Greek Recipes
Crispy Butter Beans with Spanakopita Whipped Feta 🧀
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
30 minutes
Yield
4 -6
This crispy butter bean and whipped feta dip brings all the bold, herby spanakopita flavor in an easy, scoopable form. Crunchy roasted beans on top of creamy whipped feta make it perfect for sharing and snacking.
If spanakopita and a snackable dip had a child, this would be it. Creamy whipped feta blended with garlic, lemon, dill, oregano, and a hit of spinach gives you all those classic spanakopita flavors, while Crispy Butter Beans bring the crunch. This recipe is simple, flavorful, and perfect for scooping with warm pita. It’s seriously so yummy and is a great recipe to whip up (pun intended) if you’re hosting!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Crispy Butter Beans Recipe
- Classic Flavors Made Easy: This dish delivers all the classic spanakopita flavor you love like the salty feta, lemon, garlicky goodness, and fresh herbs, but doesn’t have the hassle of using phyllo pastry.
- Crunchy: The crispy butter beans add the perfect crunchy contrast to the creamy whipped feta, making every scoop super satisfying.
- Easy: This dish is easy to make but feels fancy, which means it works just as well for entertaining as it does for a solo snack moment.
Ingredients
Butter Beans: Butter beans are hearty, creamy, and crisp up beautifully in the oven, making them the perfect crunchy topper for this dip. They’re packed with plant-based protein and fiber, which helps keep you full and supports steady energy. Plus, they soak up flavors like lemon, garlic, and chili flakes like a dream. If you can’t find them in your store, they’re often referred to as “lima beans”. You could also swap the crispy butter beans for crispy chickpeas instead.
Feta Cheese: Feta brings that signature spanakopita flavor, especially when whipped until smooth and fluffy. It’s naturally lower in fat than many cheeses and provides calcium and protein to support bone health. Paired with lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs, it gives you that big flavor you want in this dip.
How to Make Crispy Butter Beans with Spanakopita Whipped Feta
For the crispy butter beans –
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Drain and rinse the butter beans and then dry them really well.
- Add the dried butter beans to the parchment paper lined baking sheet and season with the olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili flakes and toss everything to combine.
- Bake the beans for 25-30 minutes or until crispy and then remove from the oven.
For the spanakopita whipped feta dip –
- Make the whipped feta by adding crumbled feta cheese, olive oil, chopped dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, pressed garlic, ground pepper and spinach leaves to a food processor and pulse for a couple minutes until you get a smooth and creamy texture.
Assemble the dip –
- Layer the whipped feta on a plate or in a low bowl. Next layer crispy butter beans on top and garnish with fresh chopped dill and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve with fresh or toasted pitas.
Tips and Tricks
- Dry the Beans: Make sure you dry the beans well before roasting because any extra moisture will steam them instead of letting them get crispy.
- Spread Beans in Single Layer: Spread out your beans evenly on the sheet pan so they roast, not crowd and give you soggy beans.
- Add Spinach Gradually: By adding it gradually, the whipped feta stays smooth and creamy, not chunky.
- Serve Immediately: For the best contrast between the warm, crispy beans and cool, creamy dip, serve as soon as you assemble it.
Substitutions
There are definitely a few substitutions you can make to this recipe if you have preferences or don’t have certain ingredients on hand. Generally, dips can be pretty forgiving. Here are some recommendations:
- Butter Beans: Use chickpeas or cannellini beans if that’s what you have in your pantry or if you can’t find butter beans.
- Feta: Goat cheese or ricotta can work in this recipe. It’ll give a slightly milder, creamier dip but still have the same feel.
- Dill: Swap the dill for another herb like parsley or basil.
- Spinach: You can swap spinach for kale or Swiss chard. Just remove the tough stems before blending.
Best served with
How to Store Leftovers
It’s best enjoyed when freshly assembled so the beans stay crispy but you can also store the beans separate from the dip and assemble before enjoying. It’ll last about 3-4 days in the fridge when stored separately. You can still enjoy leftovers if you already assembled it, just the consistency of the beans will change overtime.
Common Questions
Absolutely. In fact, you should use canned butter beans here. Just make sure you drain and rinse them well, then dry them really thoroughly. That step is the secret to getting them crispy in the oven without frying.
Drying the beans really well, tossing them with oil, and roasting them at a high temperature lets moisture escape so they crisp up in the oven.
It’s all about the combo of feta, garlic, lemon, dill, oregano, and a little spinach, which together recreate those classic spanakopita flavors without the phyllo.
Yes. Swap the feta for a dairy-free feta-style cheese or a thick cashew-based spread, and keep the same lemon, garlic, and herb combo for that Mediterranean vibe.
They’re crunchiest the day they’re made, but you’ll get about 1–2 days of decent texture in the fridge, and you can re-crisp them in the oven or air fryer.
Absolutely. Turn it into a main by adding warm pita, roasted veggies, or a big salad, or even spoon it into a bowl with grains for a hearty meal.
Crispy Butter Beans with Spanakopita Whipped Feta 🧀
Ingredients
For the crispy butter beans
- 2 398ml cans butter beans, drained, rinsed and dried
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
For the spanakopita whipped feta
- 2 cups crumbled feta cheese (crumbled from a block of feta cheese in brine)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp fresh chopped dill plus more for garnish
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 tsp pressed garlic (about 1 large garlic clove)
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
- Kosher salt to taste
- Pitas for serving (use our Fluffy Greek Pitas!)
Instructions
For the crispy butter beans –
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Drain and rinse the butter beans and then dry them really well.
- Add the dried butter beans to the parchment paper lined baking sheet and season with the olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili flakes and toss everything to combine.
- Bake the beans for 25-30 minutes or until crispy and then remove from the oven.
For the spanakopita whipped feta dip –
- Make the whipped feta by adding crumbled feta cheese, olive oil, chopped dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, pressed garlic, ground pepper and spinach leaves to a food processor and pulse for a couple minutes until you get a smooth and creamy texture.
Assemble the dip –
- Layer the whipped feta on a plate or in a low bowl. Next layer crispy butter beans on top and garnish with fresh chopped dill and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve with fresh or toasted pitas.
Notes
- If you love whipped feta, try our Garlic Confit Whipped Feta Dip
- If you enjoy the spanakopita flavours in this whipped feta, try our traditional Greek Spinach Pie (Spanakopita)
