Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (2024)

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Lindsey Goodwin

Lindsey Goodwin is a food writer and tea consultant with more than 12 years of experience exploring tea production and culture.

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Updated on 02/6/24

Tested by

Diana Andrews

Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (1)

Tested byDiana Andrews

Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.

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Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Total: 20 mins

Servings: 10 servings

Yield: 40 finger sandwiches

258 ratings

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This easy cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwich recipe is ideal for kids' tea parties, but it can also be prepared with spices for a more "adult" flavor.

You can enlist your children to help in assembling the sandwiches for a kids' party. Kids can help cut off the bread crusts, spread the cream cheese, and place the cucumber slices. If your child is just learning about triangles, or even an older child digging into geometry, you can discuss the best ways to display these fun triangular sandwiches.

For adults, cucumber tea sandwiches are a very traditional choice for an afternoon tea party. You might also serve egg salad tea sandwiches or salmon and cream cheese tea sandwiches. Be sure to include scones with lemon curd, marmalade, and butter.

Tips for Making Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

  • It's best to serve these sandwiches soon after you prepare them, so the bread doesn't dry out or become soggy from the cucumbers.
  • To peel or not to peel? If you bought waxed cucumbers, it is best to peel them before using. But if they are unwaxed, you won't need to peel them. Another variation is to peel them only partially, leaving vertical stripes. This makes them a little more attractive. It is preferable to use organic cucumbers if you are not peeling them, as there can be pesticide residue in the peels.
  • Don't toss the trimmed bread crusts. You can use them to make croutons or breadcrumbs.

"These cucumber cream cheese tea sandwiches were such fun to make, and they were really tasty, too! I used whipped cream cheese so that it spread very easily without tearing the bread." —Diana Andrews

Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (6)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 20 slices store-bought soft white bread, such as buttermilk bread

  • 1 1/4 cups cream cheese, about 10 ounces

  • 1 English cucumber, very thinly sliced

  • Lemon juice, to taste

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Chopped fresh chives, to taste, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (7)

  2. Lay 2 slices of bread on a work surface and spread each slice evenly with 1 tablespoon cream cheese.

    Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (8)

  3. Cover 1 side of the sandwich with sliced cucumber.

    Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (9)

  4. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper, and chives, if using.

    Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (10)

  5. Cover the cucumbers with the other slice of bread, cream cheese side down.

    Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (11)

  6. Cut off the crusts and slice the sandwich diagonally 2 times to create 4 triangular finger sandwiches. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve.

    Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (12)

How to Store

Although it's best to serve these sandwiches immediately, if you want to refrigerate them to serve later, drain the cucumber slices for 15 minutes in a colander and pat them dry before using. This will remove the excess liquid. Cover them with plastic wrap to keep the bread soft while refrigerated.

Recipe Variations

  • While this recipe uses white bread, you can consider using wheat bread or gluten-free bread.
  • You can add any herbs you like instead of the chives. Dill and watercress or arugula are especially nice.
  • Instead of using cream cheese, try slathering on a generous layer of salted butter. Use European-style butter for the best flavor.
  • Try making half of the sandwiches with white bread and half with wheat bread, then alternate them on the serving tray.
  • Instead of triangles, you can cut these sandwiches into "fingers," or long, thin rectangles.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
270Calories
12g Fat
33g Carbs
7g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories270
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g15%
Saturated Fat 6g32%
Cholesterol 29mg10%
Sodium 455mg20%
Total Carbohydrate 33g12%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg5%
Calcium 121mg9%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 150mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many finger sandwiches for a party of 50? ›

Plan three to four finger sandwiches per person when serving with a salad as a main dish. If you are incorporating finger sandwiches into an appetizer party menu, you will need one to two of each sandwich per person, depending on the time of day and length of the event.

How to keep cucumber sandwiches from getting soggy? ›

20 minutes is all it takes to avoid soggy cucumber sandwiches. To avoid soggy cucumber sandwiches with little added prep time or effort, all you need to do is give them a quick salt. The reason this simple method works is due to osmosis, which draws out the veggie's excess water.

Why are cucumber sandwiches a thing? ›

These fancy sandwiches date back to 19th-century India -- the country where cucumbers originated. When British army officers sought sanctuary in tea houses to avoid the sweltering heat, they were served cucumber sandwiches, which kept them hydrated and cool due to the veggie's high water content.

What is the secret ingredient in the Queen's cucumber sandwich? ›

"I will never make a cucumber sandwich without chopped mint in it again," she added. It was revealed that the sandwiches were made with buttered white bread, sliced cucumber, a “dash” of mint and a pinch of pepper.

How to make Kylie Jenner's sandwich? ›

Kylie jenner's sandwich. to make it, get an Italian urban cheese bread, pepperoni, salami, Turkey, provolone, cheddar, pickles, onions, lettuce, Mayo, and mustard. pretty straightforward to roll, I would say.

How many tea sandwiches for 30 guests? ›

Allow 3-4 sandwiches per person. But don't prepare them too early as they will either go soggy or dry out.

How many tea sandwiches for 25 people? ›

roughly four little sandwiches per person (2 or 3 kinds); 1 average or 2 small scones: always one with cream and jams/honey; sometimes also one savoury variation. 1 or 2 pieces of cake/pastry (if 2, one rich, one simple) a few salad and fruit garnishes: lettuce, cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumber, strawberries, etc…

How far ahead should I make tea sandwiches? ›

Ideally, you should aim to make your sandwiches as close to the day of your party as possible for the best flavor and freshness. I recommend making your sandwiches no more than 48hrs in advance for the best flavor come party time.

How do you thinly slice cucumbers for sandwiches? ›

Mandoline (or some sort of slicing attachment on a food processor) – A mandoline is the best way to get your cucumbers sliced thin. The texture of the sandwich is better with layers of thinly sliced cucumbers verses a thick slice of a cucumber.

How do you cut cucumbers for sandwiches? ›

Mandoline (or some sort of slicing attachment on a food processor) – A mandoline is the best way to get your cucumbers sliced thin. The texture of the sandwich is better with layers of thinly sliced cucumbers verses a thick slice of a cucumber. Bread – Make sure you buy a really good-quality thin sliced bread.

What is a cucumber sandwich called? ›

The traditional cucumber sandwich is a crustless tea sandwich (or finger sandwich) composed of thin slices of cucumber situated between two thin slices of lightly buttered white bread.

Why soak cucumbers in salt water before making cucumber salad? ›

The extra step allows them to release some of their water — keeping them extra crisp even when they get tossed with the dressing. It also ensures the dressing doesn't become watered-down, which is especially useful in creamy mayo-based cucumber salads.

Is cream cheese good on sandwiches? ›

Cream Cheese + Cucumbers on Whole-Wheat Bread: A classic combination is only made better by the addition of fresh herbs, such as mint or dill. Cream Cheese + Salami on Sourdough: A twist on a ham and cheese sandwich that any kid can appreciate. Add a schmear of spicy mustard for some heat and tang, if you like.

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