Smoked salmon cream cheese cucumber bites are the ultimate elegant finger food for any gathering. Crisp cucumber slices are topped with a dill cream cheese spread, smoked salmon, and briny capers, creating a flavor-packed bite. These easy, no-cook, party appetizer come together in minutes and are the first to disappear at brunches and holiday spreads.
"Love the combination of cucumber and smoked salmon! I just made these for my Super Bowl party and everyone loved them. I didn't have cream cheese so I substituted goat cheese and it still turned out perfectly."
★★★★★- Bobbie Blue
If you've read my "How to Make Antipasto Board Table Runner" post, you already know I am the queen of tapas-style dinner parties. I love entertaining with a large variety of small bites so that my guests can enjoy a bunch of different things.
When you are juggling several dishes, simplicity is the key. It keep the stress and work load down. This is why these adorable little Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites are perfect for party entertaining! They require little effort to assemble, look beautiful on a platter, and are fun to eat! Plus they are naturally low-carb and gluten free, making them a great option for guests with dietary restrictions. I hope you love them as much as we do. Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make smoked salmon cream cheese bites.
- Smoked Salmon- Use a good quality smoked salmon. Smoked salmon is the star in this appetizer so you don't want a fishy, over-salty piece. If you are feeling really brave and want to smoke your own salmon, The Spruce Eats has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to make it at home.
- English cucumbers- English cucumbers are often sold individually wrapped in plastic wrap. They have a thin, tender, flavorless soft skin that is easy to digest - no peeling required! Their pretty green edges makes these little salmon appetizers look elegant. If you decide to use the garden cucumber variety, peel them first. The thick skin gives a bitter flavor will overpower the flavor of the cream cheese filling.
- Cream cheese- Goat cheese or Boursin cheese would make delicious substitutions.
- Small capers- Look for the smaller sized capers. The large capers will have too strong of a flavor and overpower the other ingredients.
- fresh dill- Use fresh dill and not dried dill. Fresh dill gives a vibrant flavor that the dried dill will not match. It is also a beautiful garnish.
- onion- I prefer sweet Vidalia onion or red onion for this recipe. However, fresh chives would work nice also.
How to make
Follow these simple steps to make cucumber smoked salmon bites.
- Mix cream cheese, dill, capers, and and red onion. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice cucumbers into 24 slices.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture on each cucumber slice (or enough to completely cover the cucumber).
- Slice smoked salmon into small, bite sized pieces. Top cream cheese mixture with salmon pieces.
- Garnish each cucumber with a sprinkle of fresh dill and chopped red onion. Use just enough to make them look party-perfect.
Prep tip
You can slice the cucumbers and make the filling a day in advance for prep. However, I recommend assembling the salmon appetizers the day of however to maximize their freshness in flavor.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites
Ingredients
- 4 ounces smoked salmon sliced into 24 strips
- 1 English cucumber large
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 2 tablespoons small capers minced
- 1 tablespoons red onion minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra fresh dill and finely chopped red onion for garnishing
Instructions
- Mix 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh dill, 2 tablespoons small capers, and 1 tablespoons red onion. salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice 1 English cucumber into 24 slices.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture on each cucumber slice (or enough to completely cover the cucumber).
- Slice 4 ounces smoked salmon into small, bite sized pieces. Top cream cheese mixture with salmon pieces.
- Garnish additionally with a little fresh dill and chopped red onion. Just enough to make it pretty.
Bobbie Blue says
Love the combination of cucumber and smoked salmon! I just made these for my Super Bowl party and everyone loved them. I didn’t have cream cheese so I substituted goat cheese and it still turned out perfectly.
Jacqueline Debono says
These smoked salmon cream cheese bites are so nice. Going to make some for our wedding anniversary party next weekend! Pinning for later!
Colleen says
I love that these are gluten free, as well as delicious. I find that every party I go to, there are very few gluten free nibbles, so these will be my contribution next party!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
How cute are these?! And I love how quickly they come together! These are a must try for our next get together...or even on a random Friday night. Love!