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These cucumber sandwiches are light, fresh, and crisp with a creamy, flavorful spread that ties it all together.
Featured with this Recipe
Cucumber sandwiches have been around for over 100 years and they honestly haven’t varied much since they first started being made. They originated in the Victorian era of England and were enjoyed as a light snack or during afternoon tea. Since then, the popularity of a cucumber sandwich has spread worldwide and is enjoyed for an appetizer, an afternoon tea party, a Mother’s Day brunch, bridal showers, baby showers, luncheons or any other quaint gatherings where one might serve light finger foods.
These cucumber tea sandwiches are perfect as an easy snack, or a light lunch. Serve these sandwiches along with one of our easy salads or refreshing drinks.
Ingredients in Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber sandwiches are very simple, light, and refreshing. They don’t require a lot of ingredients and come together in minutes! Though there can be many different variations on a cucumber sandwich recipe, some things always remain the same: bread, cucumbers and spread. Here’s what you need for our easy recipe:
- Cucumbers– about three for this recipe, but add as many thinly-sliced cucumbers as you need for your needs.
- Cream Cheese – softened to room temperature for easy blending.
- Mayonnaise – We love using half a cup of Best Foods Mayonnaise but you can use any brand you like.
- Green onion – finely chopped. You can use fresh chives too.
- Chopped fresh dill – to taste. Find fresh dill in the produce section of your regular grocery store.
- Bread – I love using buttermilk bread, because it’s flavorful, sturdy and just tastes delicious.
- Salt and Pepper – to taste
Bread
The bread for the best cucumber sandwiches should always be soft and light and thinly sliced. White bread is always a popular choice. Some people like to use a soft wheat bread or pumpernickel. We prefer a good buttermilk bread because of the subtle buttery flavor and soft texture. You can also mix and match bread! Use half of the bread slices on one side and a different kind on the other.
Cucumbers
For this cucumber sandwich recipe you want to use a sharp knife or a mandolin to slice your cucumbers very THIN. You can peel them first, leave the peels on, or use a fork or peeler to make a design in the peel before slicing. I love English cucumbers for this sandwich but you can use any type of cucumber you like. There are a few ways to do this:
- Stack them – like in the picture
- Layer cucumbers halfway over each other in rows like a fanned out stack of cards.
- Come up with your own creative way to layer them!
Spread
We like to use softened cream cheese but butter works great too (and some may argue it is more “traditional”) We like adding some mayonnaise, dill, and green onion to the spread to give it a flavor boost. For added flavor you can also try:
- Dry Ranch dressing mix
- Dry Italian dressing mix
- Fresh, roasted garlic
- Lemon Juice
- Black Pepper and Kosher Salt
- Parsley
- Lemon Zest
- Fresh Chives
- Onion Powder
- Fresh Herbs
How to Keep Cucumber Sandwiches From Getting Soggy
There are a couple things you can do to keep your sandwich from getting soggy. First, in a large bowl, lightly toss the sliced cucumbers in a little salt to draw out any excess moisture. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Drain off the excess liquid and then use a damp paper towel to pat the cucumbers dry. They will still be crisp, just less watery.
Next, spread the cream cheese mixture thick enough so you don’t see the bread through the spread (see image below). This will create a barrier preventing the moisture from the cucumbers from seeping into the bread, making it soggy.
Low Carb Cucumber Sandwich or Snack Idea
One of our favorite things to do with the leftover cream cheese spread and cucumbers is to make filled cucumber boats. Peel and cut any leftover cucumbers in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Spread any remaining spread in the well. Kick it up a notch by sprinkling bagel topping seeds over the top. You can serve it as one giant “boat” or cut into smaller bite-size pieces. It’s the perfect low-carb or Keto snack!
Get The Kids Involved:
My kids LOVE these sandwiches because they can easily help make them! My older kids can cut and slice the cucumbers. The younger kids can peel cucumbers and spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread pieces. So many different kitchen skills can be taught with these simple sandwiches. Also, if you get your kids involved they will be more likely to eat what they are preparing!
Frequently Asked Questions about Cucumber Sandwiches
These little sandwiches are often associated with royalty or upper-class tea time, especially back in the 1800’s when they were invented. Cucumbers were once considered uncommon and expensive, so they were a real treat for “posh” people.
Any variety of slicing cucumbers will work great for cucumber sandwiches. Slicing cucumbers are usually dark green, uniform in color, and have a very mild taste. “Slicers” are the most common variety of cucumber in the United States. They are the kind you will easily find in most grocery stores. They have a thicker, tougher skin than European varieties which is why most prefer to peel them before slicing.
They are the same thing. Some may argue that “tea” sandwiches are cut into triangles or squares and “finger” sandwiches are cut into long, rectangular “fingers”. How they are cut actually doesn’t matter, no matter what you call them. “Finger” has less to do with the shape and more to do with the fact that they are eaten with your fingers.
Yes! They can be made up to a day ahead of time and still taste great. See the tips above for how to keep your cucumber sandwiches from getting soggy. Just keep them neatly stacked in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
READ NEXT: Brunch Buffet Ideas
More Easy Sandwich Ideas
Make a variety of tea sandwiches to go with these cucumber sandwiches at your next tea party or brunch. We grew up eating these ribbon finger sandwiches (image below) made with deviled ham and cheese spread. They are delicious and so pretty for tea parties!
You can also make little egg salad sandwiches with this recipe, just cut them into bite-sized finger sandwiches or squares for easy serving. Try this method using our easy chicken salad sandwich recipe as well!
How to Make Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber Sandwiches
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cucumbers
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons green onion (or chives) finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (or to taste)
- 12 slices buttermilk bread
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Peel cucumbers (if desired) and slice into thin slices. In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped green onion, and fresh dill. Stir until smooth and well combined.
- Lay out bread slices and spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on each slice, or to taste.
- Layer cucumber slices on half of the slices and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Place the remaining slices of bread over the top of the cucumber slices. Press the sandwich together gently and use a sharp, serrated knife to cut off the crusts.Cut each sandwich diagonally into 4 triangles or 3-4 rectangular "fingers" (whichever you prefer).
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- There are a couple things you can do to keep your sandwich from getting soggy. First, in a large bowl, lightly toss the sliced cucumbers in a little salt to draw out any excess moisture. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
- Drain off the excess liquid and then use a damp paper towel to pat the cucumbers dry. They will still be crisp, just less watery.
- Next, spread the cream cheese mixture thick enough so you don’t see the bread through the spread (see image below). This will create a barrier preventing the moisture from the cucumbers from seeping into the bread, making it soggy.
HI! Do you know how long I could store the spread in the fridge? My girls love it for easy lunches!
It should last about a week in the fridge!
This sandwich is so popular here in the UK but honestly, I never tried. Now I definitely will. You convinced me. It sounds super delicious.
These sandwiches will be so perfect for a baby shower! I have a few this summer so I’m going to save this recipe!