30 Delicious Finger Sandwich Recipes

What Is a Finger Sandwich?

For the purpose of this list of recipes, I've defined a finger sandwich as any sandwich made with two whole slices of bread but trimmed and cut into 4 smaller portions.

I bent the rule and did include a few mini biscuit and mini croissant recipes, but the entire point of serving finger sandwiches is that your guests can have a variety of flavors with just small sampler bite sizes.

When to Serve Finger Sandwiches

Finger sandwiches make a great party platter for many festive occasions. They would be well received as part of a menu for these special events:

• Tea Party
• Special Brunch
• Mother's Day
• Baby Shower
• Wedding Shower
• Kentucky Derby Party
• Birthday Party
• Royal Themed Party: Fun for movie night or watching a coronation or royal wedding!
• New Year's Eve

But the truth is, a finger sandwich could even make a very easy lunch for the family during summertime. Kids love the bite-sized portions and variety.

How Many Finger Sandwiches to Make

Plan to make at least one whole normal-sized sandwich per person but once cut into smaller finger sandwiches, you can add variety by making different kinds of sandwiches.

If you're careful to choose finger sandwiches that have similar ingredients or things you might already have in your fridge, you could easily just make 1 whole sandwich per recipe and slice it into 4 servings.

Mix and match 4 different sandwich recipes for a simple variety on your sandwich platter.

The Best Bread for Finger Sandwiches

An easy way to add variety to your sandwich tray is to use different kinds of breads to make the sandwiches.

Look for differences in shape, texture, and flavor but generally softer breads work much easier with the typical finger sandwich fillings.

My favorite breads include:

• Soft White Bread or Butter Bread
• Country Style Oatmeal with Soft Crusts
• Raisin Swirl Bread
• Mini Croissants from the Bakery Department
• Southern Style Biscuits: I found an amazing package of them in the freezer section of my grocery store. Be sure to check the freezer aisle for more options.

When you have a lot to do for a party, store bought bread is a great option.

However, the BEST bread to use for sandwiches is fresh and homemade. You can find 50 easy recipes in The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook that would be amazing for any of the sandwiches on this list.

How to Assemble the Finger Sandwiches

The basic assembly instructions are very similar from sandwich to sandwich.

First, take two pieces of bread and lay them open next to each other.

Spread both pieces of bread with the dressing (mustard, mayo, pesto, flavored butter, cream cheese, etc.) that you're using for your recipe.

The next step is very important:

The fillings you use should be laid as evenly as possible from edge to edge of the bread so that when you cut it into finger sandwiches, every bite has a taste of the fillings.

Notice how I laid the tomatoes evenly across the bread? The sliced cheese was too small to cover the bread completely but if I had used two slices, they would overlap and be thicker in one area.

Instead, I broke a second slice in half and laid it over the open part of the bread so that it is even all the way across.

Fold the sandwich slices together and gently press it together with your hands.

Fancy Party Trick:

Use a chef knife or a serrated bread knife to cut the crusts from all four sides of the sandwich. If you're just making lunch for the family, you could skip this step.

How to Cut the Sandwiches

Slice the remaining rectangle into:

1. 4 even fingers (shown above)
2. 2 squares and cut each square into 4 triangles

Make Ahead Tips

You can prep several finger sandwiches ahead of your party by up to 6 hours. Longer than that and the bread will likely become soggy.

As you prep the sandwiches, you can line them up neatly on a clean baking sheet. Cover the finished sandwiches in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you're ready to serve them.

The fanciest way to present your finger sandwiches is on a tiered sandwich tray.

Place them in clusters of similar sandwiches together, don't mix them all up. This makes it easier for your guests to find the ones they love.

If you have a large event, you may want to have savory finger sandwiches on one tiered tray and sweet or fruity finger sandwiches on another tray.

1. Raisin Bread Fingers

Spread whipped cream cheese on raisin bread. Form a sandwich and trim into finger sandwiches. You could add thin slices of deli turkey for some protein or spread strawberry jam for a sweet sandwich.

2. Cucumber Dill Sandwiches

Spread whipped cream cheese on white bread. Layer thinly sliced cucumber and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle minced fresh dill over the top. Form a sandwich, trim the crusts, and cut into squares.

3. Tomato Cheddar Bites

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on white bread. Layer thinly sliced tomato, sliced cheddar cheese, and top with microgreens. Form a sandwich, trim the crusts and cut into triangles.

4. Turkey, Swiss and Apple Triangles

Spread softened butter and Dijon mustard on oatmeal bread. Fill with deli turkey, sliced Swiss cheese and thinly sliced green apple. Form a sandwich, trim the crusts and cut into triangles.

5. Ham, Havarti and Pear Sandwiches

Spread Dijon mustard on whole wheat bread. Layer with deli ham, thinly sliced havarti cheese, and thinly sliced pear. Form a sandwich, trim the crusts and cut into triangles.

This also makes an incredible grilled ham and havarti sandwich with just a couple more ingredients.

6. Mini BLT Sandwiches

Make classic BLT sandwiches with bacon, lettuce, and tomato but use small diameter roma tomatoes and break the bacon into smaller pieces so you can easily form small finger sandwiches.

7. Roast Beef Horseradish Sandwiches

Spread horseradish sauce on rye cocktail bread. Top with thin slices of deli roast beef and thinly sliced tomato. Thinly sliced cucumbers would also be delicious. Form a sandwich, trim the crusts, and cut into triangles.

You could also offer open face roast beef crostini for added color to your finger sandwich platter.

8. Pesto Chicken 

Mix 1 tablespoon pesto with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brush the pesto sauce on slices of fresh Italian bread. Add sliced deli chicken and thinly sliced tomatoes. Form a sandwich but this time keep the crispy crusts for texture. Cut into fingers.

You could also use my prepared chicken pesto sandwich filling and instead of prepping it on big sandwich buns, spread it on open face crostini instead.

9. Caprese Finger Sandwiches

Layer sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil on a focaccia that has been cut in half. Drizzle balsamic glaze, a pinch of salt and pepper over the top. Wrap the sandwich in plastic and place a heavy skillet on top; press for 30 minutes, then unwrap and slice into finger sandwich squares.

10. Pimiento Cheese Biscuits

Split a southern style cut biscuit in half. Fill with a dollop of prepared pimento cheese spread.

11. Ham Cornbread Bites

Mix 6 tablespoons softened butter, 1 chopped green onion (both white and green parts) and a drizzle of honey. Spread on split cornbread squares, and fill with sliced ham and a dollop of chow chow.

12. Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches

Spread mango chutney on white bread. Top with egg salad and a sprinkle of pepper. Form the sandwich, trim the crusts, and cut into fingers. You could choose to use lettuce and/or tomato if you prefer to serve it in a mini croissant.

13. Chicken Salad Mini Croissants

Slice a small mini croissant from the bakery and fill with your favorite chicken salad recipe. Add a dollop of vinegar-based pepper slaw on top and sandwich together.

14. Shrimp Salad Sandwiches

Mix 1 cup chopped cooked shrimp with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, grated lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh chopped chives and parsley. Place the shrimp salad on white bread with ruffly lettuce. Trim the sandwich crusts and cut into triangles.

15. Crab Salad Sandwiches

Similar to the shrimp sandwiches above, use 1 cup lump crab meat instead. Add 1 stalk minced celery and a dash of hot sauce.

16. Salmon Salad Sandwiches

Cook salmon fillets and let them cool to room temperature. Flake them and add 1 cup salmon to 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Add 2 tablespoons each of chopped chives and dill. Add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Layer the salmon salad with thinly sliced radishes on dark rye bread. Trim the crusts and cut into triangles.

17. Cucumber Butter 

Mix 4 tablespoons softened butter, ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or chives. Spread the butter on slices of white bread and neatly layer thinly sliced cucumber evenly over the top. Trim the crusts and cut into pieces.

18. Peanut Butter Bacon Sandwiches

Spread your favorite peanut butter on slices of oatmeal bread. Layer chopped pepper bacon crumbles and evenly spread slices of banana on top. Assemble the sandwich, trim the crusts, and cut into fingers.

19. Prosciutto Fig Sandwiches

Spread a layer of softened butter and prepared fig jam on soft white bread. Lay thin slices of salty prosciutto and thinly sliced pears over the top. Sprinkle a bit of fresh black pepper and just a pinch of salt over the top. Assemble the sandwich and cut into triangles.

20. California Chicken Sandwiches

Spread slices of honey whole wheat bread with prepared green goddess dressing. Add sliced deli chicken, thin slices of avocado, and finely diced tomato with microgreens. Season the sandwich with salt and pepper, trim the crusts, and cut into triangles.

21. Apple Cheddar Bites

Spread softened butter on white bread. Layer thick slices of cheddar cheese and thinly sliced honeycrisp apples. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the sandwich into fingers and add just a tiny dollop of apple jelly for garnish on the top center of each one.

22. Blue Cheese and Grape Sandwiches

Spread soft blue cheese on dark rye bread. Top the cheese with thinly sliced red grapes and assemble the sandwich. Cut into triangles.

23. Mini Reuben Sandwiches

Spread Thousand Island dressing on caraway rye bread. Add thin slices of turkey and provolone cheese. Spread a very thin amount of sauerkraut on top. Assemble the sandwiches and cut into triangles.

If you have time you could pre-grill the sandwiches or put them open-face under the broiler to melt the cheese and warm the fillings before cutting.

24. Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches

Spread softened goat cheese on Italian bread. Top with a layer of sun-dried tomato pesto. Add even layers of thinly sliced vegetables: roasted eggplant, zucchini slices, and roasted red pepper strips. Assemble the sandwich and cut into fingers.

25. Peaches and Cream Biscuits

Split southern style biscuits in half. Spread softened whipped cream cheese on one side and peach vanilla bean jam on the other. Assemble the sandwiches.

26. Strawberry Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Spread softened cream cheese on slices of cinnamon swirl raisin bread. Spread a thin layer of strawberry jam and add a layer of thinly sliced strawberries. Cut into fingers.

27. Lemon Berry Bites

Cut toasted English muffin halves into four smaller quarters. Add a dollop of fresh lemon curd to each piece and then top with a fresh berry. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries would be perfect choices.

28. Blackberry Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Spread softened cream cheese on brioche bread. Add a spread of blackberry jam. Trim the crusts and cut into fingers.

29. Ricotta Orange Challah Bites

Spread fresh ricotta cheese and orange marmalade on slices of challah bread. Assemble the sandwich, trim the edges, and cut into fingers.

30. Chocolate Raspberry Sandwiches

Spread Nutella or your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread along with raspberry jam on slices of brioche bread. Assemble the sandwich, trim the crusts and cut into fingers.