52 Afternoon Tea Recipes and High Tea Menu Ideas That Will Make You Feel Like a Royal
If you're a big fan of afternoon tea time, and always crave something to nibble on alongside that cup of coffee or tea, in between lunch and dinner, welcome to the club! Here are the 52 best afternoon and high tea recipes, from tea cakes and loaves, to English tea sandwiches. Browse through them, make sure you pin your favorites and prepare to have a spot of tea very soon.
I like to brew myself a big pot of tea to enjoy over the course of the afternoon, and when hunger strikes, I sometimes opt for a slice of tea cake or a cookie to go along with it. While I mostly choose to have something sweet, the craving for a savory tea time snack does hit once in a while—as does an inkling for afternoon tea sandwiches. These crustless little finger sandwiches are so cute and delicious, it's easy to get carried away.
Related: 28 Delicious Pound Cakes Perfect for Tea
From sweet treats such as Pumpkin Scones, Carrot Cake Bread and Buckwheat Cookies, to savory tea time recipes like Cucumber Sandwiches, Crab Salad Sandwiches, there's a whole range of options to indulge in and enjoy. And let's not forget Classic English Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam. You cannot have high tea without these royally good recipes!
Afternoon & High Tea Recipes
Parade
The blueberries make purple spots throughout the cake and the acidity of the buttermilk contributes to the fine texture of the crumb.
Get the recipe: Buttermilk Blueberry Bundt Cake
Parade
This simple, impressive dessert starts with a store-bought pie crust. Add a little sugar, cinnamon and butter and bake until lightly browned. Slice it into wedges and serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for maximum enjoyment.
Get the recipe: Peach Galette
Parade
If you’re craving something sweet, look no further than this almond sour cream pound cake. It’s light, delicious and a welcome treat anytime of year.
Get the recipe: Almond Sour Cream Pound Cake
Sugar Salt Magic
Soft, luscious and bursting with orange flavour, this Greek Orange Semolina Cake is an absolute treat. Finish it with Greek yoghurt and a delicious orange syrup for a luxurious tea time cake.
Get the recipe: Orange Semolina Cake
Dish by Dish
This gluten-free lemon yogurt cake is a pound cake with a moist crumb, and is beautifully fragrant with citrus lemon zest.
Get the recipe: Easy Lemon Yogurt Cake
Dish by Dish
These 5-ingredient coconut macaroons are crispy outside and soft inside, and are perfect for teatime. Make a batch in just 30 minutes.
Get the recipe: Easy Coconut Macaroons
Lifestyle of a Foodie
This chocolate pound cake is moist, dense, and packed with chocolate flavor. It is paired with a smooth no powdered sugar coffee frosting to make for the perfect tea time treat.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Loaf Cake with a Coffee Frosting
Sally's Baking Addiction
These almond poppy seed tea cakes are buttery and light with a crunchy crackly exterior. Baked in a muffin pan, the delicate tea cakes are simple but taste extra fancy– perfect for a tea party! For a little something extra, drizzle each cake with lemon almond icing.
Get the recipe: Almond Poppy Seed Tea Cake
Dish by Dish
These easy buckwheat cookies are amazingly crispy, are made in less than 30 minutes and taste so good! Gluten-free and dairy-free too!
Get the recipe: Easy Buckwheat Cookies
Dish by Dish
This gluten-free blood orange yogurt cake is soft, moist and has a hint of blood orange in it. It's a cinch to make, comes together within an hour.
Get the recipe: Blood Orange Yogurt Cake
Pardon Your French
This chocolate vanilla marble cake is a French classic. Buttery, moist, tender and eye-catching with its pretty chocolate-vanilla swirls. It's classically suited for any occasion.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake
The Seasoned Mom
This classic southern hummingbird cake recipe is the perfect easy dessert, tea time snack, or sweet breakfast treat! The moist spice cake is full of crunchy pecans, juicy pineapple, and fresh banana, and then finished off with a thin layer of homemade cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe: Hummingbird Cake
Savory Nothings
This is a fun twist on classic pound cake - chocolatey, marbled and so delicious. Top it with a thick chocolate glaze to make it even more special!
Get the recipe: Chocolate Marble Pound Cake
Amanda's Cookin'
This pound cake is similar to the Sara Lee pound cakes - dense but moist, sweet and a perfect crumb.
Get the recipe: Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Eating Bird Food
These delicious oatmeal date cookies are studded with dates and have the perfect soft and chewy texture.
Get the recipe: Oatmeal Date Cookies
Food by Maria
Who doesn’t love a cookie that tastes chocolatey and amazing, but is loaded with protein? These Vegan Protein Cookies deliver just that. Double the chocolate, high in protein, and they seriously taste damn delicious.
Get the recipe: Vegan Protein Cookies
Dish by Dish
This gluten-free cinnamon coffee cake is slightly sweetened, is made in just 30 minutes, and has a delightfully moist crumb that leaves you wanting more.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Pies and Tacos
These cardamom walnut pastries are flaky little treats to fancy up your tea time. You can use store-bought puff pastry, but here I provide you with a recipe and instructions to make it from scratch. The filling is everything that's decadent in this world.
Get the recipe: Cardamom Walnut Pastries
Fearless Dining
Delicious cake-like gluten free lemon madeleines dusted with powdered sugar.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Lemon Madeleines
Vegan tea loaf is a delicious and wholesome tea-time treat. Packed with moist vine fruits, this fruit loaf is comforting everyday home-made cake at its best.
Get the recipe: Vegan Tea Loaf
Amy's Healthy Baking
Learn how to make the absolute best ever healthy snickerdoodle cookies from scratch! They’re soft, chewy, and deliciously sweet with cozy cinnamon flavor filling every bite.
Get the recipe: Amy's Healthy Baking
Marsha's Baking Addiction
These deliciously fluffy scones are perfect served warm or cold with clotted cream and jam. Pair with your morning cup of tea for an indulgent breakfast!
Get the recipe: Classic English Scones
How Sweet Eats
These scones are moist and soft. A bit chewy, they just burst with flavor, and the addition of cinnamon chips is perfect.
Get the recipe: Cinnamon Chip Scones
Roti N' Rice
The fragrance and combination of flavors in these coconut pecan cookies are sure to please. Perfect for tea time or the holidays.
Get the recipe: Coconut Pecan Cookies
The Beach House Kitchen
This glazed almond pound cake is moist and fluffy and the perfect easy dessert to add to your baking list!
Get the recipe: Glazed Almond Pound Cake
Shugary Sweets
This lemon zucchini cake is bright and full of flavor! Perfect for using up those garden zucchini in this recipe that’s great for dessert, breakfast or tea time!
Get the recipe: Shugary Sweets
Domestic Gothess
These easy eggless and dairy-free British scones are a perfect tea time treat. They are quick and simple to make and totally delicious. Serve with jam and vegan cream; or eat them split, toasted and buttered.
Get the recipe: Vegan Scones
Saving Dessert
Tender little buttery gems with great texture and loads of flavor from the almond extract and almond flour, and filled with wild blueberry jam.
Get the recipe: Almond Tea Cakes with Wild Blueberry Jam
The Full Helping
This vegan cinnamon spice sheet cake with cream cheese frosting is a delicious, fragrant, festive cake that isn’t overly complex or difficult to make.
Get the recipe: Cinnamon Spice Sheet Cake
Pies and Tacos
The Tiramisu macaron shells have a light espresso flavor, then they are filled with a sweet mascarpone filling, and are dusted cocoa powder on top.
Get the recipe: Tiramisu Macarons
Tiramisu Macarons
This no-mixer easy zucchini crumb cake is moist, tender and topped with a generous layer of crisp, buttery, brown sugar crumbs – a delicious confection that’s fabulous for breakfast, with tea or coffee and for dessert!
Get the recipe: Easy Zucchini Crumb Cake
Cup Cake Project
These raspberry scones are buttery, tender, lightly sweetened, and irresistible. They are made with fresh raspberries and topped with a lemon glaze.
Get the recipe: Raspberry Scones
Flour Arrangements
Chewy and deeply spiced, these molasses crinkles’ sweet, warm flavors wake up your taste buds and make them take notice.
Get the recipe: Flour Arrangements
Reluctant Entertainer
Whether you aspire to cook like Mrs. Patmore from Downton Abbey, or you just want to throw your own smashing tea party, this recipe is sure to leave you and your guests very happy.
Get the recipe: Downtown Abbey Lavender Tea Bread
Dish by Dish
This super moist pumpkin bread is fragrant, tasty and topped with toasted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy bite. Gluten-free and dairy-free.
Get the recipe: Super Moist Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Dish by Dish
Moist, fluffy and tender, these gluten-free pumpkin scones are simple to make, oozing with pumpkin flavor, and ready in just 30 minutes!
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones
Tutti Dolci
Vanilla citrus sandwich cookies are the ideal spring treat! Sweet and buttery, with the perfect balance of rich vanilla and bright citrus, you’ll love these golden shortbread cookies filled with citrus buttercream.
Get the recipe: Vanilla Citrus Sandwich Cookies
Tastes Lovely
Chai spice biscotti recipe with a chai tea glaze drizzle – a delicious tea time treat that is dairy free and packed with warm chai spice flavors.
Get the recipe: Chai Spice Biscotti
Dish by Dish
These gluten-free pumpkin muffins have a moist crumb, are super easy to make, and are perfect for breakfast or a snack. Dairy-free and vegan.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Sally's Baking Addiction
Bakery-style lavender scones made with dried culinary lavender, fresh lemon zest, and buttermilk. The scones are crumbly, yet moist and perfect for spring brunches and tea parties.
Get the recipe: Lavender Scones
I Made My Cake
This eggless hot milk cake is buttery rich, delicious and so flavorful you cannot stop on one slice. The goodness of flavors strikes you right when you take in the first bite and it melts in your mouth.
Get the recipe: Hot Milk Cake
Dried sour cherries add a pop of sweet-tart flavor to the turkey filling in this simple yet elegant tea sandwich recipe. Perfect party food!
Get the recipe: Turkey Salad Tea Sandwiches
Crab salad sandwiches are a savory finger food recipe that you can serve at an afternoon tea party or baby shower. The crab salad can be made ahead, and the sandwiches easily assembled before the party begins.
Get the recipe: Crab Salad Sandwiches
These easy smoked salmon cream cheese tea sandwiches are quick, elegant and an easy addition to a light lunch or afternoon tea. A simple treat to wow the crowd at a party or major gatherings!
Get the recipe: Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Dish by Dish
Easy cornbread muffins with the perfect crumbly texture and just a hint of sweetness. Make a batch in 30 minutes. Gluten-free and dairy-free.
Get the recipe: Cornbread Muffins
The View from Great Island
These pretty scones loaded with little bits of juicy rhubarb make a perfect breakfast or afternoon tea-time treat. Be sure to freeze some rhubarb when it’s in season so you can enjoy them year round.
Get the recipe: Fresh Rhubarb Scones
Accidental Happy Baker
Light and flaky scones are delicately flavored with Earl Grey tea for a tea time treat you can't resist.
Get the recipe: Earl Grey Scones
Oh How Civilized
Dainty and easy-to-make cucumber sandwiches with chive butter. Get step-by-step directions on how to make this simple yet delicious savory. It’s perfect for tea time!
Get the recipe: Easy Cucumber Sandwiches
Preppy Kitchen
A delicious assortment of traditional English tea sandwiches that will make your heart sing, including classic egg, smoked salmon, cucumber, and chicken with cranberry!
Get the recipe: English Tea Sandwiches
Dish by Dish
Moist, deliciously decadent gluten-free chocolate cake made with coconut flour, this makes the perfect teatime treat!
Get the recipe: Chocolate Coconut Cake
Dish by Dish
A deliciously moist gluten-free carrot cake bread filled with grated carrots and pecans. Tastes just like carrot cake, but healthier! Also dairy-free.
Get the recipe: Carrot Cake Bread
Lifestyle of a Foodie
The honey cake is dense and buttery with a delicious honey syrup to keep it moist and sweet. Doesn’t get better than this!
Get the recipe: Honey Tea Cake Loaf
