! N x
Hi: I am just dying to make these beauties. Can you tell me if you grease your muffin tin before placing the puff pastry into the well.
Hi Nancy! I don’t because my muffin tin is non stick and also there is butter in the puff pastry! But if your tin is prone to things sticking to it, I would spray it 🙂
Hi Nagi,
My husband and I stumbled on your website a few days ago and have LOVED everything we have made so far. We are hosting friends-giving (thanksgiving with friends) on Friday and I am thinking about making these. Do you know if they would still taste alright if I made them the day before the party and then warmed up for the party or is this a food that would be best served same day? Also, if I make them the night before the party will they get soggy if I store them in the refrigerator overnight? Any tips on the best way to reheat these? Thanks in advance for your advice!
Hi Becca! Thanks for your kind words 🙂 These are fabulous made ahead! Just pop them in a 180C/350F oven for 10 minutes or so. Oven is best to keep them nice and crunchy!
Hi Nagi,
Tried the Spinach & Ricotta Puffs last night….absolutely fantastic…i’ve tried a number of your recipes and you never disappoint, my kids get excited to see what i’m cooking when they know its one of your recipes…..a very huge asante sana (thank you) from Kenya.
Hi Kalpana! Oooh, from Kenya – it sounds so far away and exotic! Africa is one part of the world I haven’t travelled to yet but am keen to do so. I’m also starting to explore African cuisines and I’m loving it! It’s actually interesting to find that many of the spices used are very familiar. 🙂 I am so glad you enjoyed these puffs! And I am totally chuffed that your kids love it when you make my recipes…..talk about flattery!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you loved it!! N x