Cucumber appetizers make the best easy cold appetizers! These cucumber salmon bites have a flavorful dill cream cheese mixture that’s topped with smoked salmon, and more fresh dill for good measure. Flavorful, light, and always a hit — similar to cream cheese stuffed mini peppers. Serve up these cucumber appetizer bites at your next get-together and see for yourself! These beauties are a flashback to my daughter’s first birthday party – and they make a wonderful party app – but they also make a great snack or even a light low carb lunch. For a lunch option, you could slice the cucumbers lengthwise to make longer boats instead of the small slices. Either way, they will be fantastic for the upcoming summer months. When it gets really hot outside and you don’t feel like cooking, cold appetizers like these are the best. This smoked salmon platter recipe requires only six ingredients, and no cooking at all. It doesn’t get any easier than that. And, cucumber finger food is so fun! These cucumber appetizer bites with salmon were originally published on April 13, 2016, and the post was republished in June 2020 to add process pictures and useful tips. The recipe was also updated to be a bit more keto friendly (the original used Greek yogurt only, without cream cheese). Here is one of the original photos, if you are curious:
How To Make Cucumber Salmon Bites
Make dill cream cheese. This will hold your cucumber appetizer bites together. In a small bowl, mash together cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and garlic powder. Stir in fresh dill.
Pipe cream cheese. Transfer the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag.
TIP: Use a piping bag like this – it even has different tips if you want to get fancy. Alternatively, if you don’t have a piping bag, you can also use a zip lock bag and cut off the corner.
Assemble cucumber salmon bites. Arrange the sliced cucumber onto a platter and pipe 1/2 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto each slice. Top with salmon and garnish with fresh dill if desired.
Can you make cucumber smoked salmon bites dairy free?
These cucumber appetizer bites are best with the cream cheese and Greek yogurt mixture, but you could also serve the smoked salmon on top of the cucumber bites and some fresh dill for a dairy-free option. You could also use a dairy-free cream cheese, such as one made with almond milk, but check the label for added sugars and starches if you want these to be low carb.
Are salmon and cucumber bites keto?
Yes, cucumber cream cheese appetizers are keto friendly. They have just 1/2 gram net carbs each! A serving is four of them. While yogurt is sometimes a gray area in terms of keto friendliness (lactose is a type of sugar), full-fat Greek yogurt is okay to have in moderation. Together with the healthy fats from smoked salmon and cream cheese, these appetizers using cucumber rounds have a keto friendly macro ratio. They make a great keto alternative to chips or crackers!
Do you need to peel the cucumbers?
No, you don’t need to peel cucumbers for cucumber bites. The skin contains fiber and nutrients! However, you can peel it if you really want to.
Can you use dried dill?
Yes, you can. It’s more concentrated, so you’d need just 1/3 the amount – use 2 teaspoons dried to replace 2 tablespoons fresh.
Can you use more salmon?
Sure! These smoked salmon appetizers have just a little salmon as pictured, so that the cucumber and cream cheese mixture get to shine through. Double the amount of salmon if you like plenty of salmon.
Cucumber Appetizer Bites Storage
Can you make smoked salmon cucumber bites ahead?
Yes, you can can make this smoked salmon appetizer with cucumber rounds ahead, but it’s best to assemble right before serving. If you’d like to prep, here are a few things you can do:
Make yogurt sauce 1-2 days ahead. Slice salmon 1-2 days ahead. (You can also buy it pre-sliced.) Slice cucumber up to 1 day ahead.
My only advice with this smoked salmon appetizer recipe is do not assemble the bites too far in advance. The cucumbers will release moisture as they sit, so you’ll end up with a soggy mess.
How to store cucumber appetizer bites
Store these cucumber and salmon appetizers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
More Cucumber Appetizer Recipes
If you like these healthy cucumber appetizers, here are some suggestions for how to transform other apps into cucumber bites:
Cold Crab Dip – Serve this tasty dip on cucumber bites for a healthy crunch. Mexican Shrimp Cocktail – Tastes so fresh when served with sliced cucumber. Greek Tzatziki – Top cucumber bites with a dollop of tzatziki and sprig of fresh dill for a creamy and cool appetizer. Bacon Cheese Ball – Instead of making one big cheese ball, roll them into smaller, bite-size pieces and serve as cucumber appetizer bites. Keto Deviled Eggs – Healthy bites of protein, these deviled eggs are super-satisfying. Serve them with cucumber slices on the side. Caprese Salad Skewers – I love serving this simple, 6-ingredient appetizer all summer long. Try skewering cucumber pieces on them, too! French Onion Dip – Top cucumbers with this creamy cheese French onion dip for an appetizer screaming with flavor.
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too - I’d love to see it! The number of bites you get will vary a bit depending on the size of the cucumber you use. I got 40 full-sized slices with mine.
