With a perfect balance of fresh, crunchy veggies and a creamy, decadent cheese topping, these Vegan Cucumber Bites are the ideal hors d’oeuvres for any party. Made with fewer than 10 ingredients and exactly zero cooking, they’re the low-lift, high-reward snack you’ve been looking for!

Are you looking for more vegan bites for your next soirée? Check out my recipes for Fried Olives, Vegan Pigs in a Blanket, and Vegan Egg Bites next!

Cucumber bites appetizer on a serving plate.

As the holiday season approaches with alarming speed, I’m in a tizzy plotting for all the festive gatherings I have planned. While I LOVE to go all out with cooking (and eating!), the winter holidays are often focused solely on rich, heavy, carb-loaded, and calorically dense recipes. Sometimes a girl just needs a fresh vegetable, ya know?

These dainty and elegant little cucumber cream cheese bites have a delightful crunch and irresistible freshness, making them a bright spot in a sea of sweets and carbs. That’s not to say they’re too virtuous though; the dill and mint-laced creamy topping adds just the right bit of lusciousness for them to be well-received by vegans and omnivores alike.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients to make vegan cucumber bites.

As promised, you don’t need much to make these adorable vegan cucumber bites appetizers. Here’s what to grab:

English Cucumbers - These long, slender cukes are usually wrapped in plastic wrap in the produce section. In a pinch, you can swap in regular (Persian) cucumbers instead, but you’ll need to do a little extra prep work to get rid of the more plentiful seeds. More on that below.
Vegan Cream Cheese - There are lots on the market nowadays! These are my favorites. You’re also welcome to swap in dairy-free Boursin or any vegan farmer’s cheese you prefer.
Vegan Sour Cream or Plain Vegan Greek Yogurt - Either will work perfectly well! Just make sure to opt for plain, unsweetened yogurt if that’s the route you choose.
Fresh Dill & Mint - Fresh herbs lend bright color and even more lustrous flavor. You can swap in about ⅓ as much dried if you need, but fresh is really the way to go. You’re also welcome to swap out the dill and mint for your favorite tender herbs like cilantro or basil.
Garlic Salt - Garlic powder and kosher salt can also be blended to make your own, if needed.
Fresh Chives - For a pretty garnish.
Black Pepper - Make sure it’s freshly cracked for the best flavor.

Cherry Tomatoes - These are optional, but add a lovely bit of acidity and a stunning pop of color to your cream cheese cucumber bites.

Pro Tips for Making Vegan Cucumber Bites

Upclose of a cucumber bite on a platter.

Peel the cucumbers intermittently to create pretty stripes around the edges of your bites.
Make sure to taste a bite of your cucumber before you go to the trouble of assembling your cucumber bites. It’s rare, but I’ve had the misfortune of getting a very bitter cuke in the past. 🤢
Make your herby cream cheese mix up to a few days in advance, transfer it to a piping bag, and pop it in an airtight container in the fridge. About 2 hours before your party, get it out to bring it to room temp, then pipe right before your guests arrive!
If you don’t have a piping bag on hand, you can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off or fashion one out of a piece of parchment paper.

What is the difference between English cucumbers vs. cucumbers?
An English cucumber is typically longer and thinner than a regular cucumber. It has smaller and fewer seeds, which is great for recipes like this, where you need to fill the center of the cucumber with something.

Recipe Steps

Wash and peel the cucumbers if you'd like (I personally think unpeeled cucumbers look pretty for this appetizer). Slice the cucumbers into ½" thick rounds. Then, using a teaspoon, scoop out some of the seeds in the center of each cucumber to make a small well.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, dill, mint, and garlic salt, and mix until smooth and creamy.

Sliced cucumbers with a well in the center.

Ingredients to make creamy and herby topping for cucumber bites.

Place the cream cheese filling into a piping bag with a star tip. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a plastic baggie with the tip cut off. Pipe about a teaspoon of the filling into the well of each cucumber.

Vegan cream cheese and sour cream with herbs being piped onto cucumber slices.

Cucumber bites with fresh cracked black pepper sprinkled over them.

If using cherry tomatoes, slice them in half and place them into the cream cheese filling.

Cucumber bites topped with a fresh tomato half.

Sprinkle the cucumbers with chives and black pepper, and serve!

Optional Add-Ins/Variations

Cucumber bites arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree for a holiday party.

While I love this dilly cucumber bites recipe as is, there is always plenty of room for interpretation. Here are some of my favorite variations and add-ins to consider:

Vegan “Bagel” Bites - Omit the fresh herbs and sprinkle Everything But The Bagel seasoning overtop after you pipe the cream cheese mixture on. You’re also welcome to add vegan carrot “smoked salmon,” cherry tomatoes, and capers to make vegan and gluten-free lox and bagel bites! They’d be perfect for serving at a brunch, baby shower, or afternoon tea.
Holiday Themed Cucumber Appetizer Bites - For Halloween, make a spider. Take a black olive and slice it in half from tip to tip. Place one half on top of the cucumber appetizer as the body, then thinly slice the other horizontally to make legs. CUTE!
For Christmas, use a mandolin or y-peeler to create long thin ribbons of cucumber. Arrange it in a squiggle, then hold it in place on top of the cucumber with a toothpick to make a tree shape.
If you can’t find English cucumbers, use regular Persian cucumbers. Peel them (their skin is usually much thicker and waxier), then slice vertically from end to end. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then cut them into roughly 1.5-inch lengths. Pipe the cream cheese in the center like they’re boats. Boom! You just made a stuffed cucumber bites appetizer.
To make them nut-free, swap in your favorite flavor of hummus in place of the cream cheese and sour cream. Cucumber hummus bites FTW!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Upclose of vegan cucumber bites with fresh black pepper.

These Vegan Cucumber Bites are a dream all year round. Aside from being fresh, crunchy, and crave-worthy, this recipe is also:

Quick & Easy - You only need about 15 minutes to whip up a batch.
Made With Fewer Than 10 Ingredients - And they’re all easy to find!
Make-Ahead Friendly - You’re welcome to get a jump on party planning by making the cream cheese topping several days in advance.
Easily Customizable - Just jump up to the optional variations section above for lots of ideas.

Perfect For Any Occasion! Whether you’re hosting a cocktail party, a wedding reception, a birthday party, or a ladies’ brunch, these tasty vegan cucumber appetizers are sure to be a smash hit.

Let me know if you try out these vegan cucumber bites, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.

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