These easy cucumber cream cheese sandwiches are the perfect addition to any luncheons, tea parties, picnics, or showers. They are simple, fresh, light, require no cooking or heating, and taste refreshingly delicious!!
I am sharing how to make cucumber sandwich with flavored cream cheese and arugula without dill or mayo.
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Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches is a super easy recipe that can be enjoyed for breakfast, snacks, or even as appetizers.
These finger sandwiches are light, refreshing, and everyone's favorite making them perfect for any celebration or occasion.
We have been enjoying them this summer with our afternoon tea. I usually serve these with a mix of tomato ketchup and mayonnaise and they are gone before I know.
If you love sandwiches, here is a favorite Creamy Vegetable Sandwich and don't forget to check out the summer staple cucumber recipes - Cucumber salad (Kakdi Koshimbir) and Savory Cucumber pancakes (Kakdi Thalipeeth)
These cucumber tea sandwiches are
- Easy to make
- creamy and crispy in texture
- simple, fresh, light,
- delicious and refreshing
- requires no cooking or heating
- perfect for picnics, lunch box, tea parties and celebrations
Cucumber sandwiches are finger food, made with thinly sliced cucumbers, a herbed cream cheese spread, on soft, crustless bread.
They originated in the United Kingdom and were traditionally served as light snacks or at afternoon tea, made with just cucumbers and buttered, crustless white bread.
With time, United States discovered them and added cream cheese and herbs like dill and spices to them, taking the flavor up a notch.
Today, these easy, creamy, light and refreshing cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches are in all types of gatherings and a sure-shot crowd-pleaser.
They taste best when served cold so no heating, reheating required making them the best options to carry for picnics, lunch box or for tea parties, bridal showers, and baby showers.
So without further ado let's see how to make cucumber sandwiches.
Recipe Ingredients
Bread: Traditionally fresh, white, soft bread is used to make these cucumber sandwiches. You can use any other bread choice like, rye, whole wheat or whole grain if you prefer.
Cucumber: I prefer using English cucumbers because they're seedless and tend to be less watery, making them perfect for sandwiches. Use firm and green cucumbers with fewer seeds.
Arugula: I love adding some greens (arugula) to my cucumber sandwich. If you don't then skip it. Fresh arugula adds a wonderful peppery flavor. You can replace it with any green of your choice like spinach, kale, lettuce.
Seasonings - to flavor the cream cheese, I prefer adding salt, black pepper, onion, garlic powder, some parsley flakes. I am not a dill fan so I skip it but you can add it if you like. I also like to season the cucumber with some chaat masala (skip if you don't have it but highly recommend adding it).
Cream cheese: I have used plain, full-fat cream cheese that is soft so that it is easy to combine with the other ingredients. You can use a low-fat variety too. Or substitute with your favorite flavored cream cheese.
Cheese Slices: These are optional but I like to add some cheese slices for that added protein. Use any of your choices like American, cheddar, or pepper jack (for a spicy kick).
Step by Step Instructions
1 - Make cream cheese spread: In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry parsley flakes. Mix until well combined.
2 - Cut the crust off of the bread. For each sandwich (two slices), spread a tablespoon of cream cheese on each piece of bread.
Add a handful of arugula leaves on one of the slices over the spread which will act as glue to hold the leaves in place (optional).
3 - Peel the cucumber and cut into thin (about ⅛ inch thick) slices using a mandoline or sharp knife. Place the cucumber slices on top of the arugula. Season it with some chaat masala and more freshly cracked black pepper.
4 - Add a slice of cheese, and place the second piece of bread on top, cream cheese side down to close the sandwich. Repeat the process for the remaining sandwiches.
Using a sharp knife cut the cucumber sandwiches into desired size and shapes - 4 triangles,or 4 squares, or 3 or 2 finger sandwiches.
Storage and Serving
I prefer to serve the cucumber cream cheese sandwich as soon as they are ready or at least within a couple of hours for the best taste and texture.
I do not recommend making cucumber sandwich ahead of time as the chances are they may get soggy due to the cucumber releasing its moisture.
To make these ahead of time, I would suggest prep everything before and assemble them close to the time you are ready to serve.
You can make the cream cheese spread up to 2-3 days in advance and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Cut the bread crusts off up to a day in advance and keep covered to prevent the bread from drying. Peel and cut the cucumbers just before assembling.
Any leftover sandwiches can be stored in the fridge covered airtight and wrapped in plastic wrap so the bread doesn't dry out. Consume in a day or two.
Recipe Tips
Bread crusts: Don't throw away those trimmed bread crusts. You can use them to make Bread Upma, bread pudding, breadcrumbs, or croutons.
Cucumber: Use English or Persian cucumbers as they have less water and seeds. If you know, these sandwiches are going to be sitting out for a while after serving, pat dry the cucumbers after slicing to remove excess moisture. This will ensure the bread doesn't become soggy from the cucumbers.
Cream cheese spread: You can make the spread 2-3 days in advance and store it refrigerated. A shortcut would be to use flavored cream cheese (such as chive and onion, spicy jalapeño, or veggie cream cheese).
Greens - they are optional but highly recommend adding your favorite for that added texture and make it more nutritious
Knife: Use a good sharp knife to cut the sandwiches, dull knives require too much pressure while cutting and cause the filling to squeeze out. Also, don't use a serrated knife as it can tear the bread.
Clean cuts: For those neat looking clean-cut edges of each sandwich, wipe the knife clean in-between cuts.
Spicy cucumber sandwich: The overall feel of this sandwich is cool but if you like some heat, add red chili flakes (to taste) or even better, mix in some pickled jalapenos in the cream cheese spread.
Indian Twist: Add some green chutney on top of the cream cheese spread for more delicious flavor!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is what you can do to help prevent your cucumber sandwiches from getting soggy: Use English or Persian cucumbers since they have fewer and smaller seeds than regular cucumbers, and also less water. Pat dry the cucumbers after slicing to remove excess moisture. Create an extra barrier between cucumber and bread, by spreading butter (additional layer, optional), and cream cheese on both slices and also top with cheese slice for that another layer of the barrier.
Use your favorite, fresh, good-quality white, whole wheat, or multigrain bread. It should be fresh, soft, and fluffy.
Cutting the edges off the sliced bread is completely optional. It just adds a nice clean look. Feel free to leave them on.
More Easy Summer Recipes
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Recipe Card
Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 slices white sandwich bread or any bread of choice
- ½ English cucumber or Persian cucumber
- 2-3 ounces Arugula leaves washed and dried
- 4 slices Cheese slice American, pepper jack, or any of choice.
- ½ teaspoon Chaat masala or as required, optional
- black pepper freshly cracked, adjust to taste
For the cream cheese spread
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened at room temp, (approx 5 tablespoon)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- black pepper freshly cracked, adjust to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry parsley flakes
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Instructions
To make the cream cheese spread
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry parsley flakes. Mix until well combined.
- The cream cheese mixture is ready. You can make the spread 2-3 days in advance and store it refrigerated. Take it out and keep at room temperature for 30 mins to an hour before using so it is easy to spread.
To assemble the cucumber sandwiches
- Cut the crust off of the bread.
- For each sandwich (two slices), spread a tablespoon of cream cheese on each piece of bread.
- Add a handful of arugula leaves on one of the slices over the spread. It will act as glue to hold the leaves in place (optional).
- Peel the cucumber and cut into thin slices (about ⅛ inch thick or less) using a mandoline or sharp knife.
- Place the cucumber slices on top of the arugula. Season it with some chaat masala (optional) and more pepper.
- Add a slice of cheese, and place the second piece of bread on top, cream cheese side down to close the sandwich.
- Repeat the process for the remaining sandwiches.
- Using a sharp knife cut the sandwich into desired size and shapes like 4 triangles,or 4 squares, or 3 or 2 finger sandwiches.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!!
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Sep 3, 2014, but was republished with, step by step instructions, and, tips in July of 2021.
Hamaree Rasoi says
Delicious and lovely looking sandwich. Excellent preparation.
Deepa
Sony P says
My daughters fav cream cheese sandwich......... Easy and tasty!!