Easy Smoked Salmon Toasts with Cream Cheese (Elegant Appetizer!)

These Cheesy Smoked Salmon Toasts look incredibly fancy, but trust me, they are one of the easiest and quickest appetizers you can make! Featuring crisp toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic, a tangy lemon cream cheese spread, and luscious smoked salmon, all finished with fresh scallions and sesame seeds. I love making these Smoked Salmon Toasts when I have company because they feel sophisticated yet take only minutes to assemble. They're perfect for brunch, holiday gatherings, or a light and elegant snack any time of year - especially lovely for spring entertaining!

Why You'll Love These Smoked Salmon Toasts

• Quick and Easy: Ready in about 10 minutes of active prep time!
• Elegant Presentation: Looks beautiful and impressive with minimal effort.
• Delicious Flavor Combination: Salty smoked salmon, tangy cream cheese, bright lemon, and fresh scallions are a perfect match.
• No Cooking (Mostly!): Just toasting the bread - the rest is simple assembly.
• Versatile: Great as an appetizer, light lunch, or brunch item.

Ingredients for Cheesy Smoked Salmon Toasts

Here's what you'll need to make these easy and elegant toasts. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Main Components

• Smoked salmon (Fish)
• Slices of bread (Bread)
• Garlic clove (Aromatic)

Cream Cheese Spread

• Cream cheese (Dairy)
• Lemon juice (Acid)
• Salt (Seasoning)
• Fresh cracked pepper (Spice)

Garnish

• Chopped scallion (Vegetable)
• Black sesame seeds (Seeds)

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)

Variations

I love the classic simplicity of these Smoked Salmon Toasts, but here are some delicious variations:

• Add Capers: Sprinkle some capers over the cream cheese before adding the salmon for a briny kick.
• Fresh Dill: Add finely chopped fresh dill to the cream cheese mixture or sprinkle on top.
• Different Bread: Use rye bread, pumpernickel, sourdough, or mini bagels instead of standard bread slices.
• Everything Bagel Seasoning: Sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top instead of or in addition to sesame seeds.
• Avocado: Add a layer of thinly sliced or mashed avocado under the salmon.

How to Make Cheesy Smoked Salmon Toasts

Let me show you how incredibly simple it is to make these Smoked Salmon Toasts:

Toast Bread and Rub Garlic

1. First, I toast the bread slices. I can preheat my oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet, baking until toasted (about 5-7 minutes per side, flipping halfway), or I can simply use my toaster if it's more convenient!
2. I let the toasted bread slices cool completely.
3. Once cool, I rub one side of each toast lightly with a peeled garlic clove. This imparts a subtle garlic flavor without being overpowering.

Make the Cream Cheese Spread

1. While the toast cools, I prepare the cream cheese spread. In a small bowl, I combine the softened cream cheese and the fresh lemon juice.
2. I season it with salt and black pepper to taste and mix well until smooth.

Assemble the Toasts

1. I spread the lemon cream cheese mixture evenly onto the garlic-rubbed side of the cooled bread slices.
2. I top the cream cheese generously with the slices of smoked salmon.
3. Finally, I garnish the Smoked Salmon Toasts with chopped fresh scallion and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.
4. Serve!

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Smoked Salmon Toasts

Here are my secrets for making these simple toasts truly exceptional:

• Use Good Quality Smoked Salmon: The salmon is the star, so choose a good quality smoked salmon (like Nova lox or Scottish smoked salmon) you enjoy.
• Toast Bread Well: Ensure the bread is nicely toasted and crisp to provide a sturdy base and good texture contrast.
• Garlic Rub: Don't skip rubbing the toast with garlic! It adds a lovely subtle background flavor.
• Room Temperature Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese spreads much more easily.
• Garnish Just Before Serving: Add the scallions and sesame seeds right before serving for the freshest look and flavor.

How to Serve

These Cheesy Smoked Salmon Toasts are perfect served as:

• An Elegant Appetizer: Arrange them on a platter for parties, showers, or holiday gatherings.
• A Light Lunch: Serve one or two toasts alongside a simple green salad.
• Brunch: A fantastic addition to any brunch spread.
• A Sophisticated Snack: When you want something quick but a little bit fancy.

Serve immediately after assembling.

Make Ahead and Storage

These toasts are best assembled just before serving to maintain the crispness of the toast and the freshness of the toppings. However, you can prepare the components ahead:

• Toast Bread: Toast the bread up to a day ahead and store it in an airtight container at room temperature once completely cool.
• Cream Cheese Spread: Make the lemon cream cheese spread up to 2 days ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator. Let it soften slightly at room temperature before spreading. Assemble just before serving. Leftovers are not recommended as the toast will become soggy.

FAQs about Cheesy Smoked Salmon Toasts

• What kind of bread is best?
  • A sturdy bread works well. Baguette slices (crostini), rye bread, pumpernickel, or sourdough are all great choices. Even good quality white or whole wheat sandwich bread works if toasted well.
• Can I use flavored cream cheese?
  • Yes! A chive and onion cream cheese or a dill cream cheese would be delicious substitutes. Adjust other seasonings accordingly.
• Are wonton wrappers and egg roll wrappers the same?
  • (Referring back to a potential confusion from the previous recipe's notes) No, they are different! Egg roll wrappers (used in the Cherry Cheesecake Egg Rolls) are typically larger and thicker than wonton wrappers. Ensure you use the correct wrapper for the specific recipe. For these Smoked Salmon Toasts, you use regular bread slices.

Enjoy these quick, easy, elegant, and delicious Cheesy Smoked Salmon Toasts! They're a perfect appetizer or light meal.

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