37 Tea Time Sweets to Serve for Afternoon Tea

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Afternoon tea is a special occasion filled with enticing sweets and treats.

Tea scones, clotted cream, and jam are one of the most classic treats served with afternoon tea.

Usually there will be small cookies, brownies, cakes to choose from.

how to serve afternoon tea

Afternoon Tea Time Sweets

You’ll want to select at least 3-4 different types of sweets for your afternoon tea.

Try picking one scone, one cake, one cookie, and one bar to serve. This will give your guests a variety to choose from.

  • lemon bars
  • chocolate mousse
  • raspberry mousse
  • lemon loaf
  • carrot cake
  • pumpkin loaf
  • vanilla scones
  • pumpkin scones
  • lavender scones
  • scones with clotted cream and jam
  • brownies
  • shortbread
  • butter tarts
  • raspberry tarts
  • strawberry tarts
  • lemon curd tarts
  • mini cinnamon buns
  • mini cupcakes
  • Nanaimo bars
  • mini muffins
  • peanut butter cookies
  • beignets
  • madeleines
  • raspberry jelly filled cookies
  • macarons
  • mini vanilla custard stuffed croissants
  • mini Danishes
  • mini croissants
  • mini pain au chocolat
  • gingersnaps
  • raisin oatmeal cookies
  • rhubarb bars
  • mini eclairs
  • peanut butter cups
  • cheesecake
  • chocolate cake
  • vanilla cake
  • chocolate covered strawberries

Begin eating with the finger sandwiches, and pinwheels first on the bottom tier of your platter. You can drink your tea at any time when it’s brewed to your strength and liking.

tea time sweets for afternoon tea

How to serve afternoon tea

Serve your afternoon tea foods on a 3 tier platter. Your tea time sweets will go on the very top tier of the platter. Scones and breads will go on the second tier. Finally, tea time sandwiches will go on the bottom tier.

Serve your tea in an elegant tea pot with specialty tea cups if you have them. Typically tea cups will have a cup and saucer for the tea cup to sit on. Don’t forget to put out cream and sugar for your guests tea.

For your guests, have some china plates for them to eat off of. If you don’t have any, try a small side plate to catch any crumbs for your guest. You can include some salt and pepper shakers as well, just in case your guests need them.

How to eat afternoon tea

Next, eat the second tier. The second tier will be composed of scones, crumpets, and breads.

The final tier to eat will be the tea time sweets. The tea time sweets will consist of pastries, tarts, cookies, cakes, bars.

What do British people eat with their tea

Tea time is favorite tradition for British families. Afternoon tea is a staple in most English households. British people eat crumpets, scones, pastries, cakes, biscuits and finger sandwiches with their tea.

What is the history of high tea

The concept of afternoon tea was introduced back in the 1840’s when the Duchess of Bedford requested tea, bread, butter and cake usually around 9 pm.

After the Duchess introduced its concept, it became much more popular among the wealthy when they could display their best china and linen for their tea time.

More recently, it has become a specialty occasion for people in North America to go for high tea.

tea time sweets