Cucumber Sandwiches

Name: Cucumber Sandwiches
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 loaf white bread (crusts removed); 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced); 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature); 1/4 cup mayo; 1 Tablespoon lemon juice; 2 teaspoons fresh dill (minced); 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Erin S

5 from 2 votes

Aug 25, 2021, Updated Jun 10, 2024

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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.

a stack of tea sandwiches on a white plate

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.

a cutting board with ingredients to make cucumber sandwiches

What You’ll Need To Make Cucumber Sandwiches
How To Make Cucumber Sandwiches
How To Slice Sandwiches
How To Keep Them From Getting Soggy
What Goes With Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber Sandwiches Recipe

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

placing cucumbers on a slice of bread with cream cheese spread on it

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.

looking down on a plate of cucumber sandwiches

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!

cucumber sandwiches stacked on a white plate

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:

cropped in of a plate of cucumber tea sandwiches

5 from 2 votes