Cucumber afternoon tea sandwiches are a dainty, finger food, made with thin layers of sliced cucumber sandwiched between slices of soft buttered bread. Perfect for parties, High Teas, Afternoon teas, and one of the Queen’s favorite sandwiches!
Sandwiches for an English Afternoon tea are really quite special! Whenever there is a celebration, such as the King's Coronation, the United Kingdom goes wild, there are street parties, flags and bunting all hung up, and a chance for friends, family and strangers to get together and enjoy the moment over an afternoon tea.
The sandwiches often served are dainty, and light, which is a good thing because that means you can eat a variety of sandwiches without getting full up! Accompanied by various sweets and cakes, such as Millionaire's Caramel Shortbread, Strawberry Scones with jam and clotted cream, and of course, the obligatory Victoria Sponge Cake, aptly named after Queen Victoria.
Afternoon tea is often served with bone china cups and saucers, and everything is very elegant. You may have seen an afternoon tea served at The Ritz hotel in London, or even been fortunate to experience an afternoon tea there. It's all about sophistication, luxury, and dainty food.
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Afternoon tea is easy to make at home and at a fraction of the cost!
For this recipe, we've made a cucumber sandwich. The ingredients are straightforward, as is the recipe, and at the end, I've added links to a variety of other recipes you can make for your afternoon tea party too.
Ingredients
2 Slices Soft White Bread
2 Inches cucumber
1 Tablespoon Butter, softened
Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Remove the crusts from the bread
Butter each slice of bread
Thinly slice the cucumber so it is as thin as possible
Arrange the cucumber slices on one of the butter bread slices so they are slightly overlapping.
Season with salt and pepper
Place the other slice of bread on top
Slice into 3 even pieces so you have finger-shaped sandwiches.
Arrange upright on a serving plate
Can you make cucumber sandwiches ahead of time?
Cucumber sandwiches are best made just up to 3 hours ahead of time, keep them covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated.
What bread should I use for Tea Party Sandwiches?
Traditionally, the bread used is a soft, white bread with the crusts removed. You can use any bread, wholemeal, sourdough, seeded etc, just make sure the bread slices are thin and not thick cut so you still have the dainty size for finger food.
What other sandwiches / savory food can I make for an Afternoon Tea?
What sweets can I make to go with an Afternoon Tea?
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Cucumber Afternoon Tea Sandwiches
Cucumber afternoon tea sandwiches are a dainty, finger food, made with thin layers of sliced cucumber sandwiched between slices of soft buttered bread. Perfect for parties, High Teas, Afternoon teas and one of the Queen’s favorite sandwiches!
Ingredients
- 2 Slices Soft White Bread
- 2 Inches cucumber
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, softened
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Remove the crusts from the bread
- Butter each slice of bread
- Thinly slice the cucumber so it is as thin as possible
- Arrange the cucumber slices on one of the butter bread slices so they are slightly overlapping.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Place the other slice of bread on top
- Slice into 3 even pieces so you have finger-shaped sandwiches.
- Arrange upright on a serving plate
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 109Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 233mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
English Afternoon Tea Ideas
Here's a selection of delicious recipes you can make for an English Afternoon Tea
Coffee Walnut Sandwich Cake.
The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!
Easy Lemon and Poppyseed French Yogurt Cake. Lemon and poppyseed French yogurt loaf cake is soft and moist, an incredibly easy to make recipe, with poppyseeds throughout. A great tea time cake.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Tiffin is a delicious American twist on the classic British Tiffin chocolate snack, made up of peanut butter, jelly, crushed cookies, chocolate and raisins. An easy no bake sweet chocolate bar recipe.
Strawberry and Lemon Loaf Cake.
A deliciously soft and fluffy strawberry loaf cake bursting with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Flavourful, with a tender, soft texture. An easy, popular cake recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is a delicious dessert with fresh blueberries and a tangy, creamy lemon cheesecake filling on a crunchy cookie base. An easy no bake dessert.
Mini Almond Pastries.
These Mini Almond Pastries have a deliciously smooth, sweet, almond paste filling and are wrapped in crispy, light puff pastry. Quick and easy to make, and perfect for a tea time treat.
Classic English Cherry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Bara brith is a traditional Welsh tea bread flavored with tea, dried fruits and spices. Often served sliced with a spread of butter. Perfect as a tea time snack.
Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
Cream Filled Chocolate or Caramel Eclairs, easy to make and great for a tea party!
Easy lemon mousse recipe, a delicious creamy chilled dessert made with 3 basic ingredients, takes minutes to make and great for eating on it’s own or to use as a topping on cakes and trifles too!
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake.
Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.
Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Swirl. A delicious recipe bursting with sweet peaches and a tangy raspberry swirl running through. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends! If you are a fan of pound cakes and peaches, then this one is for you.
Lemon and poppyseed thins are a very thin, crisp, buttery cookie, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Hearts, a creamy no bake fruity cheesecake recipe using fresh strawberries in the filling and topping. A great dessert for Valentine's Day or a Summer party.
Strawberry and Lemon Angel Food Cake. Strawberry and lemon angel food cake is a light and fluffy sponge type cake, sandwiched with lemon whipped cream and fresh strawberries. An easy recipe for a no fat cake. The best homemade angel cake recipe, perfect for dessert
Easy Vanilla Slices. Creamy custard sandwiched between sheets of crispy puff pastry make for a nice chilled treat perfect for any occasion.
Sausage and Red Onion Chutney Rolls are so delicious! Easy to make, freezer friendly and great for snacks, lunchboxes and parties!
Spinach and Feta Galette, a delicious open pastry savory pie filled with Greek feta cheese creamy spinach and tomatoes, then baked until set. Great served warm or chilled.
Delicious Shrimp or Salmon Vol Au Vents, Mini Puff Pastry Cups. These are very easy to make and great for parties as canapes, appetizers, and snacks. Perfect to make ahead too!
Classic Lemon Tart, Tarte Au Citron.
A delicious tangy lemon tart, made from scratch using buttery pastry and filled with a creamy rich fresh lemon filling
Easy English Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British colonial recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.
Traditional English Tea Loaf
Delicious tea-soaked dried fruits fill this soft, moist, sweet bread. Traditionally served with a spread of butter alongside afternoon tea.
Coconut Tarts! These are a wonderful little tart, filled with a moist coconut egg custard filling. Great for the family and if you're making these for a party, be sure to make plenty! Freezer friendly too!
Classic English Scones.
Quick and Easy to make moist, light, and fluffy! Step by step instructions to make perfect scones. Serve for High Tea or Afternoon Tea
How To Make Orange Or Clementine Curd. Orange or clementine curd is a sweet, thick condiment, easy to make from scratch. Using just four ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly on your stovetop. Use it anything from scones for breakfast to desserts.
Classic English Rhubarb Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Classic English Strawberry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!