Butterfly-Shaped Tea Sandwiches are perfect to make for spring and summer. I make these open-faced sandwiches for tea parties and luncheons.
I’m crazy about butterflies. I purposely plant flowers in my garden to attract them. And to celebrate spring and/or summer, I prepared a tray of tea sandwiches.
A tea sandwich is a dainty sandwich originally meant to be eaten at afternoon teatime to stave off hunger until the main meal. They are perfect for garden parties, bridal, and baby showers. I actually had a couple (or more) for lunch today.
I decided to make these sandwiches when I was going through my cookie cutter collection looking for a flower-shaped cutter. I’m so glad I found the butterfly first.
I’ve been collecting cookie cutters for years. I rarely use them to make cookies but they are wonderful when it comes to making tea sandwiches.
Ingredients For Butterfly Shaped Tea Sandwiches
- cucumber
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar (the water and vinegar are used to make a quick pickling juice for the cucumber)
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese (feel free to use low-fat)
- mayonnaise (I always use Duke)
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- thin bread slices
- Pimento stuffed green olives
How to Make Butterfly-Shaped Tea Sandwiches
The first step is soaking the cucumber slices in the vinegar/water mixture for 30 minutes. You’re basically quick pickling the veggies. The pickled cucumber adds a crispy zip to the cream cheese mixture.
Cut butterfly shapes with a cookie cutter. Spread with cream cheese mixture and add pickled cucumbers and olives. These open-faced sandwiches are so good and easy to make.
More Ideas for Pretty Cookie Cutter Sandwich
On patriotic holidays I like to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids just in case they are in the mood to eat what the grownups are having. I make the sandwiches like I normally do. Then I use a star cookie cutter to cut out a star in the top slice of bread.
The whole sandwiches are pretty and I don’t let the stars go to waste. I make tiny peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the stars.
You can use an animal cookie cutter to take a grilled cheese sandwich to the next level. Kids love animal-shaped sandwiches!
How about a teddy bear-shaped sandwich? You only need a round cookie cutter, a drinking glass or clean tuna can to cut the bread out.
Make a peanut butter sandwich. Add sliced bananas for the ears. Cut out a bowtie-shaped apple slice, and add raisins for the eyes. Add Nutella, another banana slice, and another raisin to complete the look.
Fish-shaped sandwiches are cute too. You’ll need blueberries, strawberries, and a slightly sweetened cream cheese mixture. Mix one 8 oz. package cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and teaspoon vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Butterfly-Shaped Tea Sandwiches
The sliced cucumber adds a nice crunch to these Butterfly-Shaped Tea Sandwiches. These are perfect to serve at a tea party.
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I always use Duke)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 24 thin slices of bread
- 12 pimento-stuffed olives
Instructions
- Cut cucumbers into thin slices. Place in a bowl and cover with water and vinegar. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain.
- In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, mayo, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Cut bread into butterfly shapes using a butterfly-shaped cookie cutter.
- Spread each butterfly-shaped bread slice with the cream cheese mixture.
- Cut one cucumber slice in half to form wings.
- Slice an olive in half and use the pimento for the antennae and place 1/2 olive for the body in between the wings.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 113Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 5mgSodium 180mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 3g
I used Pepperidge Farm very thin 100% whole wheat bread (40 calories a slice), but any thin bread will work.
These sandwiches may look dainty, but they pack a powerful punch of flavors. What’s your favorite party sandwich?
You May Also Like These Delicious Sandwiches
Pineapple-Shaped Tea Sandwiches with Pineapple Filling
Strawberry Shortcake Sandwiches
Grilled Cheese and Strawberry Chia Fruit Sandwich
Originally Published in March 2015 and updated in March 2021.
45 comments
I love cucumber tea sandwiches and the fact that you made them as butterflies is a double bonus! So adorable!
I love love tea sandwiches – although I always pig out and eat basically the entire tray! Going to have to make these for Florence then maybe she’ll actually eat her lunch!
I have to watch myself or I’ll eat the entire batch.
These are so adorable! I am going to try making them for S and see if I can get her to eat the cucumber. She always loves tea parties.
The quick pickling gives the cucumbers a little tang, so if she likes tangy, she’ll like these. 🙂
Okay, these are adorable. I can’t wait to play tea party with our little girl. I’m definitely pinning this for later! 🙂
Thanks, Logan! They are really easy to make AND eat. 🙂
Alli, these look so beautiful and yummy. I’ve never tried cucumbers with cream cheese. Very interesting combination.
You’ve got to try them! They are so delicious.
Our garden club has a grandkids day every summer and this would be perfect for their snack. Pinning!!
It would be perfect for a garden club and grandkids, Tammy.
My four year old would just love these. She has a thing for butterflies and she loves fancy little sandwiches. Thanks for sharing!!
That is such a cute idea. I am always cutting out shapes for my toddler to eat. I would love to make these for myself.
Oh, now you’re getting all Southern Belle on us! This brings back sweet memories of wedding showers and baby showers! We like our cucumbers sliced really thin for these tasty little sandwiches too. I love your butterfly shapes! Pinning to my Sandwich board.
Thanks, Shirley! We southerners can’t live without our little dainty sandwiches, can we?
Ali! I LOVE these super cute. Im a huge fan of tea sandwiches and these couldn’t be cuter!
Thanks, Krayl! They are so good. I’m off to check out your zesty pimento cheese. I’m CRAZY about pimento cheese.
Alli, these look yummy and beautiful. Cucumbers and olives with cream cheese, great combination.
They are so good and light, Anna, perfect for spring. We’re expecting a high of 81º here today. 🙂
I am sure the kids will not think twice to grab one of those, how cute! Making the food looks great is always a factor to entice picky eaters.
We do eat with our eyes, first, right? Thanks!
These look wonderful and I am sure that there are many different ways to make these. I can’t wait to give these a try. Thank you Alli
these are so cute! I love High Tea so these would be perfect for it!
I love these, how cute. Perfect for a brunch or even for kids and can make their own. I don’t like cream cheese so maybe I would do hummus on these instead. Thanks for the idea! 🙂
What a cute idea. I think these would be so fun in little ones lunches. I would enjoy them for tea!
We love teas at our house! These sandwiches are adorable…and yummy looking too. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
The pickling tip is a great one. I have not thought of that. So sweet and yet elegant too.
The butterfly sandwich looks so cool and would make great pick up meals for gatherings. It also looks really delicious.
Wow – you are so creative! My daughter does not like the bread corners and she will love it if I make these lovely butterflies for her 🙂
These are so creative for tea parties!! I never thought to use cookie cutters on sandwiches like this!
oh my goodness, what a cute idea!! I love going to tea parties, and throwing them, and I am totally going to make these at the next one!
Those are so cute! I love butterflies to begin with and would love to have a butterfly shaped cutter. I am so making these today.
Very creative presentation. This is one of those food that you won’t eat until you get the perfect picture. 🙂
These are really cute and it is very creative to make the sandwiches this way. It would be great for a small get together. Thanks for sharing.
That looks super amazing! I love cucumbers on a salad and this is an adorable shape to eat this!
This is probably the cutest sandwich ever! 🙂 And tasty. The ingredients remind me of a traditional tea sandwich.
It’s a really cute way to serve a sandwich. Bet even my teen would like this one, though she’d never admit it aloud. 😉
What an awesome idea! Why didn’t think of this? 😀 I have some metal cookie cutter that could go perfect for this. Thank you for sharing!
I want to throw a spring party now! How lovely these are!
That’s such a cute sandwich and perfect for a spring luncheon.
Wow !! It looks beautiful. I like the recipe so much. I can’t wait to try making this awesome recipe on later today. Especially looks gorgeous for the butterfly shape. Thanks for sharing the great recipe.
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