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Easy Afternoon Tea Party Desserts

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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!

Easy Afternoon Tea Sweets Bites and Teacakes | 31Daily.com

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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."
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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.”
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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.
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4
Horizontal side view of Lavender Earl Grey Tea Cake on a white serving stand with fresh lilacs and pansies.
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.
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5
Horizontal side view of sliced pound cake with icing and topped with fresh berries on a white serving plate.
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!
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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."
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7
www.victoriamag.com
Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Cups
"Minutes to make, these Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Cups are delectable treats chocolate lovers will appreciate."
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8
Side view of iced and sliced Orange Cake recipe with citrus zest, flowers, and orange slices served on a white rectangular serving dish.
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.
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9
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.
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10
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?”
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11
Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts on a White Tea Platter
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.
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12
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.”
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13
A creamy tart, perfect for afternoon tea, features a light, smooth filling topped with dried flower petals and rests on a wooden board. Another similar tart and a bowl of petals with a spoon blur softly in the background against the white lace tablecloth.
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!”
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14
A rectangular glazed lavender tea bread topped with sprigs of lavender sits on an ornate white platter. Beside the platter is a small bouquet of lavender tied with a purple and green checkered ribbon, all placed on a white wooden surface.
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.
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15
Tea tray with Shortbread Tea Cookies with Lemon Curd
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.
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16
Three quark mini cheesecakes, each topped with blackberries and a sprig of mint, are placed on a decorative white plate with a lace-like pattern. The plate sits on a pedestal against a dark background, with part of a green cloth visible to the side.
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.
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17
Side view of Blueberry Tarts with Lemon Curd on a plate and serving stand with Darjeeling tea.
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.
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18
10 Minute Easy Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes in Filo Shells | 31Daily.com
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.
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19
Side view of glazed almond tea cakes, topped with sliced almonds, on a white scalloped plate with tea.
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.
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20
A delightful almond cake slice sits on a decorative plate with a fork, resting on a striped napkin. The cake, crowned with sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar, tempts the senses, while more cake and a steaming cup blur beautifully in the background.
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.
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21
www.teatimemagazine.com
Blueberry-Basil Tartlets
“Blueberry-Basil Tartlets filled with juicy blueberries and fresh herbs.”
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22
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.”
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23
Horizontal view of Blueberry Banana Bread with poppies
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.
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24
Side view of pecan tassies on a white scalloped plate
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.
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25
A loaf of bread with a cracked top, dusted with powdered sugar, sits on parchment paper. Perfect for afternoon tea sweets, two slices are cut and placed nearby, one with melting butter. A small dish with butter pats is next to the bread on a wire cooling rack.
www.donnahay.com.au
Date And Tea Loaf
A simple recipe made with dates, pantry ingredients, and brewed English Breakfast tea.
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26
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.”
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27
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."
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28
A tower of pink, yellow, and green macarons arranged on a multi-tiered stand graces the afternoon tea setup. The background features blurred greenery and a table adorned with additional sweets.
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.”
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29
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."
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30
A pink floral teacup filled with tea sits on a saucer, perfect for an afternoon delight. In the foreground are two sweets drizzled with icing, while a tiered tray with more pastries graces the background. Pink roses and petals are scattered around the charming setting.
www.goodhousekeeping.com
Easy to make cheat’s chocolate biscuits
"These chocolate biscuits are great for an impromptu afternoon tea.”
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31
Horizontal view of teatime Lemon Meringue Cookies.
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.
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32
Side view of stacked Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies with a white teapot in the background
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.
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33
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.”
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34
www.teatimemagazine.com
Glazed Lemon Cookies
“These Glazed Lemon Cookies are full of zesty citrus flavor.”
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35
Closeup of Lemon Tea Cookies on a Teal Cake Stand
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.
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36
Easy Vanilla Tea Cake Cookies on a Glass Platter
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.
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37
A simple, 2 layer Victoria Sponge Cake, layered with fresh strawberries and cream.
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!
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38
A delightful Bundt cake with poppy seeds, perfect for afternoon tea, dusted with powdered sugar on a floral plate. A slice is cut out, revealing the tender interior. Behind the cake sits a decorative teapot adorned with pink flowers on a green and white cloth-covered table.
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.”
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39
Closeup view of White Chocolate Raspberry Cake on a stand
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.
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40
Closeup view of Strawberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
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.
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41
Top view of Lemon Curd Tart with sliced lemons
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!
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42
Horizontal view of sliced Irish Barmbrack bread with teapot in the background
Irish Barmbrack Tea Cake
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43
Top view of sliced Lemon Drizzle Cake with lemon slices
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.
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44
Side view of Lemon Pound Cake on a White Cake Stand
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.
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45
Wrapped Apple Spice Visiting Cake and Plaid Ribbon
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.
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46
www.bbcgoodfood.com
Lemon drizzle cake
This top-rated Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe is perfect for afternoon tea in any season.
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47
Closeup side view of Layered Berry Trifle Recipe
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.
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48
A Quick and Easy Strawberry Napoleon Dessert in Minutes | 31Daily.com
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!
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Afternoon Tea and High Tea: the Difference

Easy Afternoon Tea Sweets Bites and Teacakes | 31Daily.com

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

Easy Afternoon Tea Sweets Bites and Teacakes | 31Daily.com

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

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13 Comments

  1. 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

  2. I am not British. But I do love everything about them!! โค๏ธ 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 ! โค๏ธ

    1. 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!

      1. 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. ๐ŸŒธ

  3. 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

    1. That is a class right up my alley — I love tea and mysteries! What fun! Thank you for pinning!!

  4. Iโ€™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 โ€œtea shopโ€ is online ?

    1. 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.

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