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  • Five ingredients or fewer
  • Batch cooking

Smoked salmon and cream cheese rolls

Salmon rolls filled with creamy dill, topped with pickles and parsley, arranged neatly on a dark plate. Vibrant and appetizing.

By Tom · Updated

Jump to recipe
  • About 2 hours 15 min
  • Takes a bit of care

Learn how to make these smoked salmon & cream cheese rolls. Perfect for parties, buffets, Christmas canapés, or an easy make-ahead starter. This simple recipe combines creamy herb filling with rich smoked salmon, rolled up and sliced into beautiful bite-sized pieces.

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The recipe

Smoked salmon and cream cheese rolls

Learn how to make these smoked salmon & cream cheese rolls.

  • 15 min prep
  • Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Quantities
Measurements

Ingredients

Optional toppings

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

Prepare the filling

  1. Step 1

    Finely dice the 2 pickled gherkins (2 gherkins) into 1.5-2mm pieces.

  2. Step 2

    Finely dice the 2 shallots (2) to match the size of the gherkins (2 gherkins).

  3. Step 3

    Roughly chop a small handful of parsley (including tender stalks if you like).

  4. Step 4

    Place 250g cream cheese (250 g) into a mixing bowl.

  5. Step 5

    Add the diced gherkins (2 gherkins), diced shallots (2), and chopped parsley.

  6. Step 6

    Add the zest of one lemon and a few cracks of black pepper. No salt needed, the salmon (170 g) and cream cheese (250 g) are already salty.

  7. Step 7

    Mix everything together until fully combined.

  8. Step 8

    Transfer the mixture into a piping bag.

Prepare the smoked salmon sheet

  1. Step 1

    Lay a sheet of parchment/greaseproof paper on your work surface.

  2. Step 2

    Arrange the smoked salmon (170 g) slices on top, slightly overlapping each slice to form one even layer.

  3. Step 3

    Place another sheet of parchment on top.

  4. Step 4

    Gently roll over the salmon (170 g) with a rolling pin to compress and flatten the slices.

Fill and roll

  1. Step 1

    Remove the top sheet of paper.

  2. Step 2

    Cut a large opening on your piping bag.

  3. Step 3

    Pipe a thick line of the cream cheese (250 g) filling across the center of the salmon (170 g) sheet.

  4. Step 4

    Use the parchment paper to help lift one side of the salmon (170 g) over the filling and press gently.

  5. Step 5

    Fold the paper back and repeat with the other side, enclosing the filling.

  6. Step 6

    Wrap the parchment around the roll and gently roll it to form a tight, even cylinder.

  7. Step 7

    Twist and tighten the paper at both ends.

Chill for clean slices

  1. Step 1

    Place the wrapped roll in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours.

  2. Step 2

    It should be firm but not fully frozen, just solid enough to slice neatly.

Slice and serve

  1. Step 1

    Remove the roll from the paper.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a sharp knife by dipping it into a jug of hot water.

  3. Step 3

    Wipe the knife dry and trim the ends.

  4. Step 4

    Between each cut, warm the knife again in the water and wipe clean.

  5. Step 5

    Slice into rounds of your preferred thickness.

  6. Step 6

    Place onto a serving board or plate.

  7. Step 7

    Garnish with fresh herbs, lemon zest, diced gherkin (2 gherkins), or caviar if desired.

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Questions people ask

How long does smoked salmon and cream cheese rolls take?

About 2 hours 15 min from start to finish. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How much does this make?

The original recipe did not state a yield, so nothing has been invented for it. The scale control on the recipe card multiplies the quantities instead, which is the honest version of the same thing.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Can I cook it ahead?

This one sits in the batch cooking group, which means it was picked for cooking in quantity rather than eaten straight from the pan. Cool it quickly, and freeze it in the portion sizes you will actually want later.