These spinach puffs are golden, crispy, and easy to make with flaky puff pastry, cream cheese, fresh spinach, and savory bacon. They’re a crowd-pleasing holiday appetizer!

Two rows of spinach puffs on a white serving plate.

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Easy Spinach Puffs Recipe

These golden and crispy spinach puffs are a quick and easy appetizer made with simple ingredients. They’re perfect any time of year, but I especially love to serve them as a New Year’s Eve appetizer! The creamy filling combines two kinds of cheese, savory bacon, and Italian seasoning for a delicious bite.

Made popular by Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove, Kronk’s spinach puffs are loved by both adults and kids alike! For more party favorites, try my bacon wrapped smokies, grape jelly chili sauce meatballs and baked spinach artichoke dip!

Ingredients

Spinach puffs ingredients including puff pastry, cream cheese, bacon, parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, eggs and seasonings.

How to Make Spinach Puffs

In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well combined then fold in the spinach, Parmesan and bacon. Roll out thawed but still cold pastry sheets then cut each sheet into 9 puff pastry squares.

Spinach puff filling in a bowl including cream cheese mixture, spinach, bacon and Parmesan.

Press pastry squares into the bottom of the muffin cups and evenly divide the spinach mixture among the cups. Using your fingers, pull the 4 pastry points on one cup over the filling and the press them together. 

Puff pastry pressed into muffin pan and filled with spinach filling.

 Lightly brush the tops of the puffs with the melted butter. For a shinier spinach puff, brush tops with an egg wash instead.

Brushing butter onto the tops of the spinach puffs.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to serve.

Spinach puffs recipe cooked in a muffin tin.

Tips and Variations

  • Kronk’s spinach puffs: Use 4 ounces of cream cheese and 1/2 -1 cup ricotta cheese, feta cheese or sour cream.
  • Spinach and feta puff pastry recipe. Substitute the parmesan for crumbled feta cheese.
  • Savory onion and garlic: These are popular spinach puffs add-ins but will need to be sauteed before adding to the mixture.
  • Frozen spinach: Can be substituted for fresh but will need to be thawed and drained well to remove excess moisture.
  • Cone shaped: Place squares on parchment paper lined baking sheet, place filling in the middle and seal two sides together with an egg wash.
  • Mini muffin pan: Cut the puff pastry into smaller squares and bake puffs in mini muffin pan. Baking time will be 10-15 minutes.
Close up photo of spinach puffs on the counter.

More puff pastry recipes that are crowd-pleasing include cranberry brie Bites or kielbasa puffs.

More Appetizer Recipes

Two rows of spinach puffs on a white serving plate.

Spinach Puffs

5 from 11 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cool Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 18
These spinach puffs are easy to make with flaky puff pastry, cream cheese, fresh spinach and savory bacon. One of my favorite holiday appetizers to serve at parties!
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Video

Equipment

  • 2 9-cup muffin pans

Ingredients 

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 cups chopped fresh spinach , packed
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 5 strips bacon , cooked and crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 (17.3-ounce) package Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry , thawed (2 sheets)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter , melted

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray 2 9-cup muffin pans with nonstick spray.
  • Combine filling. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave 8 ounce cream cheese 10 seconds at a time until softened and melted but not steaming. Stir in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until well combined.
  • Add spinach and bacon. Add 4 cups spinach, 1/2 cup parmesan and 5 strips bacon. Using a fork, mix in the cream cheese mixture.
  • Roll out puff pastry. Lightly dust flour on a work surface. Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet onto the flour. Roll a couple times each way with a rolling pin to smooth it out. Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice into 9 squares. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet.
  • Assemble puffs. Press the pastry squares into the bottom of the muffin cups. Evenly divide the spinach mixture among the cups. Using your fingers, pull the 4 pastry points on one cup over the filling and the press them together. Repeat with remaining puffs. Lightly brush with the melted butter.
  • Bake 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen from the pan.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Shinier puffs: If you want to do an egg wash, combine 1 beaten egg with 1 Tablespoon water and brush each puff with the mixture. You can also use heavy cream, if you prefer.
Make-ahead: These can be prepped up to 3 hours in advance. Simply cover unbaked puffs and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 41mg, Vitamin A: 15IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Make Ahead and Storage

  • Make ahead. This spinach puff recipe can be prepped up to 3 hours in advance. Simply cover unbaked puffs and store in the fridge before baking uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes. 
  • Storage: Store the filling only in an airtight container in the fridge up to two days. You can also freeze the filling for up to 2 months, thaw then assemble and bake.
  • Freezing uncooked puffs. Freeze assembled uncooked puff pastry appetizers for 2-3 hours in the muffin pan, then remove and store in an airtight freezer container up to 2 months. Place frozen puffs in a muffin pan and bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
  • Freezing baked spinach puffs. Cool completely then place them in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 2 months then reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.