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Perfect for a party, these cucumber bites are seriously tasty AND very festive looking! They’re a cinch to whip up and come together in just 30 minutes for a cucumber snack idea everyone will love!

Cucumber cups make the perfect crisp, healthy vehicle in this cucumber snack recipe. Add on a swirl of the sunflower seed cream cheese with chives and it’s a true winner!

I love this recipe because it’s so easy to make! But it also makes me excited to see everyone gobble them up whether vegan or not! It’s a great way to introduce your non-vegan friends and family to how truly tasty vegan food can be!

If you’re looking for more budget-friendly appetizer recipes for gatherings or parties, try these sesame potato puffs and vegan kabobs!

Want more ways to use up cucumbers from your garden? Try this marinated cucumber salad and cucumber salsa.

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Why This Recipe Works

  • So tasty no one will notice they’re vegan.
  • A no-cook recipe that goes together in a heartbeat.
  • Easy to make for groups of all sizes.
  • Budget-friendly appetizer to make for parties and gatherings.

What Goes Into This Recipe

All you need are a handful of simple ingredients to get these ready to eat! Here are the highlights:

ingredients for Easy Cucumber Bites with Sunflower Chive Cream Cheese measured out against a light surface
  • Sunflower seeds: For the best results use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds. 
  • Red onion, chives, and garlic: Aromatics to give flavor to the cucumber snack filling and the chives add another, light layer of flavor plus some color.
  • Nutritional yeast: Gives the filling a bit of ‘cheesy’ flavor. If you’re new to this ingredient, check out how to use nutritional yeast to learn more!
  • Fresh lemon juice: The perfect ingredient for adding a bit of acid and brightness to any dish. In this recipe, it blends perfectly with the chives. 
  • Cucumbers: You can use any cucumber you prefer. Try to choose medium-sized cucumbers so that each cucumber bite can be eaten in one or two bites. 

How To Make Cucumber Bites 

These simple cucumber appetizers take just a few minutes to make. Here’s an overview of the steps involved but detailed instructions are included in the recipe card.

  • 1) Combine the sunflower seeds and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 10-20 seconds until they form a fine powder. 
  • 2) Add the onion, chives, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and water to the food processor. Process again for 1 to 2 minutes, until super creamy scraping down the sides as needed. 
  • 3) Peel the cucumbers. If desired, peel the cucumber lightly in alternating rows, to create a pretty striped effect on the outside. Slice the cucumber into 1-inch pieces.
  • 4) Spread a spoonful of the sunflower seed mixture on top of each cucumber and place it on a plate or platter. Continue until done then sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

Expert Tips 

  • Cucumber bites are best served chilled so make them ahead and pop them in the fridge for an hour or so. 
  • The stuffed cucumbers recipe makes about 50 pieces, perfect for a party, but you can easily half the recipe for smaller groups. 
  • If you want to get fancy when making healthy cucumber snacks, use a piping bag to pipe the sunflower cream cheese in a rosette on each cucumber slice.

FAQs

What can you top cucumbers with?

Top your cucumbers with a variety of different savory fillings. In addition to the vegan cream cheese here, vegan dips and spreads such as this classic hummus, curry white bean dip, and vegan french onion dip.

What can I do with a lot of fresh cucumbers?

There are lots of things to do with an abundance of cucumbers! Make a batch of homemade refrigerator dill pickles, turn them into a mango cucumber salsa or turn them into cucumber cups and fill them with different fillings!

completed Easy Cucumber Bites with Sunflower Chive Cream Cheese plated on a dish against a light background

Variations

Looking for some other ways to flavor the sunflower cream cheese? Here are some favorites:

  • Spicy cucumber appetizer bites: Swap the chives for green chiles or jalapenos and chopped cilantro!
  • Dill cucumber bites: Swap the chives for fresh dill.
  • Veggie cucumber snacks: Add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped carrot, celery and any herbs to the food processor!
  • Make cucumber cups instead. Slice the cucumber into one-inch pieces and then scoop out a bit of the seeds in the center to form a cup. This works best with narrow cucumbers.

How to Store

After making: Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to serve. They are best stored in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray lightly covered.

Leftovers: Store them in a single layer in the fridge for up to two days but just be advised that the cucumbers will soften the longer they sit.

Make ahead: I recommend slicing the cucumber bites the day you plan to serve them. Once cucumbers are cut they tend to soften easily as the water in them starts to release and break down. To get a bit ahead of the game you can make the sunflower seed cream cheese mixture up to three days in advance. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to add them to the cucumbers.

More Cucumber Recipes

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

Easy Cucumber Bites with Sunflower Chive Cream Cheese

5 from 51 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Perfect for a party, these cucumber bites are seriously tasty AND very festive looking! They're a cinch to whip up and come together in just 30 minutes for a cucumber snack idea everyone will love!

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup of raw sunflower seeds
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 Tablespoons of raw red onion chopped
  • ½ cup of chopped chives + some for garnishing
  • 1 garlic clove chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice or to taste
  • ½ cup of water or more as needed to get a creamy consistency
  • 4 large cucumbers

Instructions 

  • Combine sunflower seeds and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 10-20 seconds until they form a fine powder. Add onion, chives, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and water and process again for 1 to 2 minutes, until super creamy. You will likely have to scrape down the sides once or twice. Set aside.
  • If desired, peel cucumber lightly in alternating rows, to create a pretty striped effect on the outside. Slice into 1-1 ½-inch pieces.
  • Spread a spoonful of the sunflower seed mixture on top of each cucumber and place it on a plate or platter. Continue until done, sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

Notes

  • Cucumber bites are best served chilled so make them ahead and pop them in the fridge for an hour or so. 
  • The stuffed cucumbers recipe makes about 50 pieces, perfect for a party, but you can easily half the recipe for smaller groups. 
  • If you want to get fancy when making healthy cucumber snacks, use a piping bag to pipe the sunflower cream cheese in a rosette on each cucumber slice.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 151mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 218IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Renee Press
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Method: No Cook
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Renee Press

Renee Press is the founder of Fire and Earth Kitchen in Seattle WA. which offers cooking classes, food coaching, and chef services. She’s on a mission to make vegan, gluten-free cooking easy, accessible, and delicious for everyone. fireandearthkitchen.com

More about Renee Press

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Comments

    1. Hi! You may need to process a couple of times for 1 to 2 minutes, until super creamy scraping down the sides as needed. 

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is just what I need today! I have extra cucumbers and hummus that I wasn’t sure what to do with…now I know. What a delicious pairing!