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    Home · Recipes · Spreads · Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread | Lox Spread

    April 2, 2018

    Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread | Lox Spread

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    A smoked salmon spread featuring smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, dill, and freshly squeezed lemon. Perfect for spreading on bagels or as a tea sandwich filling! 

    An overhead shot of an open faced piece of pumpernickel bread with lox spread on top. Lying next to that are more sandwiches and a butter knife with a dollop of lox spread on it.

    Lox bagels are one of my husband's favorite savory breakfast treats. The lox bagel usually consists of a toasted bagel, loaded with a heavy schmear of cream cheese, topped with hunks of smoked salmon, thinly sliced red onion, and capers, and while I usually can't resist stealing a bite or two of his beloved bagel...a bite or two is usually all I can handle first thing in the morning. Cause the lox bagel? It's a strong one. Especially first thing in the morning

    However, regardless of the time of day, the flavor combination is undeniably perfect, and when I saw Ina Garten throw together a toned-down version of the lox bagel in the form of a cream cheese spread, I was hook, line, and sinker. We are talking salmon after all...and I sure do love a little wordplay.

    A bowl full of smoked salmon and cream cheese spread. Resting in the bowl is a butter knife. On the left hand side of the bowl is an open face piece of pumpernickel bread with the spread on top.

    Over the years, the spread quickly evolved into one of my own, and the horseradish and sour cream called for Ina's recipe were omitted and other goodies were brought in.

    WHAT'S IN SMOKED SALMON AND CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

    The base of the smoked salmon spread consists of cream cheese, mayonnaise, and unsalted butter. This combination makes for a perfectly smooth and creamy spread. Finely chopped smoked salmon, shallot (a mildly flavored onion), capers, lemon zest and juice, and freshly minced dill are added in. Every single ingredient in the spread complements the other, and like I said before -- there is no denying its perfection.

    Two bagel halves with smoked salmon and cream cheese spread on top. On the left hand side of the bagels is a small bowl full of the spread. In the bottom right hand corner is a butter knife with a dollop of the spread.

    I've served up this smoked salmon and cream cheese spread countless times over the years, and not only do I love serving it in it's most classic brunch form, smeared over bagels, it also makes for a great canape spread at cocktail parties. Not to mention it just so happens to pair particularly well with a glass or two of Brut champagne. Bonus.

    And last, but certainly not least, is the daintiest, most adorable way to serve up this lox spread -- as a tea sandwich filling. If you love tea sandwiches or are gearing up for a party, be sure to try these Cucumber Tea Sandwiches too!

    HOW TO MAKE SMOKED SALMON AND CREAM CHEESE TEA SANDWICHES

    To turn this spread into the filling for a tea sandwich, I would highly suggest centering it between two slices of rye bread. Smear the inner part of the bread with a small amount of room temperature butter. The butter serves as a barrier between the spread and the bread and helps to keep the bread from getting wet. This way the sandwiches can be made the night before, making entertaining preparations easier on the hostess. We could all use a little more of that, right? Right.

    After the bread is good and buttered, schmear the bread with a few tablespoons of smoked salmon and cream cheese spread and spread to the edges. Then, using a sharp knife, remove the crusts, and cut the sandwich on the diagonal. For a prettier set of tea sandwiches, very carefully, wipe the blade of the knife clean after each cut using a damp dishtowel.

    Two pumpernickel sandwiches stacked on top of each other. In the background is a line of sandwiches with the lox spread center.

    This is lox spread I can get down with any time of day, and any which way you choose to serve it, you truly can't go wrong. It's perfectly creamy, just the right spreadable consistency, and has the perfect amount of smoked salmon in every single bite. It's make-ahead, full of flavor, and easy to throw together -- food just doesn't get much better than that. 

    Love salmon? Try our easy Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon for dinner!

    4.91 from 21 votes
    Lox Spread
    Print
    Lox Spread
    Prep Time
    15 mins
    Total Time
    15 mins
     

    A smoked salmon spread featuring smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, dill, and freshly squeezed lemon.

    Course: Appetizer, Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Lox Spread
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 1159 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    • 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 2 ounces (about ⅓ cup) finely chopped smoked salmon
    • 2 tablespoons minced shallot
    • 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and dried
    • Generous pinch of lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon freshly minced dill
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • Generous pinch of Kosher salt
    Instructions
    1. Add the cream cheese, butter, and mayonnaise to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until well-combined. 

    2. Add the salmon, shallot, capers, lemon zest and juice, dill, pepper, and Kosher salt to the bowl. Mix on low until combined. Serve right away or transfer to an airtight container for up to 3 days.

    Recipe Notes

    The butter must be room temperature for this recipe.

    Nutrition Facts
    Lox Spread
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 1159 Calories from Fat 1035
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 115g177%
    Saturated Fat 58g363%
    Cholesterol 302mg101%
    Sodium 1618mg70%
    Potassium 400mg11%
    Carbohydrates 11g4%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 22g44%
    Vitamin A 3335IU67%
    Vitamin C 3.5mg4%
    Calcium 177mg18%
    Iron 1.6mg9%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Comments

    1. Claudia Lamascolo says

      August 22, 2018 at 11:46 am

      I love sandwiches like this, they are so gourmet and you made them look so easy I must try this!

      Reply
    2. Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale says

      August 22, 2018 at 11:58 am

      I love the combinations of cream cheese, capers, and smoked salmon. This lox spread looks fantastic! This will be perfect for my next brunch. YUM!

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        August 22, 2018 at 3:53 pm

        Oh, yay! Thank you, Katie!!!

        Reply
    3. Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says

      August 22, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      Lox always sounds so fancy, but I love how easy you make this recipe! Sounds like a great way to start the day!

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        August 22, 2018 at 3:53 pm

        Thank you so much, Lauren!

        Reply
    4. Cindy Gordon says

      August 22, 2018 at 12:42 pm

      This recipe is going to be a new favorite for my husband! I know he's going to love it!

      Reply
    5. camila says

      August 22, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      this spread sounds delicious! I am going to pin this for later! love it!

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        August 22, 2018 at 3:52 pm

        Thank you, Camila!

        Reply
    6. Heidy says

      April 28, 2020 at 2:11 pm

      This recipe was outstanding. I enjoyed all the delightful flavors and textures of this smoked salmon dip right down to those salty capers which made the spread really pop. Pinned.

      Reply
    7. Pam Greer says

      April 28, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      This spread is genius!! I love bagels and lox too, but this is so much easier and honestly I love it so much more!!

      Reply
    8. Denise says

      April 30, 2020 at 6:45 pm

      Love this! I can not wait to get to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to make this. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Andrea Howe says

      April 30, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      I have always loved salmon cream cheese, but never though to make it myself. I'm so glad I did because this was crazy delicious!!

      Reply
    10. Jacqui DeBono says

      May 01, 2020 at 3:25 am

      Smoked salmon and cream cheese is one of my favourite combinations. It is so good on a bagel for a special brunch! Obviously a glass or two of something sparkly is always a bonus.

      Reply
    11. Leslie says

      May 02, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      I would love to make this for our next gathering! I think it will be a big hit!

      Reply
    12. Ashley Marie Lecker says

      May 02, 2020 at 6:00 pm

      This was an immediate must make for me! The capers, the dill, the lemon, the salmon....so much yum! I love with on my morning bagel!

      Reply
    13. Veronika says

      May 02, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      This is a genius idea to make a spread with salmon and cream cheese! It looks absolutely delicious and I want to make it this weekend!

      Reply
    14. Chandice Probst says

      May 03, 2020 at 5:46 pm

      Yum I love that the salmon is right in the spread so you don’t have to layer… Thank you

      Reply
    15. Aline says

      May 04, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      Served this for brunch yesterday with homemade bagels, while sipping on some rose! Best brunch we've had in a looooooong time!!! Will definitely be making it again!

      Reply

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    I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

    Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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