Easy Irish Afternoon Tea
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Experience the charm of an Irish Afternoon Tea. From savory bites to sweet treats, find inspiration for a tea gathering filled with Irish delights.
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As St. Patrick’s Day nears, thoughts turn toward the green grassy hills of Ireland. An Irish Afternoon Tea isn’t far from your mind if you are a tea lover.
When they can come, my mother, my siblings, and I would love to gather for tea in March. It’s a cozy time to share Irish tea and stories of our ancestors and ready ourselves for spring.
Here, you will find beautiful ideas for celebrating all things Irish, gathering your friends around a generous tea table, and serving Irish fare common to the Emerald Isle.
photo credit: teatimemagazine.com
Three Irish Tea Times
Ireland has three official tea times.
- Elevenses – Served at 11:00 AM with scones and biscuits (cookies), enough to hold you over until lunch. Don’t forget to have some clotted cream, custard sauce, marmalades, and jams for the scones.
- Afternoon Tea includes light, sweet items between 3:00 and 5:00 PM.
- High Tea is served at 6:00 PM and is often called supper or dinner. It is more popular in the North than the South and includes substantial fare like meat, fish, breads, fruit, and that most special Irish cheese.
Irish Afternoon Tea Table
An afternoon tea table can be as simple as a small occasional table, moved to the garden, as in our Summer Afternoon Tea post, or a setting on a tea cart, as I’ve done here, or at your breakfast or dining table.
This is the time to bring out crisp linens, china, and a three-tiered stand if you have one. I also love to include simple arrangements of shamrocks on my table, which are easy to find at most grocery stores.
My father brought home Irish linens from a recent trip to Ireland that we love to use. If you’re fortunate enough to have a Shamrock tea set, there isn’t a better time to use it. We use my mother’s set from Christmas and on into the year.
Any teapot and teacups, crisp linens, or scraps of lace, Irish or not, will do just fine when serving authentic and delicious teatime snacks.
Celtic music softly playing in the background is a beautiful touch.
Teaware for an Irish Tea Party
Here are a few ideas and resources you might want to consider while planning your Irish Afternoon Tea.
- Teatime in Ireland: From country castles and Kerry kitchens to casual tearooms and Dublin drawing rooms, this colorful collection offers more than seventy recipes that will take you seamlessly from a morning cuppa to an afternoon tea party.
- Shamrock Tea Sets: Fine porcelain teaware from teacups and teapots to dessert plates, cake stands, and more.
- Lace Table Runner: A beautiful lace table runner that brings to mind the Irish Lace of old.
Teatime Snacks for an Irish Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea can be as simple or elaborate as you choose.
It can be a gathering of two or plenty. While tea is, of course, the main event, teatime treats are usually expected. Our article on How to Serve an Easy Afternoon Tea is helpful when planning your tea and even tea courses.
Irish scones are a must for me, but it’s also nice to have a selection or two of tea sandwiches and tea-savory finger food.
And tea sweets can be as simple as a plate of shamrock shortbread cookies or an Irish cake.
Irish Afternoon Tea Recipes
Ham and Irish Cheddar Tea Sandwiches
"These tasty Ham & Irish Cheddar Tea Sandwiches are a lovely savory to serve for teatime. Ham & Irish Cheddar Tea Sandwiches pictured with Smoked Salmon & Boursin Canapés and Irish Butter & Radish Canapés. "
Egg and Tomato Tea Sandwiches
"Egg and tomato come together beautifully in these delicious and dainty Egg & Tomato Tea Sandwiches."
Egg Salad Sandwiches Irish Style
"Hard boiled egg, tomato, green onions, lettuce and mayonnaise create a true taste of Ireland in these savory tea sandwiches."
Irish Butter and Radish Canapes
"Irish Butter & Radish Canapés are a simple yet oh-so satisfying savory full of delicious flavor. Irish Butter & Radish Canapés.
Warm Vichyssoise Soup Recipe
Potato Soup is a quintessential Irish Fair. This incredibly easy, 15-minute potato soup recipe is perfect for an afternoon of tea.
Cream of Parsnip Soup
Cream of Parsnip Soup is a rich, velvety soup of pureed vegetables that is creamy and delicious. Perfect for an Irish tea with shamrock colors and root vegetables.
Apple and Pork Sausage Rolls
"Delectable puff pastry, fresh apples, and pork sausage combine to create scrumptious Apple & Pork Sausage Rolls."
Irish Scones
This traditional Irish Scones recipe is a light and delicious scone made with Irish butter and buttermilk. Lightly sweet with a moist, tender texture. Perfect for afternoon tea.
Easy Mini Irish Soda Bread
Easy Mini Irish Soda Bread is a treat not only for St. Patrick’s Day, but for an Irish Afternoon Tea as well. They’re moist and tender with melted butter, sweetened with raisins, and rich with buttermilk. And to me… perfect in every way."
Irish Soda Bread Muffins with Buttermilk and Raisins
Irish Soda Bread Muffins with Buttermilk and Raisins is a delightful twist on classic Irish Soda Bread. They’re sweet, delicious, and festive for St. Patrick’s Day or any day you feel like celebrating in March!
Bunratty Folk Park Scones
Flavored by raisins and buttermilk, these toothsome Bunratty Folk Park Scones are a wonderful Irish treat for afternoon tea.
Raspberry-Rhubarb Tray Bake
"Raspberry and rhubarb combine to create a lovely and simple-to-prepare confection in Raspberry-Rhubarb Tray Bake."
Irish Apple Crumble Cake
This Irish Apple Crumble Cake is a moist and tender, buttery cake that's packed with fresh apples and topped with a delicious crumble. And easy? Oh my, yes. Delicious? Absolutely!
Irish Barmbrack Tea Cake
Irish Barmbrack Tea Cake is an utterly delicious, speckled tea bread, much like Irish Freckle Bread, that’s moist, tender, and perfect for teatime, snacks, or breakfast.
Tea Brack
"Tea brack — a.k.a. Irish Freckle Bread — is a moist, close-grained, packed-with-fruit breakfast bread. Based on Ireland's classic yeasted barm brack, this quicker version is just as popular in that country, where its only sweetness comes from the raisins and sultanas it's packed with." U.S. measurements.
Apple-Brandy Tea Bread
"Serve this scrumptious Apple-Brandy Tea Bread with Irish butter for afternoon tea or gift to loved ones for a thoughtful sweet treat."
Irish Cream Panna Cotta
Serve Irish Cream Panna Cotta, topped with strawberries and pretty edible flowers, as a delightfully creamy dessert to conclude a lovely afternoon tea. Irish Cream Panna Cotta pictured with Brownies with Plum Buttercream.
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.
Coconut Cream Pie Bites
This twist on a classic custardy coconut cream pie delivers everything you love, in bite-sized teatime portions.
Easy 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.
White Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts
Using, of course, delicious Irish Butter!
Victoria Sponge Cake
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!
O'Neills Shamrock Shortbread Cookies, 5.6 Ounce
Not a recipe, but an easy addition to delicious homemade sweets for tea.
Irish Shortbread with Lemon and Currants
Irish Shortbread with Lemon and Currants is an incredibly delicious variation on tradition. It's easy to make, keeps well, and is just plain pretty!
How to Brew Irish Breakfast Tea
Irish Breakfast Tea is a robust blend of black tea that is hearty and delicious. Which makes it the perfect cup of tea to wake up to. Take it as the Irish do, with a splash of milk and maybe a scone or two. Here's how to brew that perfect cup of Irish Breakfast Tea.
Tea for Irish Afternoon Tea
Ireland’s choice of tea is strongly flavored black tea, most often served with milk and sugar. Here are a few ideas for tea to serve. For more tea choices, you may want to see our 8 Top Teas for Afternoon Tea.
- Barry’s Black Tea
- Irish Breakfast Tea (or see our guide on how to brew Irish Breakfast Tea)
- Bewley’s Irish Afternoon Tea
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