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    Home / Lebanese Kitchen / Fatayer (Spinach Pies)

    Fatayer (Spinach Pies)

    Crescent-shaped pastries filled with lemony spinach, onion, and sumac, baked until golden and lightly crisp.

    ⏱ 40 minPrep time
    🔥 25 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 Lebanese KitchenCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Golden fatayer spinach pies with sumac

    Fatayer are the little triangular pies that anchor every Lebanese mezze and school lunchbox. The most beloved version is filled with spinach — wilted, chopped, and seasoned with lemon, onion, and a generous pinch of sumac that gives it a bright, sour sparkle. Pine nuts are the classic addition, though many families leave them out to keep the pies simple.

    Golden crescents with a bright, tangy filling

    The dough is soft and slightly chewy, baked to a pale gold with just enough bite to hold the filling together. Inside, the spinach stays fresh and vivid, thanks to the lemon and sumac, which also keep it from tasting flat. They are best the day they are made, warm from the oven, though they reheat beautifully in a hot pan. Fold, pinch, and pleat the edges — the crooked ones made by little hands always taste the best, and a bowl of yogurt or labneh for dunking never hurts.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Stir together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and knead into a smooth dough, about 8 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
    2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes.
    3. Transfer to a bowl, squeeze out the excess liquid, and stir in the lemon juice, sumac, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and pine nuts. Let cool completely.
    4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Punch down the dough and divide into 10 pieces. Roll each into a 4-inch round.
    5. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each round, then fold the edges up to form a triangle, pinching the seams firmly.
    6. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Cool the filling completely before filling the dough, or the fat will melt through the pastry. Squeeze every drop of liquid from the spinach — a dry filling keeps the pies crisp.

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    Recipe details

    Prep40 min
    Cook25 min
    Servings4
    CategoryLebanese Kitchen
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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