Smoked Salmon (Lox) Tarts
These Smoked Salmon (Lox) Tarts are elegant, bite-sized pastries layered with velvety cream cheese, silky smoked salmon, and bordered with everything bagel seasoning — perfect for brunches, showers, or effortless entertaining.
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My thought on these little cute pastries – these look like they came from a bakery from NY, or all the way from Scandinavia if we’re going there. These are sure to end up on my next soirée menu!
Why You’ll Love These Lox Tarts
- Effortlessly Elegant – These tarts look beautiful and refined, yet they come together with a few simple ingredients you can get from any grocery store.
- Perfect for Entertaining – They can be baked ahead of time and assembled just before serving, making them ideal for brunch spreads, holiday gatherings, or cocktail parties when you have a bunch of other things that need to be lined up.
- Big Flavor in Every Bite – The combination of flaky pastry, velvety cream cheese, savory smoked salmon, and tangy pickled red onion delivers a wonderful balance of textures and flavors.
Ingredient Notes For Smoked Salmon Lox Tarts
- Puff Pastry: Store-bought puff pastry keeps this recipe simple. I use one sheet and gently roll it out with a rolling pin so it’s evenly flat, then I cut it into 9 equal pieces. You can also use pre-made mini phyllo shells for an even quicker option to minimize prep work.
- Smoked Salmon (Lox): Look for thinly sliced smoked salmon.
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat cream cheese gives the richest flavor and smoothest texture. Let it come to room temperature before adding to the tarts.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: A sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning on the borders of the tarts add a savory crunch and classic bagel-shop flavor with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and salt.
- Fresh Herbs (Dill and/or Chives): Fresh dill is classic with smoked salmon and adds bright, slightly grassy notes. Chives have a mild onion flavor without overpowering the tart. Chopped chives can be mixed into the room temperature cream cheese for a fun boost of flavor.
- Pickles Red Onion: Thinly sliced pickled red onions add a pop of color and a tangy bite that cuts through the richness of the cream cheese and salmon. You can use store-bought or quickly pickle your own with a little water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. You may also use diced fresh red onions, just don’t overdo it.
- Lemon Wedges: Serve with lemon wedges for guests to squeeze on top of their toasts, per preference.
- Optional Garnishes: Capers, cracked black pepper, or a tiny dollop of crème fraîche would also compliment the toasts well.
How to Make Smoked Salmon (Lox) Tarts
Score and bake the puff pastry tarts until golden and crisp, then let them cool completely for a few minutes. Use a piping bag to dispense the cream cheese into a ribbon pattern (or simply smear the cream cheese into the centers), then, top with delicate folds of smoked salmon, pickled red onion, capers, and finish with dill or chives. Enjoy!
If you love these tarts as much as I do, be sure to check out a few of my other favorite bites!
- Savory Breakfast Squares
- Triple Berry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Roasted Strawberry Whipped Ricotta Toast
- Mini Peach Brie Tarts
If you make these Smoked Salmon Tarts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I’d love to hear what you think about it, or better yet, see what you’re cooking! Tag me, @fettysfoodblog with your creation.
Smoked Salmon (Lox) Tarts
These Smoked Salmon (Lox) Tarts are elegant, bite-sized pastries layered with velvety cream cheese, silky smoked salmon, and bordered with everything bagel seasoning — perfect for brunches, showers, or effortless entertaining.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg (for the egg wash)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
- ⅔ cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 to 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
- ¼ cup pickled red onions
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon capers
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. If your baking sheets are medium/small in size, you may need to use two.
- Lay out the puff pastry sheet on a clean, lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to very gently roll out the puff pastry so it is flat. Don't over do it! Cut into 9 equal pieces and transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet.
- To score the pastry dough, use a knife to cut a shallow ½-inch border along the edges of each pastry square, making sure to not cut all the way through. This will help the edges rise when baking.
- Beat the egg and 2 tablespoons of water in a small dish. Brush the edges of the puff pastries with the egg wash. Sprinkle the edges with everything bagel seasoning. Place into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until edges of puff pastry are golden and crisp. Let pastries cool to room temperature before filling.
- Fill a piping bag or ziplock bag with the whipped cream cheese and cut the end off. Use the back of a spoon to push the centers of the puff pastry squares down to create room for the filling. Use the prepared cream cheese filled piping bag to fill each puff pastry square. I like to do a neat ribbon pattern but a simple fill will work just fine. You may also skip this step and use a spoon to smear the cream cheese into the centers. I find using a piping bag helps me evenly distribute the filling and makes the process cleaner.
- Layer the smoked salmon on top of the cream cheese layer. Top with pickled onions, fresh dill, and capers. Serve with lemon wedges.
