Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (2024)

By

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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Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches Recipe (2)

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.

What You'll Need To Make This Tea Sandwich Recipe

"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

Can you make cucumber sandwiches the night before? ›

Cucumber sandwiches are best made just 1 to 3 hours ahead of time, but they can be made up to a day in advance. But if you decide to make them ahead, you run the risk of them turning mushy. Be sure to follow these tips to ensure crunchy cucumber sandwiches that are not soggy: Salt the cucumber ahead of time.

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.

Can I make tea sandwiches a day ahead? ›

If you're hosting a large event, sandwiches are great because they can be made the day before the event.

Why are cucumber sandwiches a thing? ›

Cucumber Sandwiches Appeared During The Victorian Era

According to The Telegraph, the "lower classes preferred not to waste energy on something with so little protein." For a while, cucumber sandwiches were eaten as this sort of pure indulgence with a piping hot cup of tea.

How to stop cucumber sandwiches from going soggy? ›

Salt: Salt helps draw out excess moisture from cucumbers to make them less watery, ensuring that the final sandwich doesn't end up soggy. Cream cheese: Plain cream cheese is great since you'll be adding some herbs and seasonings to it, but you could also use a flavored cream cheese and fix it up a bit more.

How many tea sandwiches for 60 guests? ›

For 60 people, you may need around 120-150 finger sandwiches, depending on the type and size of the sandwiches.

How many tea sandwiches per person for afternoon tea? ›

Sandwich-making tips:

Allow 4 to 6 sandwiches per person. Choose fresh bread: white, whole wheat or multigrain can be used. Butter should be at room temperature. Spread bread with butter right to the edges.

What kind of bread is best for finger sandwiches? ›

Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Sliced Bread in white or whole wheat works best for making tea sandwiches. This recipe is part of a memorable spring brunch menu. Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible, using a mandoline if you have one.

How do you cut cucumbers for sandwiches? ›

Use a mandoline slicer to cut them into paper-thin slices if you have one, or a knife to carefully do the same.

Should you freeze bread before making tea sandwiches? ›

Tips & Tricks for Tea Sandwiches

Freezing bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling. Bread should be lightly buttered no matter what the filling. Butter should be at room temperature before spreading.

Why should you crush a cucumber before you eat it? ›

By crushing our cucumber before we cut it, we produce flavors that un-smashed cukes can't. When you crush the cells in a vegetable, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them, certain compounds get mixed together, which can result in a significantly different flavor.

What do you serve with cucumber sandwiches? ›

Serve these cucumber sandwiches with your favorite store-bought or homemade potato chips, cauliflower chips, sweet potato chips or beet chips. They also pair well with a chilled soup and chopped salad.

Can you prepare cucumber the day before? ›

Storing Sliced Cucumber

If you're pre-slicing cucumbers for a convenient snack throughout the week, do not put them in a plastic bag unless you plan on eating them within the same day. Instead, wrap them in a damp paper towel and store them in an airtight container for up to five days.

Can you pre make sandwiches the night before? ›

Wrap it up:

To seal in all the flavor and keep the sandwich together, wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap before refrigerating. The bread will soften slightly overnight, but the crusty exterior will keep everything contained when you're ready to unwrap and eat.

How do you keep sandwiches from getting soggy in the fridge overnight? ›

Use. Parchment paper checks all the boxes: It's slightly porous and absorbs some moisture that other materials don't. Be sure to employ the double-wrap technique: Wrap your sandwich in one layer, cut the sandwich in half through the parchment paper, and then wrap it again for extra security.

Can you leave cucumbers in salt overnight? ›

If you have the time, slicing up your cukes in a bowl and coating them in salt overnight is a fantastic way to boost their flavor.

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