This cucumber cream cheese spread is inspired by the Plaza's Afternoon Tea Sandwiches. It's herbaceous, bright, creamy, and out of control delicious. I like to serve it with these easy everything bagel chips but it's also delicious between fluffy white bread.
Why You’ll Love It:
This dreamy cucumber cream cheese spread is going to make you feel like you’re having high tea at the Plaza!
Not only is it easy to make, but it's packed with fresh herbs and tons of flavor. It’ll have you wondering why you haven’t been eating this your entire life.
And don’t even get me started on the Everything Bagel Chips—they're crunchy, toasty, and loaded with that iconic everything bagel flavor we all know and love.
This spread was inspired by the Plaza's fancy-schmancy afternoon tea sandwiches, but let’s be real. Most of us aren’t having finger sandwiches served to us on silver trays in between bites of macarons, right?
So, I brought a little bit of that high-class vibe home, while keeping it extremely low effort—just how I like it. But you can still serve this cucumber cream cheese spread with a on a silver platter with a small spoon to make yourself feel fancy... even if you're eating in your sweatpants on the couch.
But anyways, you'll love how this cucumber cream cheese spread is refreshing and herbaceous. Thanks to fresh mint and cilantro, it’s the perfect balance of creamy with a slight zing from the mustard and lemon. And if you're not a bagel chip kind of person, you can easily spread it on a slice of bread with a few cucumber slices to make the best cream cheese sandwiches of your life!
I’m fully obsessed. And when you pair it with these crispy, easy-to-make everything bagel chips… wow. Just WOW. Let's make 'em!
Ingredients & Substitutions:
For the Cucumber Cream Cheese Spread
- Cream Cheese: Full fat for the creamiest texture, but you can use reduced-fat if you prefer. You could also use labneh or sour cream if you want to get creative!
- Fresh Cucumbers: I like to use Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers because they’re less tough and seedy but any cucumber will work. There is no need to dry out the cucumbers on a paper towel because the excess water in them will actually make it easier for the cream cheese to come together.
- Green Onions: These add a mild onion flavor, but you could swap for chives or red onion if you’re feeling bold.
- Cilantro: Fresh and bright. If you’re not a cilantro fan, parsley works well too. You could also add fresh fresh dill.
- Mint: Adds a cool, refreshing twist—skip it if mint isn’t your thing.
- Grainy Mustard: Gives the spread a tangy, earthy kick. Dijon is a good alternative but grainy mustard or even pickled mustard seeds works great!
- Lemon Juice:: For that perfect burst of acidity. You could sub in lime juice for a fun twist or a splash of champagne vinegar.
- Flaky Salt: To bring out all the flavors. Kosher salt works just as well.
- Optional Additions: My husband loves to add red onion which I think is another way to add great flavor to this quick snack. You could also add more fresh herbs like dill weed, basil, thyme. Or try dried spices in your cream cheese filling like celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder or even a few dashes of worcestershire sauce.
For the Everything Bagel Chips
- Mini Bagels: Use your favorite type! Whole wheat, plain, or even gluten-free bagels all work. If you're not a fan of bagels, next time, try it with toasted rye bread, of smeared between some fluffy white bread (or honestly, whatever kind of bread you prefer!) with a few slices of cucumber to make the ultimate cucumber sandwiches.
- Avocado Oil: A heart-healthy oil with a neutral flavor. Olive oil is a solid alternative.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: You can buy this pre-made or make your own by mixing sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and flaky salt.
How to Make Them:
Make the Cream Cheese Spread: In a large bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese, grated cucumber, scallions, cilantro, mint, grainy mustard, lemon juice, and a pinch of flaky salt. In my opinion, the best way to mix it together is by using a hand mixer to whip everything together until smooth. You could also use a food processor.
Let the Spread Rest: Let the spread rest (on the counter or in the fridge) for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. This step makes a huge difference in taste!
Prepare the Everything Bagel Chips: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Thinly slice your mini bagels and toss them in a large bowl with the avocado oil and everything bagel seasoning. Make sure each slice is evenly coated.
Bake the Bagel Chips: Spread the bagel slices out on a baking sheet, making sure they’re not overlapping. Add a little extra oil or seasoning if needed. Bake for 10-20 minutes, until they’re golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on them because they can go from perfect to burned quickly!
Cool the Bagel Chips: Once baked, let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
Serve or Save: If you're making this for the next day, you can place the cream cheese mixture in an airtight container or leave it in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
What Goes With Them:
I love serving this easy cucumber cream cheese spread with a few other easy appetizer recipes. Here are some of my favorites:
- Cheesy Asparagus Puff Pastry with Caramelized Onion Jam
- Shortcut "Fried" Goat Cheese Balls Recipe With Spicy Honey
- Easy Marinated Cheese Appetizer Recipe with Salami & Pickles
- Whipped Brie Cheese Dip Appetizer with Honey & Fig Jam
- Whipped Honey Ricotta with Saffron Tomato Garlic Confit
Recipe
Cucumber Cream Cheese Spread with Everything Bagel Chips
Ingredients
For the Cucumber Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 8 oz package Cream Cheese room temperature
- 2 small Cucumbers grated (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks Scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Cilantro finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Mint finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Grainy Mustard
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 1 pinch Flaky Salt
For the Everything Bagel Chips
- 6 Mini Bagels thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon Avocado OIl
- 3 tablespoon Everything Bagel Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Meanwhile, add cream cheese, grated cucumber, chopped scallion, cilantro, mint, grainy mustard, lemon juice and a huge pinch of kosher salt together in a large bowl.
- Use an electric mixer to whip the ingredients together until combined. Let this cream cheese mixture rest for at least 20 minutes for the flavors to come together.
- For the Bagel chips, thinly slice your bagels and add them to a large bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and everything bagel seeds and toss to coat.
- Place each piece evenly spaced apart on a baking sheet and add more oil and everything bagel seeds if necessary - you want them coated!
- Bake for 10-20 minutes (some bagels crisp up faster than others) or until they’re light golden brown and crunchy.
- Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
