How to Host a fabulous Jane Austen Tea Party
I’m a big Jane Austen fan. I love her books, movies, and I even love traveling to Jane Austen-ish places. But, I really love a Jane Austen tea party! It doesn’t have to be fancy with decorations or anything. Just some great food and yummy tea!
If you’re feeling the same way, I’ve got some fabulous recipes for you to check out. Regardless of how big or small your party will be. And regardless of how fancy you want it, there are recipes here for everyone!
I’ve got savory recipes for your afternoon tea, bread recipes for a breakfast tea and scones and cookies for any time teas, lol.
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Items you might want for your Jane Austen Tea
Here are a few items you might want when hosting your Jane Austen Tea Party.
Tablecloths
A nice solid colored table cloth (maybe with a lace cloth over it) will be a good background for your pretty tea pitcher and tea cups. Don’t make this piece too busy, that way your food and tea are the stars of the show!
Tea Set(s)
Whether you have one big tea set and everyone has the same cups or if our cups are all different doesn’t matter. You either create a classy high tea experience or a cozy tea with friends experience.
There is no wrong way to do this, but have fun with it. One fun way is to have each guest bring a tea cup to give away, and then let everyone choose their own cup.
Tea Sampler
It is a great idea to have a variety of tea choices for your guests. One way is to have several teapots with different tea labeled around the room. Another idea is to have multiple tea bags on the tables with just water in the teapots.
Plates/Dishes
Like the table cloth, you don’t want anything too distracting. Add some color to go along with your theme, but they certainly don’t have to be too fussy. Just pretty, easy and functional!
Menu for your Tea Party
As I mentioned earlier, regardless of what time of day you’re holding your Jane Austen Tea Party, you’ll want to have a wide selection of delicious offerings.
Sandwiches for your Jane Austen Tea Party
Every tea party should have a nice selection of little sandwiches or appetizers. So, if you are in need of savory afternoon tea ideas, here are some fabulous recipes to get your party started.
Jane Austen Sandwiches
Fancy Tea Sandwiches: Tarragon Chicken Salad and More
If you want to have fancy tea sandwiches at your tea party, then you'll want to check out this recipe. Aside from a variety of cut styles, I wanted a variety of fillings: tarragon chicken salad, cucumber and cream cheese, and a dilled egg salad.
Crostini: Edible Flowers + Garden Herbs
Spring garden crostini with edible flowers and herbs is a spectacular easy appetizer, perfect for a tea, garden party, wedding shower, or ladies luncheon.
Playing card sandwiches for a tea party
Jam and chocolate spread on fluffy, soft white bread is always a winning treat, right? And these wicked sandwiches are even more fun when decorated like playing cards and served at a tea party, packed lunch or picnic spread.
Spicy Avocado Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches ~Sweet & Savory
Spicy avocado egg salad sandwiched between chewy pumpernickel bread slices. Perfect texture contrast and flavor combination!
Easy Cucumber Sandwiches for Tea Time
Adorable bite-sized cucumber tea sandwiches with chive butter. It's easy to make and perfect for any tea party!
Fresh Apricot & Prosciutto Bites
These Fresh Apricot & Prosciutto Bites make a perfect light and healthy appetizer! They are easy to make and only require a few ingredients!
Delicious Chicken Salad in Homemade Puffs
A simple homemade chicken salad is elevated by the homemade puffs you serve it in! You'll love this fancy version of a classic sandwich spread.
Sweet Potato Crostini with Prosciutto & Honey-Balsamic Roasted Figs
Sweet potato crostini with prosciutto and a honey balsamic roasted fig is the ideal bite of savory and sweet to serve as a delicious appetizer or side!
Breads & Cakes for your Tea with Jane Austen
You’ll want some breads or cakes to go along with your Tea, especially if you’re having your Tea Party early in the day.
I’ve included several traditional and some unique recipes that are sure to please your tea party guests.
Breads & Cakes
Olive Oil Apple Bread
This Olive Oil Apple Bread has something for everyone. It’s an incredibly simple recipe for those who don’t consider themselves bakers. It’s only sweetened with applesauce – it has absolutely no added sweetener at all (although there is an optional maple glaze because I’m nice like that). And most importantly, it’s delicious! Juicy chunks of apple and warm spices infuse a moist, fluffy loaf.
Easy Lemon Bars With Earl Grey Tea
A fun twist on a classic summer dessert, these lemon bars feature a shortbread crust, and an earl grey-infused lemon custard. Dust with powdered sugar for the perfect snack.
Dangerously Delicious Earl Grey Pound Cake Recipe
This delicious pound cake recipe takes the traditional pound cake and raises it to a whole new level by enhancing the flavor with Earl Grey tea while retaining the dense and moist interior that pound cake is known for.
Filled red velvet cake
This filled red velvet cake has a gorgeously light and velvety sponge, just as it should, paired with a stunningly sweet and smooth cream cheese frosting.
Brazilian Cheese Bread (P�o de Queijo) - Simple Living Recipes
Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de queijo) is just so delicious. It’s crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside. It’s gluten-free and takes less than 25 minutes, start to finish.
Rose Water Tea Cake
Rosewater tea cake has a delicate crumb and texture. The use of rose water gives this dessert a hint of floral essence in this not too sweet treat.
These Hazelnut Cheesecake Bars Are Melt In Your Mouth Delicious
These delicate hazelnut cheesecake bars are melt in your mouth delicious! A perfect sweet treat that pairs well with any tea or coffee served at your next event.
Scone recipes for your Jane Austen Tea
Every tea party, especially a Jane Austen tea party, needs to have scones. There are so many delicious recipes here that you’ll want to have a variety of scones at your tea party!
So, whether you want a traditional scone, a blueberry scone or something more unique, look through this list and have some fun.
Scone Recipes
Best-Ever Blueberry Scones • Food Folks and Fun
This is the best recipe for blueberry scones. They’re completely made from scratch and perfectly studded with fresh or frozen blueberries.
Sweet and Simple Lemon Lavender Scones in Under 20 Minutes
Jane Austen fans, we are going to reunite today with a bit of tea and scones! We hosted a tea party recently and needed to come up with gorgeous and still delicious Lemon Lavender Scones for her friends! These were a huge hit with the gals and we are all still talking about them months later.
Seckel Pear & Pistachio Scones
Lovely whole grain gluten-free vegan scones for an elegant winter breakfast or brunch. Seckel pear & pistachio scones are perfect paired with a warm mug of coffee or tea.
Plain Devon Scones
This recipe is Steve's Devon standard, honed over many years of baking, and the tiny hint of sweetness works well. Serve with strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry or plum jam and clotted cream. Lemon, lime or passion fruit curd also work well. To make fruit or cherry scones, just add fruit in - see the note in the recipe for quantities
Lemon Scones With Cardamom
These Lemon Scones with Cardamom make the perfect breakfast, brunch treat menu or a good snack on-the-go. They are freezer-friendly and quick to make with a few simple ingredients!
Mini peach scones with vanilla glaze for fancy people
These dainty little peach scones are perfect for your next tea party! They are filled with juicy peaches and topped with a vanilla drizzle - heavenly!
Gluten-Free Vegan Scones
These Gluten-Free Vegan British Scones are light and flaky, and perfect topped with silky coconut cream and sweet strawberry jam!
Cookie & Biscuit Recipes for your Tea Party
Cookies and biscuits, as our neighbors across the pond call them, are a great way to round out your Jane Austen Tea Party offerings.
Whether you want the showy macron, some shortbread, or a yummy cream puff, these recipes will top off your Jane Austen Tea perfectly.
Jane Austen Recipes
Blueberry Biscuits with Lemon Glaze
This recipe for blueberry biscuits with a lemon glaze makes for a delicious treat in the summer or any time of year! Lush, ripe blueberries (or use dried!) in a flaky buttermilk biscuit with a sweet lemon glaze on the top make for a perfect mouth-watering appetizer.
Lavender Coconut Tigernut Flour Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Paleo)
Sweet, nutty, and earthy, these Lavender Coconut Tigernut Flour Cookies are an alluring and delicious treat to bake! Gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free, whether you enjoy them as a snack with afternoon tea or a healthy dessert, this recipe is bound to be a new favorite!
Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Crisp and buttery Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with a hint of tea, with just 5-ingredients and an easy lemon glaze, they’re perfect for parties, tea time, or scarfing down all by yourself!
Vegan Aquafaba Macarons
Did you know you can create picture-perfect vegan macarons using aquafaba (the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas) instead of egg whites?
Vegan Lemon and Coconut Shortbread - Kelham Island Kitchen
These simple but elegant biscuits make a great addition to any cup of tea. They are short and crumbly with fresh lemon zest and lovely warm coconut.
Easy Cream Puffs with Almond Coconut Whipped Cream
A simple recipe for cream puff shells using Pâte à Choux dough, with an almond and coconut whipped cream filling. These are an easy and impressive treat!
Basic Macaron Recipe ~Sweet & Savory
This basic macaron recipe is perfect for beginners. In this post, you’ll find all my tips and tricks for perfectly full shells with pretty little feet and smooth tops, as well as my detailed video tutorial to walk you through the entire process!
Drinks
As I mentioned earlier, having a variety of tea at your tea party will give guests some good options.
And, just in case you don’t want Tea with Jane Austen (or maybe not traditional tea), here are a few other options you might enjoy.
Jane Austen Drinks
Hibiscus Tea Cocktails (Low Sugar/Carb, GF, Keto)
Looking for something a little fancier for your tea party? You'll love this hibiscus iced tea. Not only is it delicious, but it's healthy!
Instant Pot Iced Tea – 3 Ways
Love insanely delicious Iced Tea? We show you how to make Instant Pot Iced Tea with a step-by-step image tutorial & 3 refreshing Pressure Cooker Iced Tea recipes!!
Friendship Tea Recipe
For a twist, make up a batch of this Friendship Spiced Tea mix.
Wrapping up your Jane Austen Tea Party
As you can see, from my viewpoint anyway, the main focus of a Tea Party is the food!
So, whether you make something fancy or stick with the traditional really doesn’t matter. As is always the case when we break bread with friends, it’s the company that matters!
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Becki is the author and founder of A Book Lover’s Adventures. She has a degree in elementary education, has worked and volunteered in libraries for years, and spent several years in the travel industry. All of this has led to a love of books and travel. Becki loves to share her love by finding literary escapes to share!
