Easy Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
on Sep 09, 2018, Updated May 24, 2022
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Classic cucumber tea sandwiches made easy, delicious, and completely adorable. Get step-by-step directions on how to make these simple and elegant finger sandwiches. They’re perfect for tea time!
Easy Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
A cucumber sandwich is a tea time classic. Different versions are often found in afternoon tea menus.
Traditionally, the dainty and crustless tea sandwich features thin cucumber slices layered between slices of buttered white bread.
Cucumber tea sandwiches are perfect for tea time to be served with a pot of tea. They’re great as appetizers for parties or as an after school snack for kids.
RELATED: 24 Best Tea Sandwiches
Recipe Highlights
- This cucumber tea sandwich is made with chive butter, decorated with a thin cucumber slice, and held together with a cocktail fork.
- A round cookie cutter is used to make perfectly neat and crustless edges.
- Like all tea sandwiches, it’s sized to be eaten in 2-3 bites.
- The recipe makes 4 sandwiches, but you can double or triple the ingredients as needed.
RELATED: BLT Tea Sandwiches
Ingredient Notes
- White bread: Pepperidge Farm’s Very Thin White Bread or their White Sandwich Bread are great for making tea sandwiches.
- English cucumber: Wrapped individually in plastic, the English cucumber has little seeds and a thin skin, making it the ideal cucumber for dainty tea sandwiches.
- Butter: Use a rich, creamy salted butter.
- Chives: Fresh chives are ideal but if you don’t have it, you can use dried chives or leave it out completely.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make chive butter by mixing chopped chives and salted butter.
Set aside.
Step 2: Slice cucumber into two different thicknesses. Blot using paper towels. Use a mandoline slicer to cut cucumber into two sizes, four slices at 1/8″ and four slices at the thinnest setting so that it’s paper thin.
Step 3: Find a round cookie cutter that’s the same size as the sliced cucumber.
Step 4: Cut circles out of the bread using the cookie cutter.
Step 5: Assemble tea sandwiches.
Spread a thin layer of chive butter on the top side of the bread, add a slice of the 1/8″ cucumber, then top with a piece of bread that buttered on the side that faces the cucumber. Next, loosely fold the thin cucumber slice in half and skewer it in place with a cocktail fork.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Expert Tips
- To make 4 cucumber tea sandwiches, you’ll need 4 cucumber slices, 4 paper thin cucumber slices, and 8 bread circles.
- The circumference of your cucumber will decide how big your tea sandwiches will be. I use a round cookie cutter set so can I try several sizes to see which one fits the cucumber best. The cookie cutter doesn’t need to be exactly the size of the cucumber, but try to find the closest match.
- To prevent the bread from getting soggy, make sure to pat the cucumber slices dry and butter each side the cucumber touches the bread.
- The chive butter creates a layer between the cucumber and the bread to keep the bread from getting soggy.
- Chive butter should be made with soften butter. It makes it easy to mix in the chives and to spread it on the bread.
- Kitchen scissors makes it easy to cut the fresh chives into little tiny bits.
- You can use whatever kind of bread you like, but make sure it is pillowy soft which contrasts nicely with the crunch from the cucumber.
- The worst cucumber sandwiches are slimy ones. You can prevent this by placing the sliced cucumbers on paper towels and blotting them to get them dry.
- Cut frozen bread if you want cleaner cuts on your tea sandwiches.
Questions You May Have
English cucumbers are best since they have fewer seeds than other cucumbers and have thinner skin, which means you don’t have to peel them. They’re sold individually, wrapped in plastic.
Cucumber sandwiches are the toughest to make ahead since the cucumber can easily lose its crunch. I would recommend prepping all the items separately the night before and assembling the morning of. Store the sliced cucumber and bread circles in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Use wax paper and a damp paper towel on top to keep the bread from drying out.
Cucumber sandwiches are light and mild, so any tea will pair well, from white tea to black tea. I would recommend a classic like Earl Grey or a green tea like genmaicha.
Related
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- Difference Between Afternoon Tea and High Tea
- Afternoon Tea Course Order
- How to Eat a Scone Properly
- Afternoon Tea at The Plaza NYC
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Easy Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 slices white bread
- ¼ English cucumber
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Make chive butter by mixing chopped chives and butter. Set aside.
- Slice cucumber. Blot cucumber slices with paper towels.The cucumber needs to be cut into two different thicknesses. Use a mandoline slicer to cut cucumber into 2 sizes, 4 slices at 1/8" and 4 slices at the thinnest setting so that it's paper thin. After slicing the cucumbers, place them flat on paper towels and blot to make sure they're dry.
- Find a round cookie cutter that's the same size as the sliced cucumber.
- Cut circles out of the bread using the cookie cutter.Avoid cutting the crust. Cut 8 bread circles.
- Assemble tea sandwiches.Spread a thin layer of chive butter on the top side of the bread, add a slice of the 1/8" cucumber, then top with a piece of bread that buttered on the side that faces the cucumber. Next, loosely fold the thin cucumber slice in half and skewer it in place with a cocktail fork.
Video
Notes
- To make 4 cucumber tea sandwiches, you’ll need 4 cucumber slices, 4 paper thin cucumber slices, and 8 bread circles.
- The circumference of your cucumber will decide how big your tea sandwiches will be. I use a round cookie cutter set so can I try several sizes to see which one fits the cucumber best. The cookie cutter doesn’t need to be exactly the size of the cucumber, but try to find the closest match.
- To prevent the bread from getting soggy, make sure to pat the cucumber slices dry and butter each side the cucumber touches the bread.
- The chive butter creates a layer between the cucumber and the bread to keep the bread from getting soggy.
- Chive butter should be made with soften butter. It makes it easy to mix in the chives and to spread it on the bread.
- Kitchen scissors makes it easy to cut the fresh chives into little tiny bits.
- You can use whatever kind of bread you like, but make sure it is pillowy soft which contrasts nicely with the crunch from the cucumber.
- The worst cucumber sandwiches are slimy ones. You can prevent this by placing the sliced cucumbers on paper towels and blotting them to get them dry.
- Cut frozen bread if you want cleaner cuts on your tea sandwiches.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I don’t like chives, so I use cream cheese, fresh dill and lemon zest and juice. Everyone loves it!
I can’t the taste of chives or cream cheese, what else could I use?
Hi Ashley, you can just use softened butter instead of chives and cream cheese.
I use rye bread, cream cheese mixed with a package of the dry hidden valley salad & dip mix!
Hi Pat, nice twist to a classic!
I’ve made these and added lavender buds and lemon zest. The ladies we do tea parties for love them
Hi Gale, love the variation! Sounds lovely!
I gave this recipe a try with what I had at home. I used unsalted butter and added some salt and used a bit of cream cheese. I loved it!!! Thanks a lot.
Hi Kika, oooh, nice addition with the cream cheese!
What are the quantities/measurement for each ingredient?
Hi Alicia, I’ll be reworking this this fall so it shows the quantities for each ingredient. As of now, it’s an afternoon tea sandwich idea.
Your Cucumber Tea Sandwiches was a great hit at my Christmas Tea Party! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Gail, I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!! What a lovely idea to have a Christmas Tea Party!
I’m trying this for a wine party I’m having…will update!
Hi Jule, oooh, perfect for a wine party! Let me know how everyone liked the tea sandwich!
Unsalted butter works just as well. (I made this today!) The chives give such a great flavor in combination with the cucumber, you may not miss the taste of salt at all!
Hi Jeni, happy to hear it turned out well! Good to know about the unsalted butter.
Love the idea of tea sandwiches, however I’m not a fan of butter. I substituted cream cheese instead. Worked wonderfully. Rave reviews.