English Tea Sandwiches | Front Range Fed (2024)

Published: May 10, 2023 · Modified: Sep 4, 2023 by Sarah Jenkins. This post may contain affiliate links. See the Privacy Policy at the bottom of this page.

Traditional English Tea Sandwiches are a classic snack that can be served as an app or for afternoon tea. These three variations (cucumber, strawberry and radish) on the darling finger sandwiches are the perfect easy, no-fuss recipe for your next party.

Why I love these little tea party sandwiches

• These high tea sandwiches are great for parties! Mother's Day, baby showers or bridal showers are all great occasions to serve tea sandwiches. The perfect cold sandwiches for a crowd.
• Great make-ahead party sandwiches! If you are making these for a party, these are so easy to make ahead then chill until you’re ready to serve.
• Such a fun idea for a kids tea party. Break out your fine china (when else do you really use it anyway?) and make a lasting memory for your child by serving them these whimsical tea party sandwiches.
• Easy. The beauty of tea sandwiches is that they’re super easy (no baking involved) and use pretty minimal ingredients. You can whip these up in less than 15 minutes, likely using what you probably already have on hand.
• Customizable. Don’t limit yourself to cucumber, radish, and strawberry tea sandwiches. Feel free to use other veggies you like or already have. Mushrooms, roasted red peppers or even tomatoes would all be great!
• Open-faced! You can certainly make dainty double-bread sandwiches, but I love the ease of these open-faced tea sandwiches and how beautiful they look when on a serving platter. (They’re also easier to make!)
• Vegetarian. While I love a good ham or chicken tea sandwich, the ease of making these vegetarian tea sandwiches can’t be beat. Just slice your toppings and serve!

What are tea sandwiches?

Tea sandwiches (aka finger sandwiches) are small sandwiches or (closed or open-faced) that can be eaten in 2-3 bites. They’re a classic snack that’s often served with afternoon or high tea and can have all sorts of fillings. English tea sandwiches are a traditional, easy and elegant dish.

The beauty of these classic finger sandwiches is that you can get ultra creative when building them. They’re very easy to make (they’re just sandwiches after all), but depending on the filling, they can be as simple or complex as your heart desires.

Ingredients

This recipe makes three variations on a classic tea sandwich. All three use the same cream cheese base, but I added different toppings to create some different flavors and a gorgeous visual appearance when arranged on a platter. The beauty of this is that it’s essentially the same recipe, but with three different toppers, you get a variety of sandwiches with half the work!

You’ll likely have a lot of what you need for this tea sandwich recipe in your fridge or pantry.

• Cream cheese. A classic ingredient in tea sandwiches, cream cheese is mild enough to pair well with most ingredients and complements both sweet and savory flavors.
• Goat cheese. I added some goat cheese here to add a touch of tartness to the cheese base.
• Herbs. Dill and chives add some great herby flavor here.
• Pumpernickel bread. I love this dark brown bread for its earthy flavor. You could also use rye bread if you can’t find pumpernickel.
• English cucumbers. Is there anything more classic than cucumber tea sandwiches? This is the gold standard in tea sandwiches and is always a winner. Be sure to pick up English cucumbers, as they typically taste better and don’t have quite as tough of an outer skin.
• Radishes. The slight spiciness of radishes gives this version a bit of a bite.
• Strawberries. The cream cheese and strawberry tea sandwiches are perfect for a sweet ending to your afternoon tea!

How To Make Them

Making these darling finger sandwiches could not be easier.

1. Soften the cheeses. Make sure to let your cream cheese and goat cheese come to room temperature before combining - they’ll be much easier to mix and will also be easier to spread onto the bread.
2. Mix. Beat the two kinds of cheese, dill, and chives in a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer until well combined.
3. Spread. Spread the cheese and herb mixture evenly onto each piece of pumpernickel bread.
4. Layer. Thinly slice the cucumber, strawberries, and radishes. Arrange them in layers onto the bread (1 topping per piece of bread). I made 2 full pieces of bread with cucumbers, 2 with radishes, and 1 with strawberries.
5. Remove the edges. Classic tea sandwiches always have their crusts cut off. Using a sharp knife, cut off the edges of the bread to form rectangles.
6. Cut the tea sandwiches. Cut each piece of bread into thirds to create finger-length open-faced sandwiches.
7. Add some garnish. Top with extra dill and chives, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
8. Chill before serving. Cover the sandwiches with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

How Many Tea Sandwiches Should I Make For A Crowd?

When determining how many tea sandwiches to make per person, it sort of depends on the type of party you’re throwing. If it’s an intimate 4-5 person tea, I usually plan on each guest having 4-5 open-faced sandwiches. If this is an appetizer for a larger crowd, you could probably plan on 2-3 sandwiches per person.

Helpful Tips

• Use room-temperature cheese. It’s noted in the recipe, but letting your chees soften and come to room temperature makes it so much easier to spread the cheese across your bread. This is especially true if you end up using a softer bread like white sandwich bread.
• Cut them into thirds. Tea sandwiches are meant to be finger food and you should be able to eat them in 2 or 3 bites. Cutting them into thirds creates the perfect size for these adorable finger sandwiches.
• Cut off the crusts. It feels a little unnecessary, but cutting off the crusts of your tea sandwiches helps make them easier to eat. And, since you’re cutting them into thirds anyway, it makes them more uniform all the way around and gives them a dainty, sweet appearance.
• Use good bread. White bread is typically used in tea sandwiches, but I love using a really interesting pumpernickel or rye to add a bit more of an interesting flavor.
• Making ahead of time. As I mentioned, these are great for parties since you can make them ahead of time before your guests arrive. A couple of tips though:
  • Making them the day of. These are best served the day of, so if you’re assembling the whole thing, don’t make them more than 5-6 hours before you plan to serve them.
  • Making them 1-2 days ahead of time. On the other hand, you can prepare the cream cheese and herb mix 1-2 days in advance to save yourself some time. Just store the mix in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble your sandwiches.

Popular Variations

Cucumber tea sandwiches are probably the most popular tea sandwich, but there are other classics you can try too:

• Ham and mustard
• Ham and brie
• Egg salad
• Shrimp salad
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Chicken and chutney (mango is a popular choice)

There are about a million combinations out there, but the key is that these are light snacks (not really meant for a full meal), are typically served cold, are bite-sized, and usually have some layer of butter, cream cheese or a similar spread that helps to prevent the sandwiches from becoming soggy.

Have some other variations for tea sandwich ideas? Share them in the comments!

What to serve with tea sandwiches

Tea, obviously, but these mini sandwiches also go great with a mix of other light finger foods.

• Olives
• Cheese
• Crackers
• Sliced fruit or fruit salad
• Pickles
• Scones
• Cookies
• Mini tarts
• Muffins
• A light salad

These really go well with any small bite sized snack!

If you make these easy tea sandwiches, please let me know what you think in the comments below. And don’t forget to tag me with a pic @frontrangefed on Instagram so I can see your masterpiece!

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Recipe