Light and airy, this gorgeous, Japanese-inspired Fruit Sandwich recipe is perfect for a picnic with family and friends! The beautiful fruit designs and whipped cream filling are irresistibly sweet.
The Easiest, Most Refreshing Treat!
If you are looking for something a little different to serve at a picnic, birthday party, baby shower, or bridal shower, this is the perfect recipe. Fruit sandwiches are delicate, sweet, and jaw-droppingly pretty to look at. What more could you ask from a sandwich, right?
Oh, well, you could ask for them to be easy to make. You might be thinking that something this gorgeous would be complicated, but it isn’t at all! In fact, fruit sandwiches are incredibly simple. The filling is just homemade whipped cream, while fresh, juicy fruit does all the heavy lifting in terms of flavor and texture. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is a Japanese Sando?
A fruit sandwich is also called a “fruit sando,” and they originated in Japan. The exact timing and place are a bit unclear, but this delicate sandwich idea may have been around in Tokyo since the 1920s or even earlier. Either way, fruit sando is now popular worldwide, and with good reason!
What Are Fruit Sandwiches Made Of?
For this simple recipe, you only need a few items – the fresh fruit of your choice, ingredients to make whipped cream, and bread. To make the sandwiches pictured here, I used:
- Heavy Cream: Make sure to use heavy whipping cream, not half and half. Only heavy whipping cream will actually whip up into a light, fluffy filling.
- Powdered Sugar: To sweeten the whipped cream.
- Fruit: Strawberries, kiwis, and a large navel orange. Remove the stems from the strawberries, and peel the orange and the kiwis.
- Bread: You’ll need thick soft bread, like Texas toast or brioche bread.
Let’s Make Fruit Sandwiches!
The process of making fruit sandwiches is fairly quick and easy, but you will need to budget enough time to whip the cream, cut up the fruit, and chill the sandwiches for an hour, so be sure to plan accordingly.
- Whip the Cream. Using a large bowl and a hand mixer (or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment), beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until nice and fluffy. Set this aside.
- Assemble the Sandwiches. Spread 1-2 spoonfuls of the whipped cream on one slice of bread. Add some of the orange slices, or a kiwi, to the center of the sandwich, and add strawberries to the corners. (Or arrange the fruit to make your own design.) Cover the fruit with more whipped cream, and then spread another spoonful of whipped cream on another piece of bread. Place this second slice of bread on top, to make a sandwich.
- Chill. Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, and mark a line for cutting later on. Refrigerate the wrapped sandwich for one hour to firm up.
- Cut and Serve. Once the sandwich is chilled, remove the plastic wrap, cut off the crusts, and cut it in half diagonally. You can see the design of the fruit once the sandwich is cut. Serve the sandwich immediately.
Recipe Tips
Don’t you love this cute sandwich idea? I hope you’ll try it, and if you do, be sure to check out these helpful tips.
- Fruit Options: You can use any fruit you like. Colorful fruits like berries show up against the whipped cream better than pale fruits like apples or pears.
- Extracts: Add a little vanilla or almond extract to your whipped cream, if you would like a more elevated dish.
- Shokupan: The usual bread for these sandwiches in Japan is a fluffy milk bread called shokupan – if you can find it, definitely use it!
- Cutting the Sandwiches: Use a very sharp knife to remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches without smushing them.
Serving Suggestions
Fruit sandos make a nice dessert, or party food to go with other fun and dainty finger foods. Need a few great recipes to serve with these colorful sandwiches? No problem! Try…
- Cucumber Sandwiches: This is my family’s recipe for classic Cucumber Sandwiches, served on marbled rye bread with a fresh cream cheese-herb filling.
- Cuban Ham Roll-Ups: These fresh, zesty Cuban Ham Roll-Ups are the party-food version of a Cuban sandwich. So flavorful, and so easy to make.
- Deviled Eggs: Deviled eggs are always a hot commodity at a party, and this recipe for Mama’s Deviled Eggs with a Parmesan Crisp is especially tempting. You’ll love this special twist on the classic.
Can I Make These Ahead?
If you use firm, fresh fruit that’s not too soft or soggy, you can make the sandwiches one or two days in advance, and store them in your refrigerator. Make sure to store them wrapped in plastic wrap, and don’t cut them until you’re ready to serve. That way, they will stay as fresh and un-soggy as possible.
Fruit Sandwich (Fruit Sando)
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 6-8 strawberries, with the stems removed
- 1-2 kiwis, peeled
- 1 large navel orange, peeled
- 4 slices of thick soft bread, like Texas toast or brioche bread
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until nice and fluffy. Set aside.
- Spread 1-2 spoonfuls of the whipped cream on one slice of bread.
- Add some of the orange slices, or a kiwi, to the center of the cream and the strawberries to the corners. (Or assemble the fruit in the design you prefer.)
- Cover the fruit with more cream and then spread another spoonful of the cream on another piece of bread and place it on top.
- Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap.
- Mark the sandwich diagonally as a guide for cutting it to get the signature design, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Once the sandwich is chilled, remove it from the plastic wrap, cut off the crust and cut it diagonally. You can see the cross section once it is cut.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Fruit Options: You can use any fruit you like. Colorful fruits like berries show up against the whipped cream better than pale fruits like apples or pears.
- Extracts: Add a little vanilla or almond extract to your whipped cream, if you would like a more elevated dish.
- Shokupan: The usual bread for these sandwiches in Japan is a fluffy milk bread called shokupan – if you can find it, definitely use it!
- Cutting the Sandwiches: Use a very sharp knife to remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches without smushing them.
Nutrition
Categories:
More Fun, Fruity Recipes
- Ambrosia Salad
- Lemon Strawberry Trifle
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Raspberry Nutella Crepes
- Easy Banana Pudding
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Homemade Strawberry Milk
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