Get ready to impress with these EASY vegan finger tea sandwiches for your next afternoon tea party. With 5 fillings choices, there’s plenty to choose from!
Why You Will Love These Vegan Finger Sandwiches
Ingredients
First of all, you do NOT need to make all 5 fillings! I think 3 provides enough variety without overwhelming you with all the ingredients so that’s a good start!
- Whole wheat bread: Nutritious base for all your sandwiches.
- You can also use regular white bread if you prefer.
- (Vegan) cream cheese: Smooth and creamy spread. Opt for plant-based ones if you’re vegan!
- Cucumber: Fresh and crisp slices for the classic cucumber tea sandwiches!
- Dill: Aromatic herb that adds a burst of flavor.
- Chives: Mildly onion-flavored herb for a subtle kick.
- Radish: Peppery and crunchy addition.
- Vegan pesto: Flavorful spread made from basil and nuts.
- Roasted pepper: Sweet and smoky vegetable strips.
- I use store-bought roasted red peppers in jars, but feel free to roast them on your own!
- Hummus: Rich and creamy chickpea spread.
- You might want to DIY your hummus using my 5-minute hummus recipe!
- Cherry tomatoes: Juicy and sweet mini tomatoes.
- Red onion (optional): Adds a sharp, tangy flavor.
- Coronation chickpeas: A vegan spin to the British classic. I made my vegan coronation chicken sandwich filling using my 10-minute recipe!
Step-by-step Instructions
These vegan tea sandwiches are super simple. I honestly think you would be able to figure out how to make this just by looking at the photos below, but in any case, here’s a short explanation!
Filling 1: Cucumber and Cream Cheese
Spread vegan cream cheese, add cucumber slices, sprinkle dill and chives, then top with another bread slice. Slice off the crust and cut into 3 long sandwiches. Enjoy your vegan cucumber sandwiches!
The dill and chives are there so you get that herbed cream cheese taste, but feel free to skip and use store-bought herbed cream cheese instead!
Filling 2: Radish and Cream Cheese
Spread vegan cream cheese, add radish slices, sprinkle dill and chives, then top with another bread slice.
Filling 3: Pesto and Roasted Pepper
Spread vegan pesto, add your roasted pepper, and then top with another slice.
Filling 4: Hummus and Tomatoes
Spread hummus, add cherry tomato halves and optional red onion slices, then top with another slice.
Filling 5: Coronation Chickpeas
Spread your coronation chickpeas filling, then top with another slice.
Once you’re done, use a serrated bread knife to slice off the crust. We are not going to serve the crust but you can keep them as snacks to be served with dips, or to be incorporated into other recipes!
Then slice each bread into 3 long slices. And enjoy your vegan/vegetarian tea sandwiches!
Top Tips
- Dry the Veggies: Pat the cucumber, radish, and tomatoes dry with a kitchen towel to prevent the sandwiches from becoming soggy.
- Proper Bread Knife: Use a serrated bread knife cut the sandwiches. With a regular chef’s knife, it’s way easier to accidentally squash the bread!
- Use Soft Bread: Choose soft, whole wheat, sandwich bread, NOT artisan bread which tends to be harder.
- Mix and Match: Mix and match the spread and the vegetables that sound good to you until you find your favorite pairings!
What is the difference between a tea sandwich and a finger sandwich?
Tea sandwiches and finger sandwiches are essentially the same in terms of ingredients but differ in their shape.
Finger sandwiches have a long and slim rectangular shape, while tea sandwiches can also be cut into squares, triangles, or circles. Of course, finger sandwiches are a type of tea sandwich, but not all tea sandwiches are finger sandwiches!
Serving Suggestions
For a full vegan/vegetarian afternoon tea party selection, serve this with my Weetabix cake.
Or try either my Chocolate Chip Baked Oats, or my Healthy Baked Oats for flavors like matcha, cinnamon apple, peanut butter & jam, brownie, and mixed berries. Baked oats are basically a healthier version of cake so they’re great to include in tea parties!
More Vegan Sandwich Fillings Ideas!
- Avocado and cream cheese, similar to my avocado bagel recipe
- Hummus and olives, similar to my hummus bagel recipe
- Roasted pepper and hummus
- Sauteed mushroom and spinach
- Chickpea tuna
- Sticky tempeh slices and avocado
- Raspberry chipotle and cream cheese
- Vegan cheese with Dijon mayo, or my spicy Calabrian aioli
How do you keep finger sandwiches fresh for a party?
After assembling, wrap the sandwiches tightly in plastic cling wrap to prevent them from drying out. You can also apply a thin layer of vegan butter or cream cheese on the bread to act as a moisture barrier.
Storing them in the fridge overnight, however, is always risky as your bread might get stale or soggy. Therefore, just prepare and slice all the ingredients the night before, and only assemble on the day itself for the freshest taste.
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Storage: Vegan finger sandwiches are best enjoyed fresh, so I do NOT recommend making them in advance.
However, if there are leftovers, wrap them in cling wraps and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. The cling wrap will prevent the bread from drying out.
After refrigeration, you can eat them as is, or you can turn them into mini toasts by baking them in the oven or air fryer for 2 minutes at 200°C/390°F!
Meal Prep: As above, I recommend assembling these vegan afternoon tea sandwiches fresh just before consumption. However, you can already chop the ingredients and make your coronation chickpeas in advance to save time later!
Freezing: Please do NOT freeze these vegetarian finger sandwiches as the texture of the bread and fresh veggies will change.
FAQ
Want More Delicious Vegan Snacks?
Try my kimchi sushi, shiitake mushroom sushi, or asparagus sushi rolls! Or my 15-minutes spicy instant noodle spring rolls for a fun recipe!
Prefer something sweet? Then try my chocolate covered peanut clusters, chocolate covered grapes, or Nutella mochi!
Vegan Finger / Tea Sandwiches for Tea Party (5 Ways!)
Ingredients
- 10 slices whole wheat bread 2 slices for each variation
Filling 1: Cucumber and Cream Cheese
- 2-3 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 9 thin slices cucumber
- ½ teaspoon chopped dill
- ½ teaspoon chopped chives
Filling 2: Radish and Cream Cheese
- 2-3 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 1.5 radish thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon chopped dill
- ½ teaspoon chopped chives
Filling 3: Pesto and Roasted Pepper
- 1.5 Tablespoons vegan pesto
- 1 large roasted red bell pepper
Filling 4: Hummus and Tomatoes
- 2-3 Tablespoons hummus
- 5 cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ small red onion sliced (optional)
Filling 5: Coronation Chickpeas (measurements below are for 4 regular coronation chickpea sandwiches)
- 1 can chickpeas 400 grams before draining, 240 grams after draining or sub with cooked vegan chicken, tofu, or tempeh
- 4 Tablespoons mayo see notes below for my 3-minute vegan oil-free mayo recipe
- 2 Tablespoons mango chutney
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3 Tablespoons raisins
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 Tablespoon almond flakes optional
- coriander optional but recommended to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper optional but recommended to taste
Instructions
Options 1 and 2: Cucumber/Radish and Cream Cheese
- Spread the cream cheese on one of the bread slices, or on both.
- Add the sliced cucumber/radish on top. Then sprinkle with dill and chives.
- Top with the other slice of bread. Use a bread knife to slice off the crust, then cut each sandwich into 3 finger sandwiches.
Option 3: Pesto and Roasted Pepper
- Spread the pesto on one slice of bread.
- Slice each roasted pepper into two wide strips. Then place each strip on top of the pesto bread slice.
- Top with the other slice of bread. Use a bread knife to slice off the crust, then cut each sandwich into 3 finger sandwiches.
Option 4: Hummus and Tomatoes
- Spread the hummus on one of the bread slices, or on both.
- Add the cherry tomatoes on top.
- Top with the other slice of bread. Use a bread knife to slice off the crust, then cut each sandwich into 3 finger sandwiches.
Option 5: Coronation Chickpeas
- Make the coronation chickpeas filler by following my vegan coronation chicken recipe (link below in the Notes section).
- Spread the coronation chickpeas fillings on one side of the bread.
- Top with the other slice of bread. Use a bread knife to slice off the crust, then cut each sandwich into 3 finger sandwiches.
Notes
- Get my 10-minute vegan coronation chicken recipe here.
- Get my 3-minute oil-free mayonnaise here.
- For the step-by-step process shots, tips, tricks, serving suggestions, storage instructions, and other info, please read the post above. I promise it’s worth your time!
I made this recipe along with the coronation chickpeas recipe. Great to have the 5 options for the fillings!