Bring the flavors of a classic deli breakfast to your home with this recipe for smoked salmon cream cheese bagels. Perfect for brunch, a light lunch, or even a savory snack, this easy-to-make dish combines the rich creaminess of cream cheese with the delicate, smoky flavor of salmon. Add fresh herbs and toppings to elevate your bagels to gourmet status.
Salmon Cream Cheese Bagels
Whenever I hit the bagel shop, I have two standard orders: Either toasted bagel with chive cream cheese, or my favorite —> toasted bagel with salmon cream cheese. Whether it’s lox, gravlax, smoked salmon, or this salmon cream cheese spread, I LOVE the savory, smoky but mellow fish flavor of salmon and tangy cream cheese on my bagels.
Years of ordering salmon creamy cheese bagels out taught me the simple essentials of making them at home. One of my favorite at-home brunch ideas is setting up a no-fuss, DIY bagels and lox bar, with mimosas, bloody mary’s, and plenty of bagel building-options to choose from.
This salmon cream cheese is a terrific spread for the bagel bar, but it’s also awesome to keep in the fridge for mini bagels and a quick weekday breakfasts or a fast-to-make cure for the afternoon hangries.
What’s In Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Whipped cream cheese
- Poached salmon, baked salmon, or grilled salmon. Or buy canned or salmon in a pouch and drain it well.
- Capers
- Fresh dill (dried dill can be substituted)
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Bagels of your choice.
How to Make Salmon Cream Cheese Bagels
Choose your favorite bagels. I like to pair savory bagels with this cream cheese spread. Choose full size, thin, or mini sized sesame, garlic, asiago, plain, or everything bagels.
Cook the salmon, use up leftovers, or drain canned salmon well. Use sockeye, pink, king, or Alaskan salmon in this recipe. Grill it, bake it, or poach it. Or, use a canned salmon that tis drained really well so the cream cheese isn’t watery.
Mix the cream cheese spread. Because it’s super easy to mix and has a lighter consistency, I like whipped cream cheese in my spread. But, totally go with regular block cream cheese if that’s what you prefer. A lighter, lower calorie neufchatel cheese is a good substitute too.
Toast the bagels lightly. Or, if serving for a crowd, place 4-6 bagels on a baking sheet, sliced side up, and broil in the oven for 3-4 minutes.
Make the cream cheese ahead of time and save for later. The cream cheese mixture will last for 1 week to 10 days in the refrigerator.
Salmon Bagel Toppings
Switch things up with different tastes by customizing the fixings on mini bagels topped with the savory salmon cream cheese.
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced cucumber
- Red onion
- Capers
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Avocado
- Fresh dill or tarragon
- Pickled onions
Salmon Cream Cheese Bagels
Ingredients
- For the Salmon Cream Cheese
- 12 ounces plain whipped cream cheese
- ¾ cup chopped cooked salmon or canned salmon , drained well
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons capers minced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the Bagels
- 12 mini bagels
- tomato slices
- sliced red onion
- capers
- everything bagel seasoning
- fresh dill
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, salmon, dill, capers, garlic powder and kosher salt until well blended.
- If desired, toast the bagels or serve untoasted. Spread with salmon cream cheese, and dress with your favorite toppings like tomato, red onion, capers, everything bagel seasoning and dill.
