Easy Afternoon Tea Savory Bites: Recipes and Ideas
An Afternoon Tea isn’t complete without savory bites. Along with tea sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, preserves, and tea cakes, a well-rounded Afternoon Tea serves a smidgen of savory bites as well.
The ritual of Afternoon Tea, as you likely know, began when Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford and a close friend of Queen Victoria, complained of “having that sinking feeling” during the late afternoon. She needed something small, just enough to satisfy that in-between time, before dinner.
Thank you, Anna, Duchess of Bedford, for this lovely ritual.
We’ve found the most beautiful Afternoon Tea Savory Recipes, most of which are easy, with make-ahead tips you’ll want to note for your next Afternoon Tea.
Whether that be for two or a gathering.
There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
Henry James
Savory Recipes for Afternoon Tea
Offering guests a selection of savory recipes for afternoon tea is a delightful way to share teatime. Look for recipes for tea sandwiches, you may like to take a look at our post, Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches for more ideas.
It’s also nice to offer savory pastries with light but flavorful fillings and toppings. Cucumber, vegetables and seafood as always popular.
How to Serve Savory Recipes for Afternoon Tea
In the 19th century, the three-tiered tea tray became a convenient way and space-saving way to serve afternoon tea. of offering afternoon tea. It would have been set near the center of the table surrounded by teapots, cups, bowls, and spreads.
In early years, the top tier was reserved for scones, the middle plate held sweets like petits fours, and the bottom tier was for tea sandwiches. Guests would serve themselves from the bottom tier to the top.
Today, “the accepted rule of thumb generally remains that the food is served from the bottom tier up. This emphasis on course order makes etiquette easy, as well as provides the aesthetic benefit of a full top tier throughout tea.”
Imagination and creativity now replace some of the ideas held for savories in customized arrangements best suited to the gathering.
For instance, the savory tier can combine tea sandwiches, quiches, pastries, and other savories too.
While the tiered tray makes serving tea offerings easy, tea trays can be a pedestal arrangement of a dinner plate, salad plate, and bread-and-butter plate or like-sized plates easily slid into position in a wrought-iron serving rack.” The beauty of tea trays is that it gives food height, saves space and gives a “graceful nod to 19th-century tradition.”
Easy Afternoon Tea Savory Bites
Mini Salmon Croquette Canapes
“Lemon juice and dill provide subtle complements to the mild taste of salmon. Coated in bread crumbs and fried in hot oil, our Mini Salmon Croquette Canapés have a pleasing crunch atop French-bread crostini. A topping of citrus aïoli unites the hors d’oeuvres for an experience in flavor and texture.”
Simple Ham Salad: Quick and Delicious
A simple ham salad recipe elevated to incredible with the addition of a few unique ingredients. And is utterly delicious. Ready in 10 minutes, it's a salad you'll make all season!
Cucumber Canapes with Dilled Butter
“Enjoy these simple yet delicious Cucumber Canapés with Dilled Butter at your next tea.
Sweet Pea and Leek Tartlets
"Our Sweet Pea and Leek Tartlets are delicious alone or as an accompaniment to a savory sampling. Here, goat cheese blends with a medley of sautéed herbs and vegetables—tarragon, parsley, sweet peas, and leeks—all baked in a flaky pastry shell. A fresh sprig adds a lively finishing touch."
Cherry Tomato Tartlets
Light and Fresh, these Cherry Tomato Tartlets are a perfect savory for Afternoon Tea.
Avocado-Egg Salad Canapes
“Fresh dill and a hint of Dijon mustard give these Avocado-Egg Salad Canapés extra flavor.”
Easy Mini Quiche Recipe
Homemade Mini Quiche is so incredibly easy to make, you'll find yourself skipping the freezer section of your market. Delicious party food, teatime snack (or coffee break too), this recipe shows you how simple it is to make 3 different mini quiche varieties in one mini muffin tin.
Deliciously Easy Asparagus and Cheese Mini Tarts
"These easy asparagus and cheese mini tarts make a beautiful addition to Afternoon Tea. Its pungent, herbaceous flavor partners so well with cheese and with store-bought pastry, it’s minutes in the making."
Salmon Frittatas
“Fresh tarragon, new potatoes, shallots, baby green peas, and Gruyère cheese gives these Salmon Frittatas plenty of flavor.”
Bruschetta Canapes
"Bringing a taste of Rome to the offerings are Bruschetta Canapés, savory triangles topped with a seasoned Campari tomato mixture."
Chinese Green Salad Baskets
“These Chinese Green Salad Baskets full of bright and lively flavor.”
Shrimp-Tapenade Canapes
“These Shrimp-Tapenade Canapés make excellent finger foods for any occasion.” Or, to make it really simple, use store-bought tapenade and crackers.
Lemon-Lime Scallop Canapes
“These zesty Lemon-Lime Scallop Canapés bring an excellent citrus flavor to any tea.”
Ham, Corn, and Chive Crustless Quiche
"A crustless quiche like this Ham, Corn, and Chive Crustless Quiche is a perfect addition to the savory course when one of your guests has a gluten allergy."
Summer Squash Tartlets
"Squash and zucchini have never looked prettier than when sliced into ribbons and rolled up to form the rosettes that top the pine nut filling of these savory tartlets."
Easy Crustless Quiche with Bacon, Cheese and Spinach
This Crustless Quiche with Bacon, Cheese, and Spinach is an easy, delicious and simple quiche made healthier and low carb without a crust. Much like our always popular Bacon, Cheese, and Spinach Quiche.
Garam Masala Grilled Chicken & Black-Eyed Pea Canapes
"A tasty combination of green grapes, Labneh, chicken, black-eyed peas, and fresh herbs sit atop a rice cracker in Garam Masala Grilled Chicken & Black-Eyed Pea Canapés."
Easy Bacon, Cheese and Spinach Quiche
This Easy Bacon, Cheese, and Spinach Quiche recipe is familiarly delicious and simply executed with a mere 10 minutes or less of prep.
Smoked Salmon Canapes
"These Smoked Salmon Canapés are perfect additions for spring and summer menus."
Easy Asparagus Quiche Recipe
Easy Asparagus Quiche recipe begins with a premade crust and is filled with fresh spring asparagus, green onions, savory bacon, and shredded Gruyère cheese. A simple but perfect brunch recipe.
Salmon Quiche with Spinach, Dill, and Mozzarella
Whether you’re baking for brunch, afternoon tea, or simply a gathering of friends, this Salmon Quiche with Spinach, Dill and Mozzarella is a treat your guests will love. It is light, creamy and custardy with the seafood and savory flavors we all love. It is also so easy to make, and so pretty to serve!
Easy Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
This Broccoli Cheddar Quiche is an easy, utterly delicious treat for brunch, teatime, or even light dinner. Creamy, custardy, and delicious.
Easy Classic Spinach Quiche
This easy Classic Spinach Quiche, in the tradition of Quiche Florentine, is a soft and custardy quiche that's simple to make, utterly delicious, and perfect for brunch or tea.
Salmon and Fennel Tartlets
“The rich flavor found in these Salmon and Fennel Tartlets make them an excellent contender for your teatime favorite.”
Italian Spinach-Artichoke Crostini
“A taste of Tuscany comes right to the table in these Italian Spinach-Artichoke Crostini.”
Easy Afternoon Tea Savory Recipes and Ideas
For elegant, easy, and delicious savory finger foods to occupy the bottom tier or your tea server. For placement of foods on a 3-Tier serving platter, see our “How to Serve an Afternoon Tea.”
Afternoon Tea at 31Daily
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Divine recipes suitable for so many occasions!
Love your list of ideas. I have been searching for a list of savory offerings. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Jane. It always seems like the savory selections take a bit more thought!