These cucumber tea sandwiches with cream cheese, fresh dill, and chives are a simple savory addition to an afternoon tea menu. Thin cucumber slices and soft white bread make pretty little open-faced sandwiches without turning on the oven.
Cucumber sandwiches are always my first choice when I’m planning tea with friends. I like cutting the bread into rounds for a pretty platter, but triangles work just as well. If you’re planning the whole gathering, my tea party hosting guide will help you get started.
I like to create a few different sandwiches when having friends over or hosting an afternoon tea. My first is always a cucumber dill sandwich. I like to create round, little, delicate sandwiches that look pretty and visually appealing on a plate. They feel very fancy, but in fact, it is only a handful of simple, fresh ingredients are needed.
These little cucumber sandwiches are the perfect recipe for when you want to serve up something different for your guests for afternoon tea. They are also a wonderful option to bring to picnics or potlucks during the summer months. I love the flavors of the dill and chives with the fresh cucumber, and the creaminess of the cream cheese brings everything together. A flavor punch with every bite.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: None, no cooking required
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 230kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Cool cucumber, fresh dill and chives, and rich cream cheese on soft buttered bread
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, the simplest thing on the tea party table
Quick Answer
Peel and thinly slice an English cucumber, lay the slices on a paper towel to drain, and season with salt and pepper. Spread softened butter on slices of white bread, then cut the bread into rounds with a cookie cutter. Stir chopped chives into softened cream cheese and spread that over the butter. Sprinkle fresh chopped dill on top, layer on the drained cucumber slices, and serve. The whole thing takes about five minutes and needs no cooking.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Draining the cucumber is the whole trick. Cucumber is mostly water. Salting the slices and resting them on a paper towel pulls that moisture out so the bread stays dry instead of going soggy in twenty minutes.
- Butter is a moisture barrier, not just flavor. A thin layer of butter on the bread seals the surface so the cream cheese and cucumber cannot soak in.
- Cold bread cuts clean. Refrigerated bread spreads and cuts far better than room temperature bread, which tears under a cookie cutter.
- English cucumber has fewer seeds. Fewer seeds means less water and a neater slice, which is why it beats a standard garden cucumber here.
- Cream cheese holds the herbs in place. Stirring the chives through the cream cheese instead of scattering them on top keeps every bite seasoned and keeps the herbs from rolling off.
- A damp towel keeps them fresh. Covering the finished sandwiches with a moistened paper towel before refrigerating stops the edges drying out before the party starts.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. These are simple to make but look decadent on a plate. Perfect to serve up at your next afternoon tea party.
- Tasty. The cucumber is complemented by the cream cheese and dill, making it a taste sensation.
- Perfect for everyone. These cute little sandwiches are ideal to serve everyone. Kids will enjoy them just as much as the adults.
- No oven required. Nothing to bake and nothing to cool, which matters when the oven is busy with something like my lemon bars.
- Make them ahead. Assemble, cover, and refrigerate until your guests arrive.
Key Ingredients
Six simple ingredients, and the quality of each one shows because there is nowhere to hide in a sandwich this plain. Quantities are in the recipe card below.
- White Bread. I like to use white bread for these delicate sandwiches. You can use your preferred brand, but for this recipe, I used Thin Pepperidge Farm.
- English Cucumber. Cucumber is fresh and delicious. You can pick them up in the fresh section of the grocery store. Keep them refrigerated until ready to slice.
- Fresh Dill. I prefer to use fresh dill for this recipe. Make sure it is finely chopped.
- Fresh Chives. This is optional, but it works well with the cucumber and cream cheese. It adds an extra flavor.
- Butter. No sandwich is complete without butter. Use your preferred brand.
- Cream Cheese. Normal or lighter cream cheese can be used for these sandwiches. The creaminess helps to keep the sandwich together and carries the herbs.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Variations & Substitutions
Tea sandwiches are made for improvising, so use what is in your refrigerator and what your guests like.
- Create different shaped sandwiches. I used a cookie cutter for mine, but you can cut them into triangles, rectangles, or other shapes using cookie cutters.
- Add different herbs. The flavors of different herbs like parsley or basil will also work well with the cucumber and cream cheese.
- Add some chopped green onions for extra flavor.
- Use flavored cream cheese. You can pick up chili or garlic flavored cream cheese, and this could be a great way to add some extra flavor.
- Build a second and third sandwich. My second favorite is a tomato and pesto on small rye squares with a slice of green olive, and the third is usually a variation of my crustless quiche cut into fingers.
How to Make Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
- Peel and slice the cucumber as thinly as you can, then place the slices on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the butter on slices of bread, then cut out your chosen shapes. I used a cookie cutter to create cute little circles.
- Mix the chopped chives into the cream cheese and spread the mixture over the butter on each round.
- Add fresh chopped dill on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Layer on the thinly sliced cucumber, overlapping the slices so every bite gets some.
- Serve right away, or cover with a damp paper towel and a kitchen towel and refrigerate until your guests arrive.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- The best white bread for these sandwiches is Thin Pepperidge Farm.
- Traditionally the crusts are removed from these sandwiches, and a round cutter takes care of that for you.
- Absorb as much water from the cucumber as possible to avoid the sandwiches getting wet and soggy.
- Work with cold bread and cold cream cheese. Both spread and cut more neatly straight from the refrigerator.
- Cut in different sizes. Circles, triangles, and halves with the crust removed on the same tray look generous and take no extra work.
- Cover them properly. Damp paper towel first, then a kitchen towel, then refrigerate.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
When hosting a tea party or serving your tea sandwiches, pair them with some delicious scones, tea desserts, or a warm cup of Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea. For a full spread, my tea party checklist walks through everything else you need on the table.
They belong at a garden tea party in the summer and on a Mother’s Day tea table in the spring, and they sit nicely next to a cream tea when you want something savory between the scones. If you are brewing for a crowd, here is how I make Earl Grey so it never turns bitter. If you are new to hosting, my notes on afternoon tea etiquette take the guesswork out of the order things are served.
These little sandwiches also make a simple savory choice for a Tea Ministry gathering, alongside tea and something sweet to share.
Cucumber Tea Sandwich FAQs
There is something quite fancy and decadent about a small cucumber sandwich. Often associated with the rich, they are very common at afternoon tea events. The freshness of the cucumber with the cream cheese and herbs creates a taste sensation.
I like to thinly slice the English cucumber, but you can also grate it. Just make sure you absorb as much of the moisture as possible. It is up to your personal preference whether you leave the skin on or take it off. Some argue there is extra flavor in the skin, and the pop of green color makes the sandwiches look very inviting.
These sandwiches are known to be British and are thought to have originated in war times when the British army sought sanctuary in tea houses. The cucumber sandwiches were known to keep the officers hydrated and full when the temperatures were high.
Assemble them up to a few hours ahead. Lay a water-moistened paper towel over the sandwiches, cover that with a kitchen towel, and refrigerate. Any longer than half a day and the bread starts to soften no matter how well you drained the cucumber.
Three things: drain the salted cucumber slices on paper towels, spread butter all the way to the edges so it seals the bread, and assemble as close to serving as you reasonably can.
Traditionally, the crusts come off. Cutting the bread with a round cookie cutter removes them automatically and gives you the neat little rounds you see on a tiered tray.
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 English Cucumber Peeled and Sliced
- 4 slices of White Bread
- 4 Tablespoon Softened Butter
- 4 Tablespoon Softened Cream Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Chives
Instructions
- Peel and Slice Cucumber, place on paper towel to drain, Salt and Pepper to Season.
- Spread Butter on Slices of Bread (refrigerated bread works best for spreading butter).
- Mix Chopped Chives in Cream Cheese.
- Spread Cream Cheese mix over butter on bread slices.
- Cut with Circle Cookie Cutter.
- Add fresh dill.
- Add sliced cucumbers to sandwiches.
Sarah Halstead says
Ohhh! I love cucumbers! I will have to try this! Thank you!
Jennifer at Making Our Life Matter says
Yum, I adore cucumber sandwiches! It is one of my favorite things to eat during the summer. Never used dill, though. Will definitely have to try it!
Audrey says
Wow, I haven’t had these in years and of course I am now craving them.
found this on Cook it! Craft it! Share it!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
I have never had a cucumber tea sandwich but they all look good! I especially love anything with pesto on it!
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
I’ve never been to a tea house or a tea party. Definitely something I need to do with my dd8 who I think would enjoy the experience.
Heather M says
I love cucumber sandwiches. These are really cute.
Jennifer says
I love tea sandwiches – I’ve never tried pesto in a sandwich before, but it just makes sense!
Thanks for linking up to the Party in the Kids Kitchen – hope to see you this Thursday!
The Wellness Wife says
I love tea parties! I’m having one this weekend and will surely serve cucumber sandwiches. I never thought of using cream cheese on a cucumber sandwich. Very pretty presentation.
Ileana Zelaya says
Me encanta muchas gracias!