These smoked salmon and lemon caper cream cheese blinis are everything you want in a canapé — elegant, bite-sized, and bursting with flavour. The zesty cream cheese with lemon and capers perfectly complements the silky smoked salmon, all atop a soft, fluffy blini. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party, planning a festive celebration, or simply looking for a sophisticated snack, these little bites are guaranteed to impress with minimal effort.
This combo is a classic for good reason. Blinis are the ideal soft-but-sturdy base for a multitude of toppings, but it’s hard to beat smoked salmon and cream cheese. I've just elevated the flavours in the cream cheese mixture.
They’re perfect for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or brunch buffets and afternoon tea spreads as they can be prepped ahead and assembled at the last minute.
Serve them on a platter with champagne or prosecco over the festive season, or with a nice crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.
Tips
- Optional variations:
- Horseradish and dill cream cheese – swap out the lemon and capers for horseradish and extra dill for a spicier edge.
- Avocado and salmon blinis – replace the cream cheese with mashed avocado with lemon juice.
- Mini pancake or oatcake canapés – use mini pancakes or oatcakes for a rustic twist.
- Vegetarian version – replace the salmon with roasted red peppers or beetroot.
- This smoked salmon and lemon caper cream cheese blinis recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes - you can make the cream cheese mixture and assemble the blinis up to 3 days in advance. Keep refrigerated and covered.
It’s best not to - smoked salmon changes texture after freezing. However, you can freeze plain blinis and make fresh toppings later.
Yes - they’re easy to make with flour, eggs, and milk — you can find many quick recipes online or make them in advance.
Yes - try prawns, crab, roast beef, or roasted vegetables with the same lemon caper cream cheese base.
They’re best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
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HOW TO MAKE THESE SMOKED SALMON AND LEMON CAPER CREAM CHEESE BLINIS
Ingredients
- 165g light cream cheese
- 10g dill, finely chopped, plus a few fronds to garnish
- zest from 1 unwaxed lemon, plus 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
- 16 cocktail blinis
Instructions
- Put the cream cheese in a bowl and gently fold in the chopped dill, lemon zest, a tsp of lemon juice and the chopped capers. Season, to taste, cover and chill until ready to use (up to 3 days).
- Heat the blinis according to pack instructions or use these guidelines:
- Air fryer – preheat the air fryer at 170C for 3 minutes. Place the blinis in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes at 170C.
- Oven – heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Place the blinis in a single layer on a baking tray and cook for 6 minutes.
- Grill – preheat the grill on high for 5 minutes. Place the blinis in a single layer and grill for 4 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Arrange the warmed blinis on a serving platter. Place a large dollop of the cream cheese mixture onto each blini (roughly a large tsp).
- Share out the pieces of smoked salmon onto each blini and garnish with dill fronds.
Serving Suggestions
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Smoked Salmon and Lemon Caper Cream Cheese Blinis
Equipment
Ingredients
- 165 g (5.8 oz) light cream cheese
- 10 g (0.3 oz) dill finely chopped, plus a few fronds to garnish
- zest from 1 unwaxed lemon, plus 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp capers roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100 g (3.5 oz) smoked salmon cut into small pieces
- 16 cocktail blinis
Instructions
- Put the cream cheese in a bowl and gently fold in the chopped dill, lemon zest, a tsp of lemon juice and the chopped capers. Season, to taste, cover and chill until ready to use (up to 3 days).
- Heat the blinis according to pack instructions or use these guidelines:
- Air fryer – preheat the air fryer at 170C for 3 minutes. Place the blinis in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes at 170C.
- Oven – heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Place the blinis in a single layer on a baking tray and cook for 6 minutes.
- Grill – preheat the grill on high for 5 minutes. Place the blinis in a single layer and grill for 4 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Arrange the warmed blinis on a serving platter. Place a large dollop of the cream cheese mixture onto each blini (roughly a large tsp).
- Share out the pieces of smoked salmon onto each blini and garnish with dill fronds.
Notes
- Optional variations:
- Horseradish and dill cream cheese – swap out the lemon and capers for horseradish and extra dill for a spicier edge.
- Avocado and salmon blinis – replace the cream cheese with mashed avocado with lemon juice.
- Mini pancake or oatcake canapés – use mini pancakes or oatcakes for a rustic twist.
- Vegetarian version – replace the salmon with roasted red peppers or beetroot.
- This smoked salmon and lemon caper cream cheese blinis recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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