November Afternoon Tea Recipes and Menu Ideas
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Savor the warmth and charm of November with an Afternoon Tea inspired by the harvest season. As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, there's a quiet joy in pausing the busyness of the month to gather around the tea table.
With fragrant brews, savory bites, and seasonal sweets, teatime becomes a moment of simple elegance in a month devoted to gratitude and thanksgiving.
"I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual."
- Henry David Thoreau
What I Love About November Teatime
This November Afternoon Tea menu is designed to celebrate the flavors of the season - pumpkin, apple, cranberry, and pecan - while keeping to the lighthearted spirit of afternoon tea. It's cozy, seasonal, and perfect for welcoming friends or family into your home before the busy holiday weeks ahead.
As the crisp winds of November sweep through our lives, we find ourselves enveloped in the spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving. In the heart of this enchanting season, we invite you to assemble your dearest friends and cherished family around the tea table, where fragrant brews and delectable morsels await.
What to Serve for a November Afternoon Tea
As November arrives, teatime naturally shifts toward warmer flavors and slightly heartier fare. The three-course structure remains: savory sandwiches and small bites, freshly baked scones, and a selection of sweets. But in this season, I like to add cozy touches - a small cup of soup, a hint of spice, a nod to Thanksgiving flavors.
A good rule of thumb for serving afternoon tea is to offer one to two types of scones, three savory options, and three sweets, which will beautifully fill most tiered stands. The fall themed afternoon tea menu below reflects this balance, but feel free to adjust depending on your table and guests.
November Tablescapes Ideas
I'm so grateful to Teatime Magazine for allowing me to share a few of their beautiful November tablescapes. These images capture the spirit of the season - cozy, elegant, and welcoming - and offer inspiration for creating your own festive Afternoon Tea at home.
The setting of a November Afternoon Tea can be as rustic or as elegant as you like.
- For a simple gathering, think seasonal fruit arranged in a bowl, small bundles of wheat sheaves, warmly colored linens, and the rustic charm of brown transferware like Spode's Delamere Brown.
- For a more formal afternoon, create an elegant table with seasonal florals, candlelight, and your favorite china, where the colors of the harvest are echoed in every detail.
Afternoon Tea Menu Idea
Here is a sample menu for a November Afternoon Tea, inspired by the harvest season and Thanksgiving flavors.
November Afternoon Tea Menu
This menu balances traditional afternoon tea courses with seasonal flavors - cozy and comforting, but still light and elegant.
Savory Course
Begin your November Tea Party with a selection of savories. Here are some ideas:
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Kale Pecan Pesto Turkey Tea Sandwiches
- Salmon Salad Tea Sandwiches
- Ginger-Orange Wild Rice Salad
- Turkey and Stuffing Canapes
Scones Course
A scones course is essential to teatime. I like to serve a simple, "plain" scone along with a seasonal offering, and for November, it almost has to be pumpkin.
Sweets Course
These seasonal ingredients are especially lovely during Thanksgiving.
SAVORIES COURSE RECIPE IDEAS
SCONES COURSE RECIPE IDEAS & BREADS
SWEETS COURSE RECIPE IDEAS
Afternoon Tea vs. High Tea: A Clarification
Afternoon Tea and High Tea are often confused, but they are very different traditions.
- Afternoon Tea: A light, elegant meal served mid-afternoon with finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets.
- High Tea: A hearty, early evening meal once common among working families, with meats, pies, and filling dishes.
This menu is very much an Afternoon Tea, inspired by the cozy flavors of November. Seasonal items, such as soup or stuffing canapés, are served in small portions, keeping them true to the spirit of teatime.
Welcoming November
"Ah! On Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South come the pilgrim and guest…" - John Greenleaf Whittier
May your November be filled with warmth, gratitude, and many opportunities for teatime. With cozy flavors and simple elegance, a seasonal Afternoon Tea becomes a pause worth savoring in this month of thanksgiving.
If you've enjoyed this menu, you might also love our Autumn Afternoon Tea, October Afternoon Tea, and September Afternoon Tea for more seasonal inspiration.
May you have a beautiful month and enjoy teatime whenever possible!
More Teatime Inspiration
View our entire collection of Afternoon Tea posts, including teatime recipes, tea party ideas by season or occasion, or be inspired by the late Queen Elizabeth's favorite afternoon tea recipes.
Tea Party Foundations
- Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches
- How to Serve an Easy Afternoon Tea
- Easy Afternoon Tea Savory Bites: Recipes and Ideas
- Afternoon Tea Scones Recipes for Your Next Tea Party
- Easy Afternoon Tea Party Desserts
- 20 Teacake Recipes for Afternoon Tea
Tea Seasons
- Christmas Afternoon Tea Recipes
- October Afternoon Tea Recipes and Ideas
- Autumn Afternoon Tea Celebrating a Glorious Season
- September Afternoon Tea Recipes and Inspirations
Teatime Inspiration
For more teatime inspiration, explore our Afternoon Tea recipes, and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for weekly favorites and seasonal ideas, or follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, or Substack.
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