There’s a reason why cucumber sandwiches are such a popular finger food. They’re delicious and very easy to make. This classic Benedictine spread, a Kentucky Derby favorite, is creamy and brightly flavored with fresh cucumbers, onion and dill.
If you attend a wedding, tea party or shower in the south, you’ll probably find cucumber sandwiches on the menu.
My version are slathered with a creamy Kentucky-inspired Benedictine spread made with cucumber, onion and dill. Each tea sandwich is finished with a thin slice of English cucumber and a fresh dill.
Fill a tiered tray with cucumber sandwiches, homemade pimento cheese sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches — and you’re almost ready to host some ladies for tea! Might I suggest adding this easy cream cheese pepper jelly appetizer spread, Grandma’s watermelon rind pickles and Mandarin Orange Salad to round out the menu?
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What is Benedictine spread?
Benedictine spread is a suprisingly flavorful cream cheese and cucumber sandwich spread or dip. It’s typically served on thin white bread or cocktail bread, either open faced or cut into crustless finger sandwiches.
Jennie Benedict, who ran a tearoom and catering business in Louisville, Kentucky, in the early 1900s is credited with creating the recipe. Hers used green food coloring, cucumber juice and onion juice to give the spread its distinctive cucumber-onion flavor and color.
Benedictine sandwiches are traditionally served at Kentucky Derby parties or tailgates, along with Derby Pie and mint juleps.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Benedictine spread comes together in just minutes in the food processor, using fresh herbs and vegetables.
The spread can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve the cucumber sandwiches.
You can also use Benedictine spread as a dip for vegetables, including carrots and celery sticks.
Want to see a brief overview of the process before diving into the recipe? Click here to watch my web story on how to make Benedictine spread.
🥒 Ingredients
- Cream cheese – You can use regular full fat cream cheese or reduced fat for this recipe, but I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese.
- English cucumbers – I prefer English cucumbers for this recipe because they have fewer seeds and are less bitter.
- Fresh dill – Don’t subsitute dried dill in this recipe.
- Green onion – I like the flavor and color that green onion provides, but you can also use grated white or sweet onion for this recipe.
- Mayonnaise – Duke’s is my preferred brand.
- Salt – I prefer to use a coarse grain salt.
- Hot sauce – You can omit the hot sauce if you don’t like spicy food.
See recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
🥪 How to Make Benedictine Cucumber Sandwiches
Slice one cucumber thinly to use as garnish. Set aside.
Prepare the other cucumber by slicing it in half, lengthwise. Scrap out the seeds and discard them.
Next, peel the cucumber and grate it in a food processor.
Tip: Use an ice cream scoop to easily remove the seeds from the cucumber. Wait to peel the cucumber until after removing the seeds; it will be easier to hold.
Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to drain off any excess liquid. Place a clean dry paper towel over the grated cucumber to soak up any liquid.
Once the cucumber has drained, place it in the bowl of a food processor along with the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, dill, salt and hot sauce.
Process until smooth and well combined.
Spread a thin layer of Benedictine cream cheese mixture onto cocktail bread or thin bread.
Cucumber sandwiches can be served open faced or cut into rounds or triangles.
Garnish with thin cucumber slices and sprigs of fresh dill.
💭 Top tip
You may find it help to place the Benedictine spread into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up slightly before spreading onto bread.
For best results, prepare sandwiches just before serving so the bread does not get soggy.
Substitutions
Missing an ingredient? Try one of these substitutions:
- Use grated sweet onion or white onion in place of green onions. Place the grated onion in the strainer with the grated cucumber to remove any excess moisture.
- If you don’t have fresh dill, use fresh parsley instead.
- Use a pinch of cayenne pepper in place of hot sauce.
📖 Variations
To serve Benedictine as a dip instead of as a cucumber sandwich spread, add sour cream to thin the mixture. Start with 2 Tablespoons, then add up to ¼ cup of sour cream until the mixture is the right consistency.
Serve Benedictine dip with:
- carrot sticks
- broccoli
- crackers
- celery sticks
- pita bread
- toast points
- pita chips
- homemade tortilla chips
Storage
Store Benedictine spread in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Cucumber sandwiches are best served within a few hours of preparation so the bread does not become soggy. However, leftover sandwiches can be stored in the refrigerator.
I do not recommend freezing this sandwich spread. The ingredients may separate and the texture may change.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few things you can do to ensure your cucumber sandwiches do not get too soggy.
First, don’t prepare them too far in advance, as the Benedictine can make the bread soggy.
If you are planning to use cucumber slices as a garnish for your sandwiches, place them between dry paper towels. You can also sprinkle the cucumber lightly with salt to draw out any excess moisture.
These sandwiches are best made just before you plan to serve them. This will keep the bread from getting too soggy.
While you can make the Benedictine spread a few days ahead, I wouldn’t prep the sandwiches more than two or three hours before you plan to serve them.
More Sandwich Spread Recipes
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Pin This! Kentucky Benedictine Cucumber Sandwiches
🎥 Recipe Card & Video
Cucumber Sandwiches with Benedictine Spread
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 strainer
Ingredients
For the Benedictine Spread
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 English cucumber peeled, seeded, grated, drained
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- 2 Tablespoons green onion
- 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Dash hot sauce or pinch of cayenne pepper
For the Cucumber Sandwiches
- 24 slices thin white bread
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
Instructions
How to Make the Benedictine Spread
- Prepare one cucumber by cutting it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and discard.
- Peel the cucumber and grate using a food processor or box grater.
- Transfer the grated cucumber to a strainer and press with a clean, dry paper towel. Let it sit in the strainer until the excess moisture has drained off.
- Once the grated cucumber has drained, place it in the bowl of a food processor along with the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, dill, salt and hot sauce.
- Process until smooth and creamy.
How to Make Cucumber Sandwiches
- Cut one of the cucumbers into thin slices. Set aside to use as garnish.
- Spread the Benedictine onto thin bread with crusts removed.
- Top each sandwich with a cucumber slice and a sprig of dill. Serve open face or as sandwiches, cut into triangles with a serated knife.
Video
Notes
Variations
To serve Benedictine as a dip instead of as a sandwich spread, thin with 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup of sour cream. Serve Benedictine dip with:- carrot sticks
- crackers
- celery sticks
- pita bread
- toast points
- pita chips
- homemade tortilla chips
Substitutions
- Use grated sweet onion or white onion in place of green onions. Strain grated onion with grated cucumber to remove any excess moisture.
- Subsitute fresh parsley for fresh dill.
- Substitute cayenne pepper for hot sauce.
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