An Autumn Afternoon Tea: Celebrating a Glorious Season

An Autumn Afternoon Tea Party is a perfect time to treat yourself, friends, and family to a beautiful respite during the fall busy season.

Autumn and tea go hand in hand with the stormy weather, gorgeous fall colors, seasonal occasions to gather, creating a warm and memorable gathering that will be remembered throughout the cold days of winter.

To learn the differences between Afternoon Tea and High Tea: Visit our British Tea Primer.

We’ve gathered some easy yet beautiful ideas to host your own Autumn Tea.

An Autumn Afternoon Tea Menu

From the first warming cup of tea to the last, your guests will be delighted with our flavorful autumn tea menu. The menu is redolent with fall’s favorite spices—rich vanilla beans, silky cinnamon, fragrant cloves, and crunchy peppercorns—the perfect complements to ripe pears, creamy pumpkin, and salted caramel.

Polish the Silver

Get a jumpstart on the season by polishing your silver and celebrating with an Autumn Tea Party. This set is a stunning sterling silver Gorham Strasbourg teapot.

How to Polish Silver >

Autumn China

If you’re fortunate to have autumn china, serve with seasonal elements, and tiny goodies.

Autumn Afternoon Tea Scones

The autumn season almost begs for scones. Filled with warm, fall spices, they are the epitome of a fall themed Afternoon Tea.

Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Brown Butter Glaze

Almost like a soft pumpkin cookie, this scone is a perfect addition to any fall Afternoon Tea. The brown butter adds a nice nutty taste to the glaze.
Get the Pumpkin Pecan Scones recipe >

Vanilla Bean Scones with Pear Spiced Compote

“These vanilla bean scones have just a hint of vanilla and taste even better served with a spiced pear compote.”
Get the Vanilla Bean Scones recipe >

Brown Sugar Butter Pecan Scones

A melt-in-your-mouth scone, perfect to welcome fall.
Get the Brown Sugar Butter Pecan Scone recipe >

Petite Apple Cinnamon Scones

A delightful and delicious addition to any fall tea.
Get the recipe here >.

Perfect Spiced Pumpkin Spice Scones

Inspired by Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Scones, these are packed with pumpkin and delicious fall spices.
Get the Perfect Spiced Pumpkin Spice Scones recipe >

Fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones

“Fresh diced apple and cinnamon chips complement each other beautifully, flavor-wise; and a topping of crunchy, cinnamon-enhanced coarse sugar is the perfect foil to the scones’ tender texture.”
Get the Fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones recipe >

Scottish Oat Pecan Scones

These Scottish Oat Maple Scones are crumbly and amazingly delicious. Perfect for an autumn afternoon tea with that quintessentially favorite maple flavor. Serve with a dab of Irish butter.
Get the Scottish Oat Maple Scones recipe >

15-Minute Pumpkin Scones

With 3 simple ingredients… and 15 minutes, these pumpkin scones are incredibly easy. Almost not a recipe at all.
Get the 15-Minute Pumpkin Scones recipe >

Fall Afternoon Tea Sandwiches

Perfect respite for Afternoon Tea.

Heirloom-Tomato Crostini

This Heirloom-Tomato Crostini is a flavorful bite of Campari tomato, fresh basil, and Boursin cheese.
Get the Heirloom-Tomato Crostini recipe >

Turkey and Apple Goat Cheese Tea Sandwiches

These tea sandwiches combine “sweet honey and peppered turkey, tangy dill, creamy goat cheese, and crisp, tart green apples sandwiched between a decadent homemade cranberry orange bread.”
Get the Turkey and Apple Goat Cheese recipe >

Goat Cheese Pecan Tea Sandwiches

“Instead of pimiento cheese for your party sandwiches, try this filling of creamy goat cheese and crunchy pecans.”
Get the Goat Cheese Pecan Tea Sandwiches recipe >

Kale Pecan Pesto and Turkey Tea Sandwiches

“Turkey and a kale-pecan pesto are layered in these Kale-Pecan Pesto and Turkey Tea Sandwiches.”
Get the Kale Pecan Pesto and Turkey Tea Sandwiches recipe >

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

Mix it up with these Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels… “It doesn’t get any easier than this 5 ingredient pinwheel! Chive and Onion cream cheese, deli turkey meat, spinach, a few dried cranberries and a large tortilla!”
Get the Turkey Cranberry Pinwheel recipe >

Smoked Turkey Waldorf Croissants

Crunchy apples, pecans, and dried cranberries add zip to Smoked Turkey Waldorf Sandwiches.
Get the Smoked Turkey Waldorf Sandwiches recipe >

Autumn Savory Ideas for Afternoon Tea

With cooling temperatures, warm up guests with a selection of delicious savory options for Afternoon Tea.

Pork and Mushroom Puff Pastry Swirls

“Ground pork, mushrooms, and a honey-mustard sauce combine to make Pork and Mushroom Puff Pastry Swirls a delicious teatime savory.”
Get the Pork and Mushroom Puff Pastry Swirls recipe >

Sweet Potato Crostini with Cheese, Pear and Thyme

Incredibly simple, yet profoundly delicious and special for any autumn tea.
Get the Sweet Potato Crostini with Cheese, Pear and Thyme recipe >

Curried Squash Soup

“A bowl of velvety Curried Squash Soup is a perfect addition to any fall tea.”
Get the Curried Squash Soup recipe >

Salmon-Cucumber Canapés with Wasabi Aïoli

“These scrumptious salmon canapés are perfect any time of day.”
Get the Salmon-Cucumber Canapés with Wasabi Aïoli recipe >

Apple-Chicken Sausage Crostini with Apple-Kale Slaw

“Crisp apples, chicken, sausage, kale, and tangy vinaigrette slaw combine to make savory teatime crostini bites.”
Get the Apple-Chicken Sausage Crostini with Apple-Kale Slaw recipe >

Butternut Squash Pear Soup

“Butternut Squash-Pear Soup — Delight in the complexity of our Butternut Squash–Pear Soup. The popular harvest gourd—roasted with garlic until tender—joins the succulent Bartlett variety in a velvety purée that includes onion, shallot, and chicken broth. Rosemary and ginger lend woodsy, Asian flair, and shaved Parmesan crowns the flavorful bisque.”
Get the Butternut Squash Pear Soup recipe >

Apricot-Chive Chicken Salad in Puff Pastry Shells

“This easy chicken salad gets a new twist by adding apricot.”
Get the Apricot-Chive Chicken Salad in Puff Pastry Shells recipe >

Bacon Dip and Sweet Potato Canapés

Make your own sweet potato chips in the microwave for these Bacon Dip and Sweet Potato Canapés… or a bag of store-bought chips works too!
Get the Bacon Dip and Sweet Potato Canapés recipe >

Pumpkin Leek Tarts

“Prosciutto, leeks, and fresh thyme add a savory flavor to pumpkin in these Pumpkin-Leek Tarts.”
Get the Pumpkin Leek Tarts recipe >

Fall Sweets for Afternoon Tea

Occupying the top tier of the tea server, or served all on their own, autumn sweets will make an Afternoon Tea memorable.

Pumpkin Cakes

“Filled with Cream Cheese Frosting, these Pumpkin Cakes are a rich fall dessert.” And perfect for an Autumn Afternoon Tea.
Get the Pumpkin Cakes recipe >

Pumpkin Pound Cake

A lovely addition to any tea or fall meal.
Get the recipe here >

Gingerbread Pear Loaf

“Gingerbread-Pear Loaf holds a surprise: tart Bosc pears that reveal their shapely forms when the bread is sliced.”
Get the Gingerbread Pear Loaf recipe >

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

“Buttercream frosting sandwiched between traditional pecan shortbread halves is a welcome update to the classic cookie.”
Get the Pecan Shortbread Cookies recipe >

Tiered Fall-Themed Goodies

Caramel Apple Grapes

“Caramel Apple Grapes are the perfect snack! Grapes dipped in caramel and then in nuts. A little treat that tastes like caramel apple in every bite.” And I would add, an easy and beautiful addition to any tea!
Get the recipe here >

Gingerbread Petits Four

An iconic taste of the season, perfect for any gathering, and extra special for an Autumn Tea.
Get the recipe here >

Pumpkin Hummingbird Cake

A stunning addition to any tea or holiday gathering!
Get the recipe here >

Cranberry Walnut Tarts

Get the recipe here >

Afternoon Tea at 31Daily

For ideas and recipes on scones, savory courses, sweets and more, visit our Afternoon Tea link here.

To read more on hosting or serving your own Afternoon Tea, be sure to check out these helpful posts:

How to Serve an Easy Afternoon Tea

Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches for Your Next Tea Party

Autumn Afternoon Tea Table Ideas