These egg salad tea sandwiches are made with my grandmother's homemade salad dressing. It's sweet, tangy, and completely unlike anything you will make with store bought mayonnaise. A recipe passed down through generations of church ladies and farmhouse kitchens, and the best egg salad you will ever taste.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look at This Recipe
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Grandma's Salad Dressing
- Ingredients
- Variations
- How To Make Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
- How to Prevent Soggy Sandwiches
- Make Ahead Tips
- How Many Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches Per Person
- Serving These at a Tea Party
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Tea Party Ideas
- Recipe
A Quick Look at This Recipe
- 📋 Recipe: Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
- ⏲️ Ready In: 30 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 18 finger sandwiches
- 🔪 Difficulty: Easy
- 💭 Top Tip: Use a potato masher instead of a knife to chop your hard boiled eggs. It is faster, easier, and gives you the perfect texture in minutes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A genuine family heirloom recipe that tastes completely different from standard egg salad.
- The homemade salad dressing is sweet and tangy similar to Miracle Whip but made from scratch with real ingredients.
- Make this egg salad ahead, and keep in the fridge over night.
- Beautiful on a tea party table alongside scones and finger sandwiches.
Grandma's Salad Dressing
This recipe starts with a homemade cooked salad dressing that my grandmother made for everything. Egg salad, coleslaw, potato salad, lettuce salads. It was her all purpose dressing and it is unlike anything you will find in a bottle.
The flavor is sweet and tangy, closer to Miracle Whip than mayonnaise, but richer and more complex because it is made from real ingredients cooked together into a silky custard style dressing. The sugar and vinegar balance each other perfectly and the dry mustard adds a gentle warmth underneath.
If you grew up in a rural Canadian community you may recognize this dressing. It is the kind of recipe the church ladies make. The kind that shows up at funerals and community suppers and farmhouse kitchens. This is my grandmother's version and I am so glad we have it.
The dressing keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks so you can make a batch ahead and have it ready whenever you need it.
If you love simple elegant tea party food you might also enjoy our Vanilla Shortbread Cookies and our Easy Food Processor Scones.
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing:
- Egg, White Sugar, White Vinegar, Cornstarch, Dry Mustard, Butter -these six ingredients cook together into a silky sweet and tangy dressing. The cornstarch thickens it, the sugar and vinegar create that Miracle Whip sweet and tangy style flavor, and the butter adds richness and gloss.
For the Egg Salad:
- Eggs -hard boiled and chopped. The ratio of one generous egg per sandwich is just right.
- Diced onion -just a small amount. Enough for a little savory bite without overpowering the egg.
- Salt and pepper -to taste.
- White sandwich bread -use classic soft white bread, the delicacy of the bread is part of what makes a tea sandwich a tea sandwich.
Variations
- Croissants -egg salad on a small mini croissant with mixed greens is a lovely option for a more casual gathering or a brunch spread.
- Mixed greens -add a layer of mixed greens or lettuce for a little crunch. This works best on a croissant or as a regular sandwich rather than the classic finger sandwich format.
- Add celery -a small amount of finely diced celery adds a gentle crunch if you prefer a little texture.
- Pumpernickel -for a more dramatic visual a thin slice of dark pumpernickel against the pale egg salad is beautiful on a platter.
How To Make Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
- Step 1: Make the salad dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute to cook out the cornstarch. Remove from heat. The dressing will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.
- Step 2: Hard boil and chop the eggs. Hard boil your eggs, for 10 minutes in boiling water and then peel them. Place the peeled eggs in a bowl and use a potato masher to chop them. It is faster than chopping by hand and gives you a perfect texture in minutes.
- Step 3: Make the egg salad. Combine the chopped eggs with the diced onion, salt, and pepper. Add the salad dressing and mix gently. Taste and adjust seasoning. If making ahead you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two before serving as the eggs will absorb some of the dressing overnight in the fridge.
- Step 4: Butter and assemble the sandwiches. Spread a thin layer of softened butter on each slice of bread before adding the egg salad. The butter acts as a barrier between the filling and the bread and is the best defense against soggy sandwiches. Spread the egg salad generously onto half the buttered bread slices. Top with the remaining slices and press gently.
- Step 5: Remove crusts and cut. Remove the crusts with a sharp serrated knife using a sawing motion. Cut each sandwich into 3 equal rectangular fingers. Arrange on a platter or tiered tray cut side out so the filling is visible.
- Step 6: Serve or store. Serve immediately or wrap the platter tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a few hours before serving.
How to Prevent Soggy Sandwiches
- The best defense against soggy egg salad sandwiches is well buttered bread. Spread a thin layer of softened butter on each slice before adding the filling. The butter creates a barrier that keeps the moisture in the egg salad from soaking into the bread.
- Do not overdress the egg salad. You want it creamy and cohesive, not wet, taste as you go. You can always add more.
- Assemble as close to serving time as you reasonably can and wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Make Ahead Tips
This recipe is very make ahead friendly which makes it ideal for a tea party.
The salad dressing keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks. Make a batch on the weekend and it is ready whenever you need it.
The egg salad itself keeps well in the fridge overnight. In fact it benefits from resting as the flavors meld. If the egg salad dries out overnight, add an extra tablespoon or two of dressing before serving as the eggs will absorb some of it overnight.
Assemble the sandwiches the morning of your party, wrap the platter tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How Many Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches Per Person
For a tea party with multiple sandwich varieties plan for 3 to 5 finger sandwiches per person total. This recipe yields 18 finger sandwiches which is enough for 6 to 8 guests when served alongside other sandwich varieties and scones.
Serving These at a Tea Party
Egg salad finger sandwiches are a classic on any tea party table. A few presentation tips:
- Arrange cut side out on the platter so the filling is visible. It looks much more inviting than seeing only the bread edge.
- A tiered tray with egg salad finger sandwiches and other varieties on the bottom tier, scones on the second tier, and sweets on the top tier is the traditional presentation.
- Garnish the platter with a few sprigs of fresh herbs or edible flowers for a finishing touch.
- These pair beautifully with easy food processor scones and chicken salad finger sandwiches for a complete tea party spread.
We served these at our Little Women vintage tea party and they were one of the highlights of the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tea sandwiches are made with soft white bread, crusts removed, and cut into small delicate fingers or triangles. The filling is spread more thinly and the overall effect is lighter and more elegant than a regular egg salad sandwich. The presentation matters as much as the recipe.
Yes you can substitute mayonnaise but the flavor will be different. This salad dressing has a sweet tangy quality similar to Miracle Whip that sets this egg salad apart from a standard recipe. If you have never made a cooked salad dressing before this is a wonderful introduction.
Make the egg salad up to one day ahead and refrigerate. Assemble the sandwiches the morning of your event, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until serving. The salad dressing itself keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge.
Butter the bread before adding the filling. The butter acts as a barrier between the egg salad and the bread and is the most effective way to prevent sogginess. Do not overdress the egg salad and wrap assembled sandwiches tightly in plastic wrap rather than leaving them uncovered.
This recipe makes 18 finger sandwiches using 8 eggs and 12 slices of bread. It serves 6 to 8 people as part of a larger tea party spread with other sandwich varieties.
Egg salad finger sandwiches are classic alongside other tea sandwiches like cucumber sandwiches, and chicken salad finger sandwiches,scones with jam and clotted cream,and shortbread cookies. Browse our tea party food guide for a complete menu.
More Tea Party Ideas
If you try these Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Recipe
Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 1 egg
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons butter
Egg Salad
- 8 eggs hard boiled
- ½ onion diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoons salad dressing
To Make the Finger Sandwiches
- 12 slices soft white bread
- ¼ cup butter softened
Instructions
- Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Makes approximately 1½ cups. Keeps for up to two weeks.½ cup white sugar, ½ cup white vinegar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 egg
- Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes to hard boil the eggs. Peel the eggs, and place in a bowl. Use a potato masher to mash them to your preferred texture.8 eggs
- Combine mashed eggs with diced onion, salt, and pepper. Add 6 tablespoons of salad dressing and mix gently. If making ahead add an extra tablespoon or two before serving as the eggs will absorb the dressing overnight.½ onion, salt and pepper, 6 tablespoons salad dressing
- Spread a thin layer of softened butter on each slice of bread. Spread egg salad generously onto 6 buttered slices. Top with remaining slices and press gently.12 slices soft white bread, ¼ cup butter
- Remove crusts with a sharp serrated knife. Cut each sandwich into 3 equal rectangular fingers. Arrange cut side out on a platter.
- Serve immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a few hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- The salad dressing recipe makes approximately 1½ cups which is more than you need for one batch of egg salad.
- Leftover dressing keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Plan for 3 to 5 finger sandwiches per person from all the various as part of a larger tea party spread.
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