A staple of English tea service, cucumber sandwiches come to the table on a tiered tray that’s stacked high with other tiny sandwiches and scones with clotted cream. The combo of crisp, thinly sliced cucumber surrounded by herby cream cheese on squishy white bread makes them one of my favorite tea sandwiches. They’re small, light, and so easy to shove four of them in my mouth all at once — but this is afternoon tea, so decorum is expected.

Lucky for me, cucumber sandwiches aren’t just great for afternoon tea. They’re also a lovely option for a luncheon, a baby shower, a brunch spread, a picnic, or anytime you might be serving a crowd.

Why you’ll love it

Key ingredients in cucumber sandwiches

Helpful tips

Cucumber Sandwich

Makes 7 whole sandwiches; serves 7 to 12

1 (about 1-pound) English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise about 1/8-inch thick

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

12 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill (from 1 small handful)

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (from 1 small handful)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 loaf sliced white sandwich bread

1. Place one large thinly sliced English cucumber in a large fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt and toss to combine. Let the cucumbers rest and drain, tossing occasionally, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Place 12 ounces room temperature cream cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons minced dill, 1 1/2 tablespoons minced chives, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir and fold until evenly combined.

3. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto one slice of the bread, leaving a 1/2-inch border; repeat with a second slice of bread. Shingle 15 slices of the cucumbers on top of one of the bread slices. Close the sandwich with the second slice of bread cream cheese side-down.

4. Repeat assembling until you have seven whole sandwiches. Using a serrated knife, cut the crusts off all the sandwiches (these are for snacking!). From here, you can choose to cut each sandwich in half into rectangles or triangles, or quarter each sandwich to form smaller squares or triangles. Stack on a serving platter or cake stand.

Recipe notes: You can make the cream cheese mixture or fully assemble the sandwiches up to one day ahead. Tightly wrap the platter with plastic wrap so bread does not dry out.

(Amelia Rampe is a contributing writer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

©2026 Apartment Therapy. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.