These Whole30 Cucumber Bites are healthy appetizers that are dairy free, gluten free, and paleo. It’s an easy recipe to take your entertaining to the next level, whether that be for a baby shower or the Super Bowl. Use these to get your veggies in!
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If you’ve ever done a January Whole30, you know that the Super Bowl comes just in time for your reintroduction. Which means you still need some Whole30 party food for the big game.
After doing several rounds of Whole30 myself, I know how annoying that can be. But I totally have you covered with these cucumber appetizers. They’re simple, delicious, and will make sure you’re not left out of the feeding frenzy.
If you need other Whole30 appetizer ideas, be sure and check out these sweet potato sliders, some super tasty bbq turkey meatballs, and these Instant Pot deviled eggs. Then during reintroduction this smoked salmon is a great option too. All of these are great for a hungry, sports-watching crowd!
What’s so great about cucumber bites?
I’ll be honest, I’m not always a huge fan of cucumber. Most of the time I could take it or leave it. But with these, I’m taking it every time. Here’s why.
- They’ve got great mouth appeal. And by that, I mean they’re juicy, salty, crunchy, and slightly sweet all at the same time. Both the flavor and the texture are working together here.
- They look fancy, but they’re really just 4 ingredients. It’s literally just tomatoes, prosciutto, cucumber, and aged balsamic vinegar. Very straightforward.
- It’s easy to transport. And by that I mean either from one house to another or from the fridge to the table. It’s served cold (or at room temp) so there’s no need to worry about keeping it warm – or having to ask to use someone’s oven to reheat it upon arrival.
- Worried about double dipping? Not with this appetizer. This cucumber finger food is already in single serving sizes, so people can just grab a hold of a toothpick and go.
Now before we get to the recipe, we’re going to cover how to make cucumber ribbons, which are how you see the cucumbers in the picture below.
How to Make Cucumber Ribbons
You’ll want to start out by pulling the items you’ll need. Get the meat and veggies out, then the platter and toothpicks. Set everything within reach if you can. First up is making the cucumber ribbons.
Cut the cucumber ribbons by placing a cucumber on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler to slice thin pieces off the cucumber, length-wise. Pick one end of the cucumber to start with then go all the way to the other end.
Keep making thin slices of cucumber until you start to see the seeds. You don’t want ribbons with seeds because they tend to get mushy.
Once you’re at that point, flip the cucumber over (so the flat part is facing down on the cutting board) and repeat the process on the other side. Do the same to the other two sides as well.
As you complete each ribbon, set it on a paper-lined plate to soak up any excess moisture out of the cucumber. Make sure to place them in a single layer and add multiple layers of paper towels depending on how many ribbons you have.
Danielle Rynd Yedinak
Taryn – I was looking through Pinterest for some Whole30 recipes for entertaining and saw this. I was loving the recipe and then loved even more that my sorority sister is the chef! So proud of you! Beautifully done! I’ll be making it tonight!
Taryn Solie
Aw, yay! I’m so glad you love the recipe and have found the site! Happy to have you making my recipes 🙂
Quinn
Can these be refrigerated?
Taryn Solie
Hi Quinn! These can be refrigerated, however the food may dry out a bit. If you’re thinking of doing them ahead of time and keeping them in the fridge (with plastic wrap draped on top) for a couple hours before serving them that should be fine, but I wouldn’t recommend making them the night before or anything. I hope that’s helpful!
Carol Ann Jackson
Why do you suggest not making the night before? How many days will they be good refrigerated before serving ?
Taryn Solie
Hi Carol,
I wouldn’t make these the night before as the proscuitto can dry out and the salt from it could make the cucumbers start to sweat (or become slimy). And I don’t know that they would still be good refrigerated for days before being served. If you’re wanting to do some prep work beforehand you could try cutting the tomatoes and storing them separately before assembling the cucumber bites, but the rest of it I would leave until at least the morning of, if not an hour or two before serving.
JSSP
Easy, peasy. I made thin cucumber slices to make it quicker and easier. Everyone loved it.
Taryn Solie
Love that adjustment to cucumber slices – sounds great!
Renee Willard
What could I use in place of the balsamic vinegar ? My family does not care for it.
Taryn Solie
Hi Renee! You can just omit the balsamic vinegar if your family doesn’t like it – it adds a slightly sweet pop of flavor but the cucumber bites are still good on their own.