How to Make the Best Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber tea sandwiches are a timeless classic—cool, crisp, and perfect for any spring or summer gathering. My version adds a bit more flavour to this classic recipe by adding lots of fresh spring herbs to a creamy cream cheese spread. Whether you are hosting a garden party, a bridal shower, or just enjoying afternoon tea at home, these sandwiches are an easy and delicious way to enjoy these fresh spring and summer flavours!

In this post, you will learn how to make the best Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches, including what type of cucumbers to use, how to prevent soggy bread, and a clever layering technique that will make these sandwiches almost to pretty to eat!

Use the Right Cucumber for Tea Sandwiches

The type of cucumber you use can make or break your tea sandwiches. Of all the different varieties of cucumbers available, my top choices are English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers. English cucumbers are long, have thin skin, and have minimal seeds, which helps in slicing and preparing the cucumber. Persian cucumbers also have thin skin and minimal (to almost no seeds), but are smaller in size. These two varieties are also not too watery and hold their shape when sliced thin.

I would avoid using Field or Garden Cucumbers that have thick skins and large seeds. I would also avoid picking cucumbers since they are too small and too thin to prepare in this recipe.

A Creamy Herb Spread Adds Fresh Spring Flavour

The filling for these sandwiches is a mix of cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon, and fresh herbs including dill, chives, parsley, and tarragon. It’s flavourful, herbaceous, and slightly tangy from the touch of lemon juice in this recipe. To make assembling these Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches easier, you can make the spread up to a day ahead and store it in the fridge. Then just take it out and let it soften at room temperature for 15 minutes before assembling the sandwiches.

Thinly Sliced Cucumber in Two Layers for Extra Flavour

Here’s what makes these sandwiches extra special: they feature two layers of cucumber! To achieve the perfect look for these sandwiches, I thinly slice the cucumber using a vegetable peeler. This gives you ultra-thin slices of cucumber that can be layered and stacked to make the perfect sandwich.

I add a layer of sliced cucumber to the inside of the sandwich with the creamy herb filling, then another layer on top of the sandwich to give it a pretty and appetizing look. The trick to getting the cucumber to adhere to the top of the sandwich is just another thin layer of butter and cream cheese. It’s so simple, but it makes such a great impression!

I hope that you enjoy these Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches this spring and summer while cucumbers are in season. Thanks for reading and enjoy the best of the season, every day! 🌿

Get the Recipe: Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches

Melissa

My fresh and flavourful Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches are perfect for spring gatherings. Seeded bread is laayered with a homemade creamy herb spread and crisp cucumber ribbons to make the best version of this classic tea-time recipe. Enjoy on their own or with a cup of tea for the perfect lunch or afternoon treat.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Brunch

Cuisine European

Servings 6 sandwiches

Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 slices seeded bread or dark multi-grain bread
• 9 teaspoons salted butter at room temperature
• 1 English cucumber peeled into long strips

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well until smooth. Set aside.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of butter over one side of each slice of bread, covering it edge to edge. Then, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the herb cream cheese over the butter.
• Add a few cucumber ribbons on top of the cream cheese on three of the slices. Place the remaining three slices of bread on top to form sandwiches, butter and cream cheese sides in.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of butter across the top of each of the three sandwiches followed by a very thin layer of the cream cheese mixture. Arrange the sliced cucumber across the top of the cream cheese mixture, laying down long strips of cucumber slices and overlapping them slightly.
• Hold the cucumber slices in place with the palm of your hand while you use a serrated knife to trim off the crusts. Then cut each sandwich into your preferred shape—squares, triangles, or fingers.
• Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Keep these sandwiches covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until they are ready to serve. They can only be made up to 4 hours in advance to prevent sogginess.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 6gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 451mgPotassium: 219mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 838IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cucumber recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!