Cucumber Sandwiches

20 minutes

Cucumber Sandwiches are the perfect addition to your next tea party, bridal shower, or Mother’s Day brunch. Made with just a handful of ingredients, they’re simple, fresh, and so delicious! 

If you’ve ever been to a tea party, chances are you’ve had a cucumber sandwich or two. They’re a staple on every tea party menu, and for good reason! They’re delicate, dainty, and everything else you associate with afternoon tea.. and they’re also so easy to make at home.

Made with soft white bread, thinly sliced cucumbers, and a deliciously flavorful cream cheese spread, they’re everyone’s favorite finger sandwiches. Their popularity dates all the way back to the 1800’s, in fact, when the tradition of afternoon tea began. Cucumber Sandwiches were considered a “high class” food because cucumbers weren’t readily available and only the wealthy could afford to eat foods that offered little nutritional value.

Today, their popularity isn’t limited to just tea parties. They’re also a popular choice for bridal showers, baby showers, and Mother’s Day brunches. And this easy recipe is our absolute favorite. It combines crisp English cucumbers with a lemon dill cream cheese spread for the ultimate flavor combination everyone is sure to love!

what you’ll need for this recipe

White bread – Cucumber sandwiches are traditionally made with white bread. You’ll want to choose a soft white sandwich bread, and you’ll need about 10 slices.

Cucumbers – Cucumbers are the key ingredient in this recipe! Look for firm texture and dark green coloring. I used English cucumbers because they’re seedless and tend to be less watery, making them perfect for sandwiches.

Cream cheese – Since you’ll be adding spices and seasonings, any plain cream cheese will work here. You can also substitute your favorite flavor as a shortcut. I used a brick of full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature.

Mayo – Adding mayo to the cream cheese helps make it a little more creamy and a little less thick. I used full fat mayo, but you can substitute any type you have on hand.

Fresh dill – Fresh dill is what gives the cream cheese layer its delicious flavor. Although you can substitute dried in a pinch, I would highly recommend using fresh if at all possible.

Lemon juice – I added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the cream cheese filling to help balance it out and give it an extra zip. As always, fresh is best but bottled will work, too!

Seasonings – The best thing about this recipe is that you need just 3 simple seasonings: garlic powder, salt, and pepper. No special shopping trip required!

how to make cucumber sandwiches

Make the filling. In small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, mayo, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Use a hand mixer or spoon to mix well.

Peel & slice the cucumber. Peel the cucumber in stripes and cut into 1/8 inch slices using a mandoline or sharp knife.

Remove the crusts. Cut the crust off of the bread to make squares.

Assemble & cut the sandwiches. For each sandwich, spread about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling onto each piece of bread. Add thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh cracked pepper and additional fresh dill. Place the second piece of bread on top, then carefully cut into 4 triangles or squares.

How to keep a Cucumber Sandwich from getting soggy

There are a few simple tips to follow to keep your cucumber sandwiches from getting soggy. The first is to use English cucumbers, which have less water content than regular cucumbers due to their smaller seeds. The second is to sprinkle the sliced cucumbers with salt and place them on paper towels to allow any additional moisture to drain before adding them to the sandwiches. (*You may want to omit the salt from the cream cheese filling if you go this route.) The third is to spread cream cheese on both pieces of bread to create a barrier between the cucumbers and the bread.

how to cut cucumber sandwiches

There are a number of different options when it comes to how to cut a cucumber sandwich. Whichever option you choose, be sure to remove the crusts first!

Rectangles – Keep your cucumber sandwiches a little bigger by cutting each one into 2 rectangles.

Squares – Cut each sandwich in half and then in half again to make 4 squares.

Triangles – Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and then cross-diagonally to make 4 triangles.

Shapes – Use any shape of cookie cutter to make fun shapes.

What goes well with cucumber sandwiches?

Cucumber Sandwiches are the ultimate tea party food, and they pair well with a variety of other bite sized recipes. If you’re looking to round out your tea party menu, here are some of our other favorites!

• Quiche Lorraine Bites
• Egg Salad Crostini
• Strawberry Brie Waffle Bites
• Mini Crab Cakes
• No-Bake Petit Fours
• Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bites
• Lemon Bars

More cucumber recipes you’ll love

• Creamy Cucumber Salad – one of my most popular recipes!
• Cucumber Salsa
• Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad
• Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad
• Strawberry Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Sandwiches

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Cucumber Sandwiches are the perfect addition to your next tea party, bridal shower, or Mother's Day brunch. Made with just a handful of ingredients, they're simple, fresh, and so delicious! 

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Ingredients

• 12 slices white bread
• 1 English cucumber
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, mayo, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Use a hand mixer or spoon to mix well.
2. Peel the cucumber in stripes and cut into 1/8 inch slices using a mandoline or sharp knife.
3. Cut the crust off of the bread to make squares.
4. For each sandwich, spread about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling onto each piece of bread. Add thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh cracked pepper and additional fresh dill. Place the second piece of bread on top, then carefully cut into 4 triangles or squares.

Notes

How to keep a Cucumber Sandwich from getting soggy

1. Use English cucumbers, which have less water content than regular cucumbers due to their smaller seeds.

2. Sprinkle the sliced cucumbers with salt and place them on paper towels to allow any additional moisture to drain before adding them to the sandwiches. (*You may want to omit the salt from the cream cheese filling if you go this route.)

3. Spread cream cheese on both pieces of bread to create a barrier between the cucumbers and the bread.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 91Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g