Delicious and surprisingly easy-to-make goat cheese and basil finger sandwiches topped with adorable prosciutto roses. These are perfect for parties and tea time. 

Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, and Basil Tea Sandwiches

Creamy goat cheese, salty prosciutto, sweet honey, and peppery fresh basil makes for a great flavor combination.

• Bite-sized, these mini sandwiches are easy to make.
• Easy-to-follow decorative rose made with prosciutto, an Italian ham. Sliced super thin, prosciutto is soft, a little salty, and buttery.
• Great for tea parties and as party appetizers.

RELATED: 15 Delicious Tea Sandwiches for Tea Parties

Tea Sandwich Basics

• Tea sandwiches are small sandwiches that can be eaten in 2-3 bites.
• They’re the first course in an afternoon tea.
• Usually made with the crust cut off to give it a clean, delicate appearance and making it easier to bite into.

Questions You May Have

What is prosciutto?
Prosciutto is a cured meat and looks raw but it’s completely safe to eat. It can take anywhere from nine months to a couple of years to cure prosciutto — it’s an artisanal product, so it’s not cheap.

Where can I buy it?
Prosciutto can be found pre-sliced in the deli section of the supermarket. Trader Joe’s has them pre-sliced and packaged for about $5 and there are about 8-10 slices per package. 

What cheese goes best with prosciutto in a sandwich?
Mozzarella cheese and goat cheese are my favorites but you really can’t go wrong with any Italian cheese.

What kind of tea pairs best with these tea sandwiches?
With rich flavors from the prosciutto and goat cheese, I would recommend an oolong or a black tea pairing. Try a roasted oolong tea like Formosa Oolong or a black tea like Ceylon. You can also pair with a black tea blend like Earl Grey.

Can I make these ahead of time?
Make the sandwiches the night before and cover with wax paper then a damp paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep the sandwiches from drying out too much.

Tea Sandwich Tips

• Frozen bread is neater to cut into than room temperature bread.
• Sandwiches are best when they’re made within a couple of hours of serving.
• Don’t serve the tea sandwiches cold if made the night before — leave them out for 15-30 minutes before serving.

How to Make It

To make 4 tea sandwiches, you’ll need:

• 4 prosciutto slices 
• 4 basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons goat cheese and honey combined
• 8 bread circles

STEP 1: Make prosciutto rose.

Fold a slice of prosciutto horizontally, twist it loosely, then roll in from one end. Gather at the bottom as you roll, letting the top flare out a bit so it looks like a rose. 

RELATED: Radish Rose Tea Sandwiches with Lemon Butter

See? Easy!

STEP 2: Combine goat cheese and honey.

In a small bowl, mix spreadable goat cheese and honey together.

I use spreadable goat cheese since it’s smooth, so it’s easy to spread onto the bread without tearing it.

STEP 3: Cut bread into circles.

I use round cookie cutters (usually the 2″) to get perfectly uniform sandwiches. 

I like to use either Pepperidge Farm white sandwich bread or very thin for tea sandwiches since they’re thinner than other white bread.

Pick a cookie cutter that can cut out two circles from one slice of bread.

STEP 4: Cut basil leaves into circles.

Cut circles out of washed and dried basil leaves. Pick leaves that are big enough to cut circles using your cookie cutter. 

RELATED: BLT Tea Sandwiches

STEP 5: Assemble the tea sandwich. 

From the bottom up: Bread, goat cheese, basil, goat cheese, bread, and then goat cheese again.

The top layer of goat cheese is to make sure the prosciutto rose stays in place.

Place the prosciutto rose on top.

It’s pretty…pretty tasty!