Pretty cakes, tender scones, delicate sandwiches, all the afternoon tea recipes you’ll need for a Bridgerton style tea party at home.
Bring a little Bridgerton magic to your table with an elegant afternoon tea that’s romantic, classic, and just a touch rebellious ~ these afternoon tea recipes are perfect for a garden party, bridal shower, or a dreamy afternoon spent binge-watching the Ton.
How to arrange your afternoon tea tray
the classic tiered tray:
- The bottom tray: finger sandwiches, mini quiches, or other savory bites. These are eaten first.
- The middle tray: plain or fruit scones with clotted cream and jam served alongside.
- The top tray: small cakes, pastries, shortbread, macarons, or other delicate desserts.
the Bridgerton tray:
In the spirit of the Ton, don’t stress about being perfectly correct or historically accurate with your ingredients or arrangement.
Choose what you love and what feels festive. Just keep everything petite, pretty, and easy to eat in a few bites ~ true finger food is the real rule that matters.
Shortbread
Shortbread is an essential part of any afternoon tea. After you’ve tried the traditional Scottish recipe you can get a little crazy with something new.
Above: Scottish Shortbread
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Tea cakes
This is definitely the most indulgent of my afternoon tea recipes. Full sized cakes will go on a plate or cake stand separate from the tiered tea tray.
Above: Classic Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe (with a convenient twist)
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Cookies
Cookies might be the perfect afternoon tea recipe ~ they’re small, stackable, and bite sized.
Above: Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines
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Scones
All my scone recipes can be made into ‘minis’ for a tea tray. Reduce the baking time, and temp by 25 degrees.
Above: Classic Cream Scones Recipe
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Bars & small bites
Slice brownies, blondies, and bars into small squares perfect for elegant afternoon snacking.
Above: Strawberry Lemon Blondies
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Clotted Cream
Clotted cream is a classic afternoon tea component, and luckily I’ve got three clotted cream recipes you can make right in your own kitchen.
Above: How to Make Clotted Cream
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Fruit curd
An absolute non-negotiable for scones. My fruity versions are so colorful and unique (think winter cranberries and spring rhubarb.) You can even make curd in minutes, in the microwave!
Above: Honey Meyer Lemon Curd
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Tea sandwiches
Might be my favorite part of afternoon tea! Make them any shape or size you like. Use thin sliced bread, or get creative and make little cream cheese sandwiches with quick breads like Date Nut Bread or Classic Zucchini Bread.
How to make tea sandwiches
- Start with 2 slices of thin bread.
- Butter each half with a thin layer of softened butter. This helps keep the bread fresh and keeps the fillings from making the bread soggy.
- Spread your fillings from edge to edge on one piece and place the other on top. Press down slightly.
- Trim the crusts after assembly, with a sharp serrated knife.
- Slice into triangles, small squares, or batons ~ use a light hand on the delicate sammies.
Tips for making cut out shaped tea sandwiches
- Cut the bread with your cookie cutter first to avoid waste.
- Spread the filling end to end on one half, then top with the other.
- For my heart shaped tea sandwiches I made a pretty pink whipped cream cheese and smoked salmon filling (just blitz whipped cream cheese and hot or cold smoked salmon together in your small food processor with a little lemon.)
Fun non-traditional Bridgerton-worthy fillings for tea sandwiches
- Nutella + thin slices of strawberry
- cream cheese and hot pepper jelly or chili crisp
- strawberry chicken salad (just add chopped strawberries to your favorite chicken salad)
- PB and jelly or banana
- Whipped cream cheese mixed with powdered freeze dried strawberries
How to keep your tea sandwiches from drying out
If you aren’t serving your tea sandwiches immediately, be sure to place them in a storage container or tray and cover with damp paper towels. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to several hours ahead of time.
Little savories
These savory afternoon tea recipes help balance out the rich sweets on a tea tray. If you’re pressed for time the frozen mini quiches from Whole Foods are perfect!
Above: RITZ Cracker Canapés
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Tea
It’s the star of any afternoon tea, but you don’t have to rely on those little bags. I’ve got recipes for beautiful herbal teas (technically they’re tisanes) you can make at home.
Above: How to Make Chamomile Tea
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I’m English and have had tea with “a little something “ for as long as I can remember. Since downsizing, I no longer have guests for dinner, but tea parties are still special. This recent group of recipes are spot on. They’re explicit and interesting and will add to my repertoire. I’m sure they’ll be good as I have used many of your recipes previously. Thank you.
Thanks so much Sharon, I appreciate that 🙂
Beautiful photos. Correct placement: top tier Scones, middle sandwiches and savory, bottom sweets. Balance menu choices and viola a fun afternoon tea. Scones may also be served warm in a basket.
Thank you Ellen!
Oh my goodness, this all looks amazing and worthy of a decadent afternoon tea indeed!