Servings
Font
Back
4.8 from 15 votes

How To Make Cute Bento

Pack a creative and colorful lunch box with my recipe for how to make cute bento. Watch my video to see how to decorate your mini sandwiches with animal characters like a frog, bunny rabbit, and baby chick!

Prep Time
30 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 1 Bento
Calories: 416 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

For the Characters
  • 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber (2 x 2-inch peel from a 2-inch section of cucumber)
  • 1 lice cheddar cheese
  • 1 lice ham
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 heet nori (dried laver seaweed)
For the Sandwiches
  • bread of your choice (for 3 mini sandwiches)
  • 1 Tbsp strawberry jam
  • 1 Tbsp egg salad (see my recipe for how to make Japanese egg salad)
  • 1 tsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise (you can make homemade Kewpie mayo)
  • 1 lice ham
  • 1 lice cheddar cheese
  • 1 lice tomato
  • 1 lice Japanese or Persian cucumber
For the Bento Box
  • lettuce
  • cherry tomatoes
  • octopus-shaped sausages (learn how to make octopus sausages)
  • Japanese or Persian cucumbers
  • oranges
  • strawberries
  • bunny-shaped apple (see how to make an apple bunny)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Characters
  1. Gather the ingredients for the characters: 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1 slice ham, 1 carrot, and 1 sheet nori (dried laver seaweed). Then, watch my video to see how to make character faces for a frog, chick, and bunny using cutters and punches. The trick is to make all the parts first and then create the faces after.
To Make the Sandwiches
  1. Using a cookie cutter, cut out the bread of your choice to make a mini sandwich slices. I made enough for 3 sandwiches.
  2. For the jam sandwich, spread 1 Tbsp strawberry jam on one mini bread slice and top with another bread slice. For the egg salad sandwich, spread 1 Tbsp egg salad on the sandwich bread and top with another bread slice.
  3. For the ham and cheese sandwich, spread 1 tsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise on one slice of sandwich bread. Place 1 slice ham, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1 slice tomato, and 1 slice Japanese or Persian cucumber on top. Top with another bread slice.
To Assemble the Bento
  1. Place the lettuce and sandwiches carefully into the bento box. Place the character faces on the sandwich and secure with little pieces of uncooked spaghetti if you want to secure the character faces on the sandwich. Fill the empty space of the bento box with cherry tomatoes. You can also pack additional bento fillers such as octopus-shaped sausages, Japanese or Persian cucumbers, oranges, strawberries, and bunny-shaped apple.

Notes

  • Please read FOOD SAFETY TIPS.
  • If you want to secure the character faces on the sandwich, secure with little pieces of uncooked spaghetti.
  • Equipment you will need:
  • Plastic straw
  • A bear shape cookie cutter
  • A bunny shape cookie cutter
  • A round cookie cutter
  • A square sandwich cutter
  • Small scissors
  • Nori punchers
  • Tweezers
  • Bento Box (To buy this bento box, click here.)
  • Plastic straw
  • A bear shape cookie cutter
  • A bunny shape cookie cutter
  • A round cookie cutter
  • A square sandwich cutter
  • Small scissors
  • Nori punchers
  • Tweezers

Nutrition Information

Calories 416kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 114mg (38%) Sodium 706mg (29%) Potassium 504mg (14%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin A 11035IU (221%) Vitamin C 12mg (13%) Calcium 294mg (29%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Bento

Amount Per Serving

Calories 416

% Daily Value*

Calories 416kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g 41%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 114mg 38%
Sodium 706mg 29%
Potassium 504mg 11%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 15g 30%
Vitamin A 11035IU 221%
Vitamin C 12mg 13%
Calcium 294mg 29%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.