Vegan Cucumber Sandwiches

Welcome to the world of vegan cucumber sandwiches, where afternoon tea is getting a plant-based makeover!

Now don't worry – I'm not here to ruin the fun and high-tea vibes. You can still be all posh with your fascinators, top hats, monocles, porcelain tea sets, and whatever else you feel is important for the occasion.

But let's leave the cow products out of it, eh?

This dairy-free recipe is more than just cucumber in between slices of bread – it's all about delicious tofu cream cheese (or any other vegan cream cheese product you'd like to use).

For more plant-based inspiration, check out these recipes for vegan haggis toastie, vegan haggis quesadilla, and vegan rice paper rolls.

Where did cucumber sandwiches originate?

The cucumber sandwich can be traced back to Victorian Britain during the 19th century, and is often associated with the upper-class tradition of afternoon tea.

Originally made with cucumber slices in between thin slices of lightly buttered white bread, modern variants see the sandwiches include other ingredients such as cream cheese and fresh dill.

How to make cucumber sandwiches vegan

Cucumber sandwiches might sound like the most vegan thing ever, but it's the dairy cream cheese (and butter) that means they're usually not.

While it's becoming increasingly easy to find vegan cream cheese products on supermarket shelves (at least here in the UK), you could also try making your own.

Call me biased, but I'd say my recipe for homemade tofu cream cheese is a good place to start.

Is bread vegan?

Many regular sliced bread products are vegan by default, however you may want to double check the ingredients to be sure.

Gluten-free bread in particular can be a bit of a minefield, with the ingredients sometimes including things like egg white or honey.

What you'll need

Here are the things you'll need to create your fancy schmancy vegan cucumber sandwiches:

• Sliced bread (because sandwiches are terrible without it)
• Cucumber (because cucumber sandwiches are terrible without it)
• Vegan cream cheese (as well as optional plant-based butter)
• Fresh dill (if not already included in your cream cheese)

How to make vegan cucumber sandwiches

Slice the cucumber into thin slices. If you prefer the cucumber without skin, you can peel them before slicing.

Lay out all of the bread slices on a board. Spread plant-based butter on two of the slices, and generously spread vegan cream cheese on the other two.

On the slices with butter, layer the sliced cucumber and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper.

On the slices with cream cheese, sprinkle over the chopped dill (if not already included in the cream cheese).

Place the slices with cream cheese face-down on top of the slices with cucumber.

Using a sharp knife, cut into triangles or rectangles and serve. You could also cut off the crusts before slicing, but I prefer to leave them on.

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips for vegan cucumber sandwiches

• Dill: Your vegan cream cheese may already include dill, in which case you won't need to add any more here (unless you want to).
• Other herbs: Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, or tarragon would also work well.
• Other spreads: If you want to substitute the vegan cream cheese for another spread, you could try hummus, guacamole, or lemony butter bean dip.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

Keep in touch

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More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Vegan Haggis Toastie
• Vegan Mushroom Pâté
• Fried Cucumber with Five Spice
• Vegan Haggis Quesadilla
• Vegan Waldorf Salad
• Broad Bean Dip with Mint and Lemon
• Vegan Haggis Fritters
• Vegan Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing

You can also check out my full list of vegan snack recipes.