29 Best Tea Party Foods for an Elegant Afternoon in 2024

Tea party food can be both elevated and easy. Planning an afternoon tea is a wonderful way to gather with friends. The tradition began in 1840 and was started by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, according to Historic UK.

At first, the tradition was to satisfy her hunger in between lunch and dinner. The Dutchess had afternoon tea in her room but then began inviting her friends to dine with her, and thus afternoon tea was born.

It became popular in the 1880s with upper-class society women. Now, afternoon tea is open to everyone and is a way to get a taste of delicious tea party foods.

Many people think tea party foods are fussy and expensive; however, they don’t have to be. Wondering what are the 3 main foods served at an afternoon tea? Traditionally, there are sandwiches, scones or teacakes and a tier of cakes.

There are traditional tea party foods, but also many modern updates to create new favorites. So, whether you’re hosting an afternoon tea for your friends on Saturday or planning a gathering for kids, there are plenty of tea party food options. Here are a few delicious options for your afternoon tea spread.

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• Make Tea Party Foods With Top-Tier Chefs
• Easy Afternoon Tea Party Food Ideas for Adults
• Fun Tea Party Foods for Kids
• Best Store-Bought Tea Party Foods

Make Tea Party Foods With Top-Tier Chefs

Learn the skills behind making delicate French pastries, homemade bread and other tea party foods during cooking classes in Houston, cooking classes in Atlanta, cooking classes in Seattle and cooking classes near you.

Expert chef instructors will teach you useful culinary techniques you can use to sharpen your charcuterie skills and to master working with garden fresh ingredients.

Take online cooking classes to sharpen your culinary skills in the comfort of your own home. Learn recipes that will elevate your tea party foods and other special celebration meals.

Easy Afternoon Tea Party Food Ideas for Adults

1. Scones and Jam

Scones are a classic tea party food, so if you’re planning an adult tea party, this is one of the best options. Plus, with a variety of scone flavors, every guest will have something to enjoy.

Fruit-flavored scones, including strawberry, blueberry, lemon and orange are popular. Chocolate and hazelnut scones are also crowd-pleasers.

And when you have traditional scones, you can pair them with various flavors of jams, jellies and marmalades to create a unique spread. 

2. Edible Flower Ice Cubes

While ice cubes may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of tea party food, these beautiful floral cubes are easy to make and create a whimsical, elevated experience for your guests. 

Use an ice tray to freeze edible flowers and herbs like chamomile, lavender, butterfly pea and squash blossoms to fill your beverages with life and color. 

3. Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches are another classic tea party food. What kind of food do you serve at a tea party? This finger food appears fancy, but it’s quite easy to make. All you need is high-quality white bread, sliced cucumber, cream cheese, herbs and seasoning.

Mix together cream cheese, herbs and seasoning and spread a thin layer across small slices of white bread. Add thinly sliced cucumber and assemble the sandwich. These delicate party appetizers will be easy to make a lot of to serve all your guests.

4. Lemon Curd-Filled Lemon Cakes

If you’re going to learn to cook, lemon cakes filled with lemon curd are one of the first recipes to know. These sweet treats have a little tang that will add a zest to any tea party.

Lemon curd is simple to whip up and will add a unique texture to a traditional cake. Make sweet and tangy lemon cakes and add a little hollow space to pipe in the curd. Opting for a smaller-sized cake will ensure your guests don’t fill up too much. Add a vanilla glaze on top for a little extra sweetness.

5. Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches aren’t the only kind of tea sandwich. With this tea party food, you can experiment with new flavors and allow your guests to experience new combinations. If you're planning your wedding with a similar tea-party theme, then this light snack is a perfect wedding food idea. 

Try tomato cheddar for a classic and refreshing combination. Ham, brie and apple is a great sweet and salty options. Steak au poivre will satisfy your savory cravings. Tea sandwiches are a fun way to blend new textures and try new ingredients.

6. Honey Cookies

Sweet honey cookies are a simple yet satisfying treat for a tea party. They have such a lovely hint of sweetness with a soft and chewy center and crisp sides.

Because honey is such a versatile ingredient, you can also try combining it with other flavors to create unique cookies. You’ll have addictive sweet bites to add to your tea party spread.

7. Apple Turnovers

If you’re looking for an easy tea party food that will delight the whole crowd, look no further than apple turnovers. These treats are easy to make and are a very popular baby shower food idea as they will please everyone. Dust the top with a little cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar or with a little bit of icing.

You can even make small, bite-sized versions to fit the dainty tea party theme. And if you’re wondering what do you serve at a morning tea party, apple turnovers are a wonderful option.

8. Mini Berry Pies

Turn one of your favorite desserts into an easy tea party food. You won’t have to change the recipe, but rather make smaller versions by filling mini tart tins rather than an entire pie dish.

This tea party food packs all the flavor in a tiny little package. Serve them on a plate with a small fork so each guest gets their own little pie. These are also great to package up and allow guests to take with them at the end of the party.

9. Blueberry Bundt Cakes

Bundt cakes always look elegant when they’re sitting on a dessert table. A blueberry bundt cake puts a fun spin on the classic dessert for a tea party.

With a drizzle of a vanilla or lemon icing, this can be a delicious treat to serve with a fruity cup of tea. Garnish the cake with fresh, sugared blueberries and it will look even more decadent before being served.

10. Classic Macarons 

French macarons will always be an elegant option for a gathering. The little sandwich pastries are available in a number of flavors and are always a delight when guests eat them.

Wondering what food is good for a tea party bridal shower? Look no further than macarons. You can even choose flavors that match the wedding colors so they’re more on-theme.

Get customized or monogrammed macarons to be one of the most unique bridal shower gift ideas or give them to guests as a thank you for coming.

Fun Tea Party Foods for Kids

11. Strawberry Cupcakes

Cupcakes will always be a beloved treat. For a kids’ tea party where the theme is pink, opt for strawberry cupcakes. They’ll fit right into the color scheme and will be one of the favorite items served on the dessert table.

Top it with a little buttercream icing and maybe some pink sprinkles. You can even make miniature versions of the strawberry cupcakes if you want to serve them among other desserts.

12. Mini Chocolate Cakes

If you’re looking for fun tea party foods for kids, they will love mini chocolate cakes. Having mini cakes for each little guest will elicit such excitement.

Serve them on small, decorative plates with their own forks. With these mini chocolate cakes, you can get creative with the decor and add a monogram, chocolate shavings or fresh berries for a pop on top.

13. Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Kids may not like the adult flavors of traditional tea sandwiches, but that doesn’t mean they have to miss out on the classic tea party food. Make miniature peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to serve in place of a cucumber one.

You can make a variety with different options of jams and jellies, so there are plenty of flavors for guests to choose from. Plus, this is a tea party food recipe that won’t take you long to recreate.

14. Sugar Cookies

You can never go wrong with sugar cookies as a tea party food for kids. These simple cookies are a favorite to even the pickiest eaters. Plus, they’re easy to prepare in bulk, so you won’t have to worry about not having enough for every guest.

Kids may even enjoy decorating them with icing and sprinkles and then eating them later for a hands-on tea party activity.

15. Petite Fours

If you want to serve a more traditional tea party dessert that a kid will still like, petite fours are a good option. They’re small cakes with a glaze frosting that come in a variety of flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate and almond.

These desserts will create an authentic tea party atmosphere and even make kids feel grown up, but they will still be something they enjoy eating and aren’t too unapproachable.

16. Turkey Sandwich Bites

For a savory tea party food idea, consider turkey sandwich bites. These are great finger food options for kids’ tea parties because they’re most likely sandwiches they already like but made to look fancy.

Make them how you would any tea sandwich with slices of turkey and cheese and maybe a little sauce if your kids like that. They’re a pleasing option even for tea party guests.

17. Mini Sausage Rolls

Another crowd-pleasing savory tea party food is mini sausage rolls or pigs in a blanket. Little bits of sausages with crescent roll dough wrapped around them are probably snacks that kids already enjoy.

Plus, they’re often served at events, so they already have the feeling of being a fancy finger food. These are easy to make a lot of and enjoyed by many. 

18. Cinnamon Rolls

Kids will rarely say no to a cinnamon roll, which makes them one of the perfect treats to serve at a tea party. You can buy premade ones that just have to go in the oven or make them from scratch at home.

Either way, these are a crowd-pleasing option, even for the youngest or pickiest kids. Serve mini versions of them if you want to have a spread of other desserts.

19. Madeleines

Another classic and elegant tea party treat that most kids will enjoy is a madeleine. These are little French sponge cakes with a slightly sweet but not too strong flavor.

Some use almond flavoring, while others may use vanilla. The subtle flavor is pleasing even to picky eaters. You can even dip them in a little bit of chocolate to make them fancier.

Madeleines are a great option for a kids’ tea party if you want it to feel a little more authentic and grown up but don’t want unapproachable, fussy foods that kids won’t want to eat.

20. Cracker Sandwiches

Cracker sandwiches are easy to put together and quick for kids to eat. No need for a complicated tea party food recipe. You can make a variety of options, so kids have a choice in which sandwiches they want.

Pair lunch meats and cheeses as well as some vegetable options to cover a wide range of taste profiles. You can put another cracker on top to create a sandwich or leave them open-faced to look a little more fancy.

Best Store-Bought Tea Party Foods

21. Eclairs

Exlairs can often be found in local bakeries and in the bakery section of some grocery stores. If you’re looking for an easy treat to buy that will still impress, this is definitely it.

These fluffy, airy pastries filled with a decadent cream and topped with chocolate will be a favorite for everyone in attendance. Plus, they’ll look impressive sitting alone or among other treats on a dessert table.

22. Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate-covered strawberries are always a pleasing option and an easy treat to serve at a tea party. Many bakeries and small bakery businesses sell chocolate-covered strawberries and can sometimes customize them with certain colors or springles to better fit your event.

These are great snacks to offer towards the beginning of the event or to give as a gift to thank guests for coming.

23. Mini Quiches

If you’re looking for brunch party ideas, mini quiches are a great food option. They’re also easily found at grocery stores and bakeries.

You can find a variety of flavors that have meats or vegetables only, so all of your guests will have an option that delights them. Larger quiches are also a great option for tea parties. With these, you can serve slices as the main dish.

24. Swirled Cinnamon Bread

Swirled cinnamon bread is a crowd-pleaser and a great option for a breakfast or brunch tea party. Buy these at a grocery store or bakery and serve them toasted.

Alongside the toasted cinnamon bread, you can serve cinnamon or regular butter, as well as different jams or spreads. This is an easy and inexpensive way to fill up your tea party spread.

25. Mini Brie Sandwiches

While you may not find assembled brie sandwiches as a store-bought tea party food, the ingredients are easily purchased at the grocery store. All you need is a wheel of brie, green apples and baguette loaves.

Assemble them with ease to make open-face sandwiches that will impress your guests. Plus, if you’re looking for ways to dress up charcuterie board ideas, this is a great way to use some of the ingredients.

26. Dinner Rolls

For afternoon tea party food ideas, dinner rolls are one of the best ideas. You can purchase these from a grocery store or bakery and pop them in the oven before serving them to guests.

Along with the rolls, you can serve a variety of spreads so guests can choose which flavors and try new ones.

27. Lemon Pound Cake

A lemon pound cake is another favorite for a tea party. The bakery section of a grocery store and bakeries will often have these available to purchase.

These can come plain or with an icing on top. Serve to guests as slices. When displaying the pound cake, you can dress up the presentation with sugared lemon slices to make it look fancier.

28. Cheddar Scones

Scones are a classic tea party food, but a cheddar one is a great option to try a savory flavor. This store-bought tea party food will be great to break up lots of the sweets and desserts.

Cheddar scones pair well with butter, chutney and cranberry sauce and can be a great option to pair with a cheese board.

29. Flatbread

Flatbreads are a great afternoon tea party food idea and one of the best savory options. You can make a variety of flatbreads so guests have a few choices of what to eat.

There are flatbreads that you can put in the oven and have ready when guests arrive. Or purchase the flatbread crust plus a few vegetables to make your own customized tea party food.

Afternoon tea has a storied history of how it came to be. Now, many people love going to afternoon tea for special occasions or to celebrate with friends and family. But you can also host your own tea party where you can create your own tea party foods.

From traditional favorites to modern twists on the classics, you have no shortage of options to create a delicious spread.

For even more fun party ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!