Fruit Sandos Taste Like Heaven And Only Require 3 Ingredients

Every once in a while, you happen upon a recipe that sounds too easy and too tasty to be true. So it goes with the fruit sando. This Japanese creation is commonly found in convenience stores and cafes; in fact, "fruit cafes" are a big part of why fruit sandwiches became so popular in Japan during the 20th century. While their adorable aesthetic may be part of the reason they've taken the internet by storm, it's their flavor that will keep you coming back for more.

The construction of a fruit sando is pure epicurean ingenuity. Perhaps you've already learned that you can elevate your sandwich game by adding some fresh fruit. In this case, you're ditching the savory stuff altogether. This sammie is composed of three simple ingredients: whipped cream, soft slices of bread, and fresh fruit. They come together in an ethereal bite that is simultaneously sweet and tart, chewy and smooth. If you've ever wanted to bite into an actual cloud, this treat will get you pretty darn close. 

All you need to start making a fruit sando are two slices of bread. You get bonus points if you have Japanese milk bread, but a soft white bread or sweet Hawaiian slice work, too. For the filling, you can make vanilla whipped cream or opt for the store-bought stuff (some recipes suggest combining some mascarpone or cream cheese for extra body and flavor). The final element — and arguably the most important — is fruit. The sky's the limit here, so select whatever is in season and speaks to you, from berries to kiwis, mangos to bananas, apricots to oranges. You can even use canned fruit, but keep in mind that whether you go fresh or from the package, you'll want to wash and dry each piece so you don't wind up with a soggy middle.

Once you assemble your sando according to your preferences, it helps to wrap it up in plastic and refrigerate it for about 15 minutes to a half hour, so that the filling can firm up; this will make it easier to slice and eat later. Japanese fruit sando creators are known for their flair, arranging the fruit in such a way that when the sandwiches are cut, there's a spectacular design hiding inside. While you can try your hand at crafting an artful hand-held treat, the taste of a fruit sando will get you a little closer to cloud nine either way.