If you’re looking for something sophisticated yet easy to prepare, look no further than these elegant Salmon Cucumber Canapés! Each bite of these is nicely refreshing with a nice contrast against the slightly salty smoked salmon. Of course, I also added a peppery punch through a light dollop of pepper cream cheese.

By the way, canapés are small, bite-sized decorative food often served as appetizers. They’re nicely dainty, and usually pack a harmony of flavours and textures in each small bite.

The making of these Salmon Cucumber Canapés is really simple and straightforward. In fact, I spent more time making sure it looks impressive for presentation.

All you would need is store bought ingredients including smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese. I’ve a penchant for Japanese grown cucumbers because they’re nicely crisp, with a milder flavour with no seeds. As such, they’re highly versatile to be used as a base, and to customise your canapés. Additionally, I also seasoned my cream cheese with pepper (you can go ahead with salt and herbs too). Afterall, an ingredient can be used as well as you’re creative, and cream cheese can be both a sweet, or a savoury ingredient!

This is where it needs your full attention – presentation. Here are some of my pointers:

  1. Portion Evenly
    Give your best attempt to make everything as evenly sized and shaped as possible. This includes the size and thickness of each cucumber slice and the amount of smoked salmon to top! It might not be as easy for a beginner, but give it your best effort and I am sure you will nail it in no time!
  2. Garnishes
    Consider the use of different garnishes to make the dish really pop. For example, I used the leaves of dill to add a contrast to the tiny canapés, while conveying the visual impression that it looks really fresh. I also chose to keep my cucumber skins on for that reason!
  3. Colours
    Explore with the various colours. I decided to use a mixture of toasted white and black sesame seed to give additional colours (and texture) to the dish, while making the pinkness of the smoked salmon stand out. This applies to the garnishes as well – you might want to use something duller as a background to each canapé.

Without further ado, the guide and the recipe!

Salmon Cucumber Canapés Recipe
by Javier Tan April-02-2025

What’s refreshing, sophisticated yet easy to make? Look no further than these elegant Salmon Cucumber Canapés that will surely delight!

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumber (I am using Japanese Cucumber, which is slimmer)
  • 75g Smoked Salmon, portion into small strips
  • 1/3 Cup + 1 Tbspn or 100g of Softened Cream Cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Dill and toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

  1. Wash the cucumber and cut into slices of even thickness.
  2. Then, mix the softened cream cheese with salt and pepper to taste until well incorporated.
  3. To each slice of cucumber, dollop a small portion of cream cheese, and top off with smoked salmon.
  4. Next, I garnished with lightly toasted sesame seeds (180C, 5 mins) and dill.
  5. Serve and enjoy! You can consider customising it for more complex flavours, such as the use of honey or a small touch of wasabi.

Details

  • Prep time: 20 mins
  • Cook time: 10 mins
  • Total time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 1 Plate of Elegant Salmon Cucumber Canapés

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Best consumed on the day itself.
  3. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission, but feel free to link back here!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan