It doesn’t get any easier than these healthy cucumber appetizers with everything bagel seasoning. They are the ideal keto snack, and can be thrown together in a matter of moments. Whip them up for a crowd or make just a few to snack on. Cucumber bites for the win!
I need more easy in my life, and I bet you do too. That’s why I am devoting this summer to posting the best quick and easy keto recipes. Starting right here, right now, with these everything bagel cucumber bites.
People, I have been going too hard for too long. I have been writing recipes for the blog, for multiple cookbooks, and for other websites. Truth be told, I’ve been wearing myself out a bit. And this last cookbook, the big keto baking book, will be my last for a while. Not forever, but for a while.
I’ve made a promise to myself to take a big step back this summer. I’ve made that promise to my husband and kids too.
That big step won’t take me out of the kitchen, though. Because let’s be honest, that is what I love most about what I do. It brings me so much joy, I can’t give it up. Note even a little bit.
But with summer here, I find myself craving easy, light dishes full of flavor. I want recipes that take full advantage of the fabulous summer produce that’s coming in. The great thing about fresh summer food is that it doesn’t need a lot of dressing up. It’s wonderful just as it is. Sometimes I simply eat it straight out of the garden.
Cucumbers make the best summer appetizers
We’ve had great success growing cucumbers for the past few years. Perhaps too much success, since sometimes it seems like the cucumber plants want to take over my house. I train them up a trellis but they still manage to start snaking some tendrils ominously toward my side door.
Come high summer, I will be harvesting upwards of 7 or 8 cucumbers a day. So you know I need new and interesting ways to use it.
And it’s so fresh and lovely and crisp, it really makes some of the best keto appetizers. Just slice it and use it to scoop up your favorite salsas and dips. It’s a great way to serve guacamole and far healthier than chips.
It’s also great sliced thinly lengthwise and used to wrap around fillings, like my smoked salmon cucumber rolls. Or spiralized for a light and refreshing cucumber noodle salad.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with it. Peel some of the skin for a fun stripy looks, as I did with this Cucumber Bites recipe. Or hollow it out and fill it with any manner of tasty fillings.
I could probably sit here coming up with cucumber appetizer recipes all day long. But let’s move on, shall we?
How to make Everything Bagel Seasoning
I find it slightly hilarious that many stores are now selling pre-packaged everything bagel seasoning. Why do I find it so funny?
Because it’s ridiculously easy to make your own. And probably less expensive in the long run too. You simply need to mix up a little of these ingredients:
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dried garlic
- Dried onion
- Caraway seeds (optional, but tasty)
- Coarse salt
Done. Making your own seasoning quite honestly takes less than 5 minutes. More like two minutes. And once you’ve got the hang of it, it may even only take one minute.
You can make as much or as little as you like. Love that everything bagel flavor? Make a big jar and sprinkle it on anything and everything. It will be fine for months. But you can also make a little at a time, any time you want.
If you truly prefer to buy your everything bagel seasoning already to go, that’s okay too. I know the one from Trader Joe’s is popular and not very expensive. There is also a totally organic version put out by Hidden Nature.
Can you make cucumber bites ahead?
You can prep these easy cucumber appetizers ahead but don’t put them all together until you are almost ready to serve. Cucumbers are watery and the minute you put on that salty everything bagel seasoning, they are going to start releasing water.
Go ahead and peel and slice your cucumbers well in advance. Stored in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator, they will be fine for up to 24 hours.
The cream cheese topping can also be made ahead of time. You can beat all the ingredients together and store it in the fridge for up to a week, as long as the cream cheese and yogurt are fresh.
You can even pipe the topping onto the cucumber slices up to several hours in advance. Do keep in mind that if you refrigerate the cream cheese mixture, it will be too hard to pipe on right away. You need to let it come to room temperature first.
Don’t sprinkle with the seasoning until it’s almost time to serve, especially if they will be sitting at room temperature for a while, at a party. Once sprinkled, the cucumber bites will be fine for a few hours, without getting too watery.
See how simple that was? Let’s celebrate the delicious summer produce with tons of easy keto recipes. That’s my plan and I am sticking to it!
Want more delicious cucumber appetizer ideas?
- Creamy Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho
- Keto Sushi
- Cucumber Feta Salad
- Smoked Salmon Salad with Cucumber Noodles
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Greek Salad Bites
- Tuna Salad Cucumber Cups
Everything Bagel Cucumber Bites
Ingredients
Everything Bagel Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried minced onion
- ¼ teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
Cucumber Bites:
- 1 medium cucumber
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon butter softened
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream room temperature
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Everything Bagel Seasoning:
- In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together. Set aside.
Cucumber Bites:
- Use a sharp knife to peel alternating strips of skin from the cucumber. Slice the cucumber crosswise into ¼ inch thick slices and place on a platter.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, yogurt, garlic powder, and salt until well combined and smooth.
- Attach a star shaped tip to a piping bag and fill the bag with the cream cheese mixture. Pipe decoratively on top of the cucumber slices.
- Sprinkle each slice with everything bagel seasoning and serve.
Notes
Kathryn says
Which do most people prefer: plain Greek yogurt or sour cream? I am making these for a crowd that is mostly non-Keto.
Carolyn says
It’s minimal and just helps thin out the cream cheese so there’s no real preference.
Jeanne says
This summer I’ve made this recipe twice for company and they quickly disappeared! An easy appetizer to make too!
Meredith Kieffer says
I want to buy the bag & tip to be able to pipe mine so they’ll look pretty like yours. Can you add them to the list that you will sometimes show the Amazon link to purchase them. I don’t get out of the house that often & we don’t have a Michaels or JoAnns anywhere close. Amazon is my only option. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Sure… I can link them in the recipe card but let me just put the links here as well: Piping bags: https://amzn.to/3Dkyx5C (Wilton makes the best piping bags… don’t be tempted to go with cheaper brands. I have done this and had them burst on me almost from the very moment that I tried to squeeze anything through them!). Open star tip: https://amzn.to/3Do5dvg
But you could also do one of their sets with the bags and multiple tips for other decorating projects: https://amzn.to/3Dm6EtO Or https://amzn.to/3Y7ZzFc
Mary says
Love the recipes
Missy says
If you’re not Keto can you make without the butter?
Carolyn says
No idea, that’s simply not how I made it. You will need to experiment.
Radwa says
Such a nice idea!! I can’t wait to try this.
Brenda Moore says
Superb!
Lisa says
I see these in my future!
Amber says
Made these awhile back for a girls “Bachelor” night on TV. They didn’t look as pretty and I used Aldi’s Pre-Jarred Everything Bagel mix but They were good. One of the gals admitted it was her 4th one. Pretty easy too.
Michelle says
Made these for Christmas Eve and placed in a Christmas tree shape on a platter. Huge hit! I used my cookie press to pipe the filling onto the cucumber. No mess.
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Such a fantastic idea! The perfect summer appetizer!! YUM!
Emma says
We love this easy appetizer and snack at our house! I buy the Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Jen says
I made these just to have out while we were grilling and I came in to an empty plate, haha! Next time, I’ll either get mine first or make a biggeer batch for my family. We all lvoed them.
Toni says
This is such a great idea! Perfect for entertaining!
Chelsea says
These are seriously the best snacks!! Seriously my new go to for a snack. Thanks for sharing!
Gloria says
Love bagels and cucumbers. This is the perfect little appetizer. I will have to give some of the other recipe suggestions a try. Loving the sound of cucumber noodles.
alyssa says
Made these as part of lunch and they were DELISH!! Thanks for another great recipe!