This Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Appetizer with Dill is made with bite-size rounds of flaky puff pastry topped with whipped dill cream cheese, a curl of smoked salmon, and a sprig of fresh dill.

The pastry bakes up golden and crisp, and the cool, creamy topping goes on right before serving.

These bites are made for holiday parties, New Year’s Eve, bridal showers, and Christmas brunch.

You can bake the rounds a day ahead and top them in minutes.

I like serving them with a tray of pumpkin dough rolls stuffed with mushrooms for a mix of warm and cold appetizers.

If puff pastry and party bites are on your menu, these are worth saving:

Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Appetizer with Dill

Ingredients You’ll Need

Store-bought all-butter puff pastry gives the flakiest layers, so it’s worth looking for. A little sour cream in the cream cheese makes it light and easy to pipe.

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (about 8 to 9 oz)
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus small sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for topping
4 oz cold-smoked salmon, cut into strips
1 tablespoon capers, drained (optional)

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured counter and roll it gently to smooth out the creases.
Keep the pastry cold, because warm puff pastry won’t rise as high.
Cut out bite-size rounds with a 2-inch round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting.
Twisting seals the edges and keeps the layers from puffing.
You should get 16 to 20 rounds.
Place the rounds on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Prick the center of each one a few times with a fork, leaving the outer edge untouched.
This keeps the middle flatter so there’s room for the topping, while the edges rise into a crisp rim.
Brush the tops lightly with the egg wash, keeping it off the cut sides.
Egg wash on the edges glues the layers together and stops the rise.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed and deep golden brown.
If the centers puff up a lot, press them down gently with the back of a teaspoon while they’re still hot.
Let the rounds cool completely on a wire rack, about 20 minutes.
While the pastry cools, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, chopped dill, lemon juice, and pepper until smooth and fluffy.
Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a star or round tip.
A zip-top bag with the corner snipped works fine too.
Pipe a generous swirl of the cream cheese onto the center of each cooled pastry round.
Fold or twist a strip of smoked salmon on top of the cream cheese.
Finish with a small dill sprig, a crack of black pepper, and a caper or two if you like.
Serve right away while the pastry is crisp and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Keep the puff pastry cold. If it gets soft while you cut, slide it into the fridge for 10 minutes. Cold butter layers create the puff.
Don’t twist the cutter. Press straight down and lift. Twisting pinches the edges shut and the rounds bake up flat.
Dock the centers only. Pricking the middle stops it from puffing too much, so the topping has a place to sit.
Cool the pastry completely. Warm pastry melts the cream cheese and makes the bottoms soggy.
Assemble right before serving. The pastry stays crisp for about an hour once topped. After that, the cream cheese starts to soften it.
Bake ahead. Store baked, cooled rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Re-crisp at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes if needed, then cool before topping.
Make the topping ahead. The dill cream cheese keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it soften for 15 minutes before piping.
Store leftovers in the fridge. Topped bites keep for 1 day in a covered container, though the pastry softens.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Arrange the bites on a large platter with a few lemon wedges and extra dill. They’re best served cool, within an hour of topping.

Pair them with sparkling wine or a cucumber mint spritzer for a party tray.

Storage:

Keep the baked, untopped rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Store the cream cheese topping and salmon separately in the fridge. Once assembled, eat them within a day.

Customization:

Use a square cutter or cut the sheet into 2-inch squares if you don’t have a round cutter.

Mix a teaspoon of horseradish or grated garlic into the cream cheese for more bite. For a vegetarian option, top with cucumber ribbons and everything bagel seasoning instead of salmon.