Salmon Cucumber Bites
Published July 12, 2021 • Updated March 14, 2026
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I make these smoked salmon cucumber bites whenever I need a keto appetizer that looks impressive but takes five minutes. Just cucumber, cream cheese, and smoked salmon.
I started making these for a friend’s baby shower back in 2019, and they’ve been in my regular rotation ever since. Three ingredients, no oven, no stovetop, and they look like something off a catering tray. That’s the whole pitch.
The base is simple: thick-cut cucumber rounds, a layer of cream cheese, and a fold of smoked salmon on top. I finish mine with fresh chives most of the time, but I’ve also mixed everything bagel seasoning directly into the cream cheese before spreading. That version gives you the lox-and-bagel flavor without any of the carbs, and it’s become my go-to for parties.
The one technique that makes or breaks these is patting your cucumber slices dry before assembling. I skipped this step the first few times and the cream cheese slid right off the rounds. A quick press between paper towels fixes it completely. One of my readers, Mei, hit the same problem on her first batch and confirmed that drying the slices first solved everything.
I use English cucumbers because the skin is thinner and they have fewer seeds, which gives you clean, uniform rounds every time. Persian cucumbers work too, but the slices come out smaller. Either way, I cut mine about 1/4 inch thick. Any thinner and they buckle under the toppings.
For the salmon, I go with cold-smoked (Nova lox style) because it’s silky and folds neatly. Hot-smoked salmon is flakier and harder to drape over a cucumber round. Whatever you pick, check the label for added sugar since some brands cure with it. Sugar-free smoked salmon has zero net carbs, which is one reason I keep coming back to this as a keto snack.
If you want to prep ahead, slice the cucumbers and make the cream cheese mixture up to a day in advance, but wait to assemble until right before serving. The cucumbers start releasing water after about an hour once the cream cheese goes on, so assembled bites don’t hold well overnight. I learned this the hard way trying to prep a New Year’s Eve platter the morning of.
My kids eat these too. Not because they know they’re healthy (they don’t care about that), but because smoked salmon on a crunchy cucumber round with cream cheese is genuinely good snacking. I keep the ingredients on hand now and go through a pack of smoked salmon a week between these and just eating it off the cutting board.
These pair well with other low carb appetizers if you’re building a spread. I usually set them out alongside keto caprese bites, pickle wraps, and buffalo chicken dip. Between those four, I’ve never had leftovers.
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Ingredients
1 large cucumber -
6 oz smoked salmon
-
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
-
1 tablespoon fresh chives
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Slice cucumber
Slice cucumber into rounds.
Add salmon
Cut off a strip of salmon and fold on top of cucumber slice.
Dollop of cream cheese
Add a dollop of cream cheese using a spoon or a pipping bag. Sprinkle with chives.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the cucumber from getting soggy?
I pat every cucumber slice dry between paper towels before assembling. This is the single most important step. My first batch had cream cheese sliding all over the place because I skipped it, and I've never skipped it since. If you're prepping the slices ahead of time, lay them on a paper towel-lined sheet pan in the fridge. They'll stay dry and crisp until you're ready to build.
Can I make these ahead of time?
I prep the components separately up to a day in advance. Slice the cucumbers, mix up the cream cheese with whatever seasonings you're using, and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. I wait to assemble until about 15 minutes before serving. Once the cream cheese goes on the cucumber, the clock starts. I've pushed it to about 2 hours and they held up fine, but overnight they get watery.
What's the difference between smoked salmon and lox?
I use cold-smoked salmon (sometimes labeled Nova lox) for these because it's silky, thin, and folds easily over the cucumber round. Lox is technically cured in a salt-sugar brine but not smoked, so the flavor is milder and a little more delicate. Hot-smoked salmon is the flaky kind you'd find in a dip. It tastes great but crumbles instead of draping neatly. For these bites, I reach for cold-smoked every time.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese?
I've tried it. The flavor works but the consistency is thinner, so it doesn't hold its shape on the cucumber round the way cream cheese does. My fix is to strain the Greek yogurt through cheesecloth for about 20 minutes before using it. That gets you much closer to the cream cheese texture without the runniness. I still prefer regular cream cheese for these, but strained yogurt is a decent swap if that's what you have on hand.
How many net carbs per serving?
I don't stress about counting with these because the ingredients are all naturally low. Sugar-free smoked salmon has zero carbs. Cream cheese adds about 1 gram per 2 tablespoons. And cucumber is mostly water with minimal carbs. My whole tray of about 20 bites from one large English cucumber comes out very low, well under 1 net carb per bite. I never have to think twice about grabbing a few while staying on track.
Are these gluten-free?
Yes. I make these with just cucumber, cream cheese, and smoked salmon, so there's no gluten in the recipe. If you're adding everything bagel seasoning like I sometimes do, check the brand since some contain wheat. The one I use is gluten-free, but I always read the label first.
Can I freeze these?
I wouldn't. I tried freezing a batch once and the cucumber turned mushy when it thawed. Cream cheese handles the freezer fine on its own, and smoked salmon can take it too, but once you put them together on a fresh cucumber round, freezing ruins the crunch. These are best made fresh, which is easy since the whole thing takes about five minutes to put together.
Mixed lemon zest and a little fresh dill into the cream cheese before piping and it changed everything. The brightness cuts through the salmon's richness in a way plain cream cheese doesn't. Switched to a small star tip instead of a spoon too, and the presentation holds up much better when you're bringing these somewhere. Two small changes, noticeably better result.
The lemon zest is the part I want to steal. Done dill, done chives, never thought to add citrus to cut the richness like that. Trying this next batch.
Brought these to a wine night last weekend because I needed something that could sit out a couple hours without falling apart. Set them next to the charcuterie board and they disappeared first. Didn't see that coming. A few people asked where I got the salmon, thought I'd sourced it somewhere special. It's just the smoked salmon from the regular grocery store case. The cream cheese stays put better than you'd think as long as you slice the cucumber thick enough that it doesn't flex when you pick it up. Used a piping bag instead of a spoon and the presentation was completely different, more like something off a catering tray. Making these again for a garden thing in a few weeks.
Switched to the piping bag months ago and won't go back. The spoon version just doesn't plate the same way.
Stirred fresh dill into the cream cheese before piping and these went from solid snack to something I'd actually bring somewhere. Piping tip over a spoon, by the way, cuts the time in half and you stop looking like you put zero effort in.
Dill in the cream cheese is a good call. I always reach for chives because they're already in my fridge, but fresh dill is lighter. Piping bag over a spoon isn't even close.
Tip: leave the cream cheese out for 20 minutes first. Cold, it fights the piping bag and you end up with lumpy blobs that slide everywhere. Room temp it flows out clean. Making these for a get-together this week, already doubling the batch.
Set mine out the second I start slicing. Cold cream cheese won't pipe clean no matter what.
Brought these to Easter dinner and my mom couldn't stop going back to the platter. She finally asked where I got the smoked salmon bites, assuming I'd ordered them from somewhere. Five minutes from fridge to table.
Ha, the 'where did you order these' reaction is the best one. Cucumber rounds on a platter look like way more work than they are.
Ok so I just figured out you can use a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off instead of a real piping bag and these came out looking so much better than I expected (like, actually pretty). I've been avoiding recipes that say "piping bag" because I don't own one and always assumed it mattered more than it does, but apparently it doesn't matter at all. Just made a batch for the first time and the cream cheese dollops were surprisingly neat. Way less intimidating than I thought.
Yeah, that's how I started before I owned a real one. Soft cream cheese pipes clean through anything.
Added a caper on top of each instead of just chives and suddenly these look like they belong at a bridal shower.
Capers and smoked salmon are made for each other. That little salt pop takes the whole bite somewhere different.
My son who refuses anything 'fishy' ate four of these before I mentioned the smoked salmon, and I genuinely debated whether to say anything. Made these for spring break snacking and they disappeared before I even got the chives on the last batch.
I would've kept quiet too. Gone before the chives are even on is about as good as it gets.
Made these twice now and SO happy I did, second batch was way better because I finally patted the cucumber slices dry before assembling (skipping that step the first time meant cream cheese sliding everywhere). My only note is that the cream cheese could use a little more seasoning, I've been adding a pinch of everything bagel seasoning to mine and now I can't go back. The smoked salmon is so flavorful on its own but that small addition just rounded everything out.
The patting dry thing gets me every time I skip it too. Everything bagel seasoning in the cream cheese is a good call, I'm stealing that.
I've tried making these with ricotta and with goat cheese and the cream cheese is the right call, though I might add a little dill next time to push it over the top.
Oh dill is a nice call. Mix it right into the cream cheese before spreading so you get some in every bite instead of just on top.
used greek yogurt instead of cream cheese bc thats what i had. still good just a little runnier
Yeah greek yogurt makes it thinner. I'd strain it through cheesecloth for 20 minutes next time, gets you closer to that cream cheese texture.