Easy Afternoon Tea Party Desserts
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These delicious and easy recipes for afternoon tea party desserts to serve for the sweets course or dessert course are beautiful, bite-sized treats to make your next teatime memorable!
An afternoon tea sweets course is always a favorite alongside scones and tea sandwiches.
There’s something extra special about bite-size, dainty treats.
And china teapots, teacups, friends, and, of course, tea!
But today, it’s all about the Afternoon Tea Party Desserts served during the sweets course. Which traditionally follows the savory and scone courses.
The sweets course is usually placed on the top of a three-tier tea tray. For more ideas on tea service, visit our post on How to Serve an Easy Afternoon Tea.
Tea Party Dessert Recipes
These delicious finger foods are perfect for an afternoon tea sweets or dessert course.
1
www.teatimemagazine.com
Mini Coconut Cakes
"Scrumptious coconut cake topped with beautiful buttercream rosettes creates an impressive dessert in Mini Coconut Cakes."
Get the Recipe
2
www.teatimemagazine.com
Strawberry Jam Cakes
"Strawberry Jam Cake utilizes strawberry jam in the fluffy cake and cream cheese frosting. It's a quick go-to recipe to celebrate strawberries any time of the year."
Get the Recipe
3
www.teatimemagazine.com
Coconut Cream Tartlets with Italian Meringue
Serve these delicious Coconut Cream Tartlets with Italian Meringue as a welcome sweet treat at your next tea party.
Get the Recipe
4
Mini Lavender Earl Grey Tea Cakes
These delightful Lavender Earl Grey Tea Cakes combine floral and citrus notes in a soft, tender mini bundt cake dessert. They're perfect for afternoon tea, a garden party, or a sweet finish to any meal.
Get the Recipe
5
Easy Berry Topped Pound Cake Recipe
This easy berry-topped Pound Cake recipe takes inspiration from a classic pound cake but simplifies the ingredients and method to create an easy-to-make, rich, buttery, and tender cake you won't soon forget!
Get the Recipe
6
www.teatimemagazine.com
Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting
"A decadent Orange Buttercream Frosting crowns a deliciously tender Orange Cake to create an impressive and oh-so-satisfying dessert for a celebratory afternoon tea or birthday party."
Get the Recipe
7
Mini Plum Tarts
Try this quick and delicious mini plum tart recipe for afternoon tea or brunch. Made with puff pastry and warmly spiced pastry cream!
Get the Recipe
8
www.victoriamag.com
Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Cups
"Minutes to make, these Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Cups are delectable treats chocolate lovers will appreciate."
Get the Recipe
9
Easy Citrus Iced Orange Cake Recipe
This Orange Cake is a soft, moist, iced loaf cake with bright citrus flavors. Easy to make without a mixer, it's a treat you won't soon forget! Perfect for celebrations, gifting, or simply when craving an easy treat packed with delicious flavor.
Get the Recipe
10
Mini Lemon Pudding Cakes
Mini Lemon Pudding Cakes are a refreshing, melt-in-your-mouth, lemony dream. Simple and quick to make, this dessert magically forms two layers when baked. A light and airy cake on top with a lemon pudding custard on the bottom.
Get the Recipe
11
www.bbcgoodfood.com
Egg custard tarts
"Our irresistible custard tarts take just 10 minutes to prepare. Who could resist that slight wobble and golden sheen?"
Get the Recipe
12
Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts
These Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts are a chocolate lover's dream. A tender toasted almond shortbread crust is filled with an irresistible chocolate ganache that's so easy, you won't believe it.
Get the Recipe
13
www.teatimemagazine.com
Chocolate Biscuit Cake
"Chocolate Biscuit Cake, a simple confection made with tea biscuits and chocolate ganache, is a modern-day favorite of both Queen Elizabeth II and her grandson, Prince William. The queen always made sure it was on the menu whenever her grandson came for tea at Buckingham Palace. Prince William likes it so much that he requested it as the groom's cake for his 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton."
Get the Recipe
14
bakeschool.com
Earl Grey panna cotta tarts infused with tea
"Serve panna cotta with berries and fresh fruit, granola, milk crumbs, and simple cookies. You can also drizzle panna cotta with chocolate sauce, jam, or caramel. Really, anything goes!"
Get the Recipe
15
Lavender Tea Bread
This Lavender Tea Bread is a moist and sweet tea loaf, perfect for afternoon tea or simply to celebrate when the lavender blooms. Delightfully rich with butter and lavender cream, and unforgettable with the vanilla flavoring.
Get the Recipe
16
Shortbread Tea Cookies with Lemon Curd
Shortbread Tea Cookies with Lemon Curd, topped with fresh blueberries, are tiny bites of perfection. Petit and perfectly sized for afternoon tea, they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Get the Recipe
17
Quark Mini Cheesecakes with Fresh Blackberries (German Käsekuchen)
Surprisingly easy, these Quark Mini Cheesecakes or German Käsekuchen are delightful and perfect for afternoon tea. Top with fresh seasonal berries.
Get the Recipe
18
Mini Blueberry Tarts with Lemon Curd: A French-Inspired Teatime Treat
These Mini Blueberry Tarts with Lemon Curd are an easy to make teatime treat or summer dessert. Inspired by a favorite French boulangerie offering that I've tweaked and simplified, it's a simple recipe you'll love using only three ingredients and made in 30 minutes.
Get the Recipe
19
10 Minute Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes in Filo Shells
This skinny, light dessert takes 10 minutes to make. Perfect for afternoon tea, any time of the year.
Get the Recipe
20
Anytime Almond Tea Cakes
These Almond Tea Cakes are delicate, buttery, light and tender treats, perfect for tea parties, afternoon snacks, or anytime you're craving a sweet bite. Simple to make in a muffin tin for now or make ahead for later.
Get the Recipe
21
Anytime Almond Cake Recipe
This simple Almond Cake is an Almond Anytime Cake. Simple, incredibly moist, and delicious. A buttery, slightly sweet snacking cake perfect for teatime, breakfast, or midnight cravings.
Get the Recipe
22
www.teatimemagazine.com
Blueberry-Basil Tartlets
"Blueberry-Basil Tartlets filled with juicy blueberries and fresh herbs."
Get the Recipe
23
www.victoriamag.com
Berries and Cream
"This fresh and fragrant Berries and Cream delight mixes strawberries and raspberries with whipping cream spiked with raspberry liqueur."
Get the Recipe
24
Blueberry Banana Bread
This recipe for Blueberry Banana Bread is a tender, delicious quick bread filled with blueberries. Perfect for the season, made with Greek yogurt and seasoned with cinnamon.
Get the Recipe
25
Simple Pecan Tassies Recipe
Tiny, bite-size Pecan Tassies are a delicious, chewy, and decadent pecan-filled pastry with a cookie-like crust. This southern-inspired treat is an all-time favorite, and incredibly simple to make for the holidays, or anytime you're craving pecan pie.
Get the Recipe
26
www.donnahay.com.au
Date And Tea Loaf
A simple recipe made with dates, pantry ingredients, and brewed English Breakfast tea.
Get the Recipe
27
bakingamoment.com
Blackberry Coconut Cupcakes
"Tropical Coconut and fresh blackberries come together beautifully in these light and dreamy cupcakes! You'll love the combination of flavors, along with the sweet cream cheese frosting."
Get the Recipe
28
www.victoriamag.com
Carrot Pound Cakes
"Made simple in a mini Bundt pan, these Carrot Pound Cakes are a perfect sweet treat for afternoon tea."
Get the Recipe
29
www.thespruceeats.com
Make Delicious Macarons Every Time
"This easy macaron recipe is a basic one, with a few extra tips to help a beginner on their way."
Get the Recipe
30
www.teatimemagazine.com
Iced Almond Petal Cookies
"Beautiful and delicate Iced Almond Petal Cookies make an elegant dessert to serve for the sweets course of afternoon tea."
Get the Recipe
31
www.goodhousekeeping.com
Easy to make cheat’s chocolate biscuits
"These chocolate biscuits are great for an impromptu afternoon tea."
Get the Recipe
32
Lemon Meringue Cookies for Teatime
Teatime was never more delicious than with these easy Lemon Meringue Cookies. Made from whisked egg whites and lemon flavor, these tiny bites are slightly crisp on the outside and soft, melt-in-your-mouth delicious in the middle.
Get the Recipe
33
Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies
These Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies are rich and buttery cookies with a bright hint of lemon and nutty undertones of poppy seeds. If you're a shortbread fan, you will absolutely love these simple cookies for snacking or teatime.
Get the Recipe
34
www.teatimemagazine.com
Strawberry-Orange Thumbprint Cookies
"Thumbprint cookies are a great teatime sweet to have in your repertoire. The flavors of the cookie and filling can be mixed and matched to suit your event, but this Strawberry-Orange Thumbprint Cookie recipe is one of our favorites."
Get the Recipe
35
www.teatimemagazine.com
36
Butter Lemon Tea Cookies
Butter Lemon Tea Cookies are a delightfully simple, sweet and soft wafer-like cookie with a beautiful lemon flavor. All you need is a cup of tea and your afternoon just became a bit brighter. An easy, traditional recipe that keeps or freezes well.
Get the Recipe
37
Vanilla Tea Cake Cookies
Vanilla Tea Cake Cookies are a simple buttery, soft vanilla tea cookie perfect for afternoon tea. Much like Scottish Shortbread, the ingredients are simple, but the texture and vanilla flavors are deliciously unforgettable.
Get the Recipe
38
Victoria Sponge Cake: A Teatime Classic
This Victoria Sponge Cake is an afternoon teacake recipe, favored by Queen Elizabeth, with a long British royal heritage. An easy-to-make, simple two-layer cake that's lightly sweet, soft, and perfect!
Get the Recipe
39
www.teatimemagazine.com
Vanilla, Sour Cream & Poppy-Seed Bundt Cake
"This lovely Vanilla, Sour Cream & Poppy-Seed Bundt Cake is the centerpiece of a festive afternoon tea."
Get the Recipe
40
White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake is a scrumptious, velvety cake with the flavors of summer. An easy-to-make popular bakery favorite.
Get the Recipe
41
Strawberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
This Strawberry Bundt Cake Recipe with Lemon Glaze is utterly delicious with fresh strawberries and lemon. A tender and moist texture from Greek yogurt make it irresistible and perfect for the season.
Get the Recipe
42
French Lemon Curd Tart
This French Lemon Curd Tart is inspired by a Tarte au Citron, or French Lemon Tart. It's a creamy, slightly tangy lemon custard filling baked in a crisp, buttery shortbread crust. It's incredibly simple to make, and utterly delicious!
Get the Recipe
43
Irish Barmbrack Tea Cake
Get the Recipe
44
Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
This easy Lemon Drizzle Cake is a beautiful recipe, perfect for days when you're craving a decadently tender dessert with abundant lemon flavoring. Or when you're looking for a traditional tea cake you know everyone will love.
Get the Recipe
45
Lemon Pound Cake
This Lemon Pound Cake is velvety soft, moist, buttery, and tender. Flavored with fresh lemon zest and juice, it's an easy to make cake that's absolutely spring perfect.
Get the Recipe
46
Apple Spice Visiting Cake
Apple Spice Visiting Cake is a buttery and moist fall cake with autumn spices that permeate every bite. It's a simple cake, with simple ingredients, to have ready for guests, or to bring to a favorite friend.
Get the Recipe
47
www.bbcgoodfood.com
Lemon drizzle cake
This top-rated Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe is perfect for afternoon tea in any season.
Get the Recipe
48
Simple Berry Trifle Recipe
This simple Berry Trifle Recipe is a super quick and easy layered dessert of fresh summer berries, delicious pound cake, and heavenly pastry cream.
Get the Recipe
49
Easy Strawberry Napoleon Dessert in Minutes
This Strawberry Napoleon is a 4-ingredient, 15-minute dessert that's fresh, pretty, and perfect for a spur-of-the-moment treat!
Get the Recipe
Afternoon Tea and High Tea: the Difference
Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, it’s good to know the difference if you’re hosting a tea party.
“High tea is not a fancy tea, as many people assume. Delectable scones, tea sandwiches, and cakes are the hallmark of an afternoon tea, which is served in midafternoon. A high tea, however, includes much more substantive fare, such as meat, fish, and egg dishes, as well as bread and desserts, and is offered in the early evening. Think of it as a light supper served with tea.”
Teacakes From One Side of the Pond to the Other
photo credit: bbcgoodfood.com
In Britain, a teacake is a light, yeast-based sweet bun containing dried fruit, like these Earl Grey Teacakes. In the U.S., teacakes can be cookies or small cakes. In Sweden, they are soft, round flat wheat bread made with milk and a little sugar and used to make tea sandwiches.
Pro Advice for Making Tea Party Desserts Ahead
A reader at BBC Good Food asked for advice on which tea sweets were easiest to make ahead. Here is some excellent pro advice.
Brownies:
“Brownies work well, cut into little squares and freeze, then place in little cupcake papers and dust with cocoa to present on the day.”
“I second the suggestion for freezing brownies. Un-iced cakes can usually be frozen. Or freeze plain vanilla cupcakes and make fairy cakes.”
Loaf Cakes:
“A tea date loaf is my all-time favorite recipe at the moment and it’s super easy. You soak the fruit in tea. It is best left to cool in the tin and I think tastes better the next day. It freezes really well and gets rave reviews from young and old.”
“You could make and freeze a rectangular banana cake for example, and the night before, take it out of the freezer and put it into the fridge to defrost overnight. In the morning, ice it with nice passionfruit icing, cut into squares and arrange on a platter.”
More Afternoon Tea Recipes
You will find delicious and easy recipes, perfect for an afternoon tea sweets course. For more afternoon tea recipes, you’ll love these, too:
Seasons of Afternoon Tea
- Queen Elizabeth Afternoon Tea Recipes
- A Winter Afternoon Tea for Chilly, Snowy Days
- Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea
- Spring Afternoon Tea: Easy Recipes and Ideas
- Beautiful Mother's Day Tea Recipes
- Easy Summer Afternoon Tea Recipes and Ideas
- An Autumn Afternoon Tea: Celebrating a Glorious Season
- An Easy Scottish Afternoon Tea to Remember
- Hosting a Christmas Afternoon Tea
I made the little coconut cakes for my tea, and they were absolutely delicious , a joy to make, the white chocolate buttercream frosting was magnificent
Hi Lori, I love those tea cakes. So happy they worked well for your party!
I am not British. But I do love everything about them!! ❤️ The tea time, the food, the desserts. My son lives there and was raised there. So when I don’t understand something, he explains it to me. And I love it even more!! I loved these tea time recipes!! Thank you for sharing them ! ❤️
I am with you, Janette! From tea to chintz and English country homes– I love it all. I’m so glad you are enjoying the tea recipes and posts. Thank you for connecting!
Yours is one of the only sights that is not only beautifully laid out in pictures and descriptions, but is easy to go through. Thank you for providing recipes without going here there and everywhere. Wonderful ideas. Thank you so much. 🌸
Beautiful suggestions!
Thank you so much, Allain!
My friend and I teach a class at Forman College OLLI program called Tea & Mystery. of coarse spring quarter and now fall has been cancelled but I hope you don’t mind I have pinned some of your ideas to use
That is a class right up my alley — I love tea and mysteries! What fun! Thank you for pinning!!
I’m a Brit living near DC. My dream is to open a tea shop one day, thank you for the wonderful recipes and beautiful photos to get me dreaming. Currently my “tea shop” is online ?
Hi Laura! Opening a tea shop would be my dream too! There’s nothing better than tea! I’m on the opposite coast as you, but when I need a British style tea fix, I hop on a ferry and cross the Puget Sound to Victoria, B.C. And it is heavenly! When you accomplish your dream — I can’t wait to come and visit! Thanks so much for the kind comments.
I love this! Beautiful, easy, and explained clearly.
Thank you, Charlotte!