Cucumber Sandwiches – the classic finger sandwich you find at high tea! A cream cheese spread with fresh herbs and cucumber make a light, fresh, and easy sandwich you can serve anytime.
If you have ever been to high tea at a hotel, restaurant, or even on a cruise ship you have seen cucumber sandwiches before. They are quintessential finger sandwich that is always served on the beautiful tiered stand.
And if you haven’t seen these before, trust me you are going to want to give them a tray. They are fresh, light, super easy to make and the fresh herbs are just delicious with everything.
These little tea sandwiches date back to the 1800’s in the United Kingdom. It was originally served as thinly sliced cucumber between 2 slices of crust-less bread, that was lightly buttered. Over the years it has evolved in different parts of the work to have an herbed cream cheese spread instead of just butter.
But given that my Dad’s entire side of the family is from England, afternoon tea time is something I know well. And these cucumber sandwiches are a classic thing to serve at tea time.
What You’ll Need To Make Cucumber Sandwiches
- White Bread
- English Cucumber
- Cream Cheese
- Mayo
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic Powder
- Fresh Dill
- Salt and Pepper
Traditionally these are always made on white bread, but you really use whatever bread you want. Rye Bread is very untraditional, but it does give these sandwiches a huge bump in flavor
How To Make Cucumber Sandwiches
- Start by making your cream cheese spread. Mix together softened cream cheese, mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder and fresh dill until it is smooth and creamy.
- Then get the bread ready. Start by cutting the crust off each piece of bread.
- To assemble spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over each slice of bread. You want to make sure to get all the way to the edges.
- Arrange thinly sliced cucumbers over the cream cheese and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Put the tops on the sandwiches and then slice to serve.
Short on time? If you don’t have time or the ingredients to make the cream cheese spread you can buy an herbed cream cheese spread at the store and use that. Or even the Boursin herb cheese spread would be a quick and easy shortcut.
How To Slice Sandwiches
How you slice these is entirely up to you. You will often seen them cut in 3 different ways, so pick one and go for it.
Squares – This is what you see here. I cut each sandwich in half one direction, and then in half the other direction, so you get 4 equal squares.
Triangles – This is a very common way you will see them served at high tea. To make these, cut the sandwich in half diagonally. Then cut each diagonal in half again and you will have 4 triangles.
Fingers – I believe this is how they were originally cut. To make these, cut the sandwich into long strips, I like to do 3 per sandwich, just eye-ball what 1/3rd is and cut into 3 long pieces.
When I was a kid my grandma always made is finger sandwiches for our picnics, so I am kind of partial to that shape!
How To Keep Them From Getting Soggy
The best tip is to make sure you spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture all the way to the edge. This will act as a barrier against the cucumber and help the bread not get soggy.
If you want to make these cucumber sandwiches ahead of time, you definitely can. There is just an extra step to make sure they stay fresh.
To Make Ahead – lightly salt the cucumbers and let them sit on paper towel for 10-20 minutes. Then when you assemble the sandwiches, do not sprinkle any more salt on them, just pepper. This will reduce the amount of moisture they release. Do not make them too far ahead, making in the morning for an afternoon get together or picnic is about all the shelf life they have.
What Goes With Cucumber Sandwiches
If you are planning a tea party at home, a picnic in the park or just want something different to serve as an appetizer your options are endless. These sandwiches go with just about everything. But here are a few fun ideas:
- Berry Fruit Salad
- Simple Tossed Salad
- Cranberry Apple Coleslaw
- Peach Tea Punch
- Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade
- Strawberry Sweet Tea
- Mini Pavlova
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes
Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber Sandwiches - the classic finger sandwich you find at high tea! A cream cheese spread with fresh herbs and cucumber make a light, fresh, and easy sandwich you can serve anytime.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf white bread, crusts removed
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp fresh dill, minced
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together softened cream cheese, mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder and fresh dill until it is smooth and creamy.
- Arrange slices of bread in a cutting board or surface in front of you. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over each slice of bread. You want to make sure to get all the way to the edges.
- Arrange thinly sliced cucumbers over half of the slices of bread. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Place the tops bread on the sandwiches and then slice each sandwich into squares.
- Best served immediately
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 267Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 21mgSodium 445mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 7g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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Allyson Zea says
As a kid I loved eating these! I can’t wait to bring them back to my kids so they can try them!
Krystle says
These are so fresh and cute. Everyone at the baby shower loved them!
Sandra says
I love how tasty and refreshing this is!! Thanks for the recipe!
Tisha says
OH my gosh I love cucumber sandwiches Always perfect for a little get together!
Catalina says
Mmmmm…. they are so fresh and delicious! My favorite sandwiches!