Christmas is just around the corner and it’s that time of year when the air gets colder and you start to wear cosy clothing to keep warm.
You’ll also tend to be indoors more often than not to escape the cold weather.
In doing so, you’ll tend to eat more frequently and indulge in all the classic Christmas food that tastes amazing.
That makes it the perfect time of year to create an afternoon tea at home.
What if you could sprinkle some festive magic on this age-old tradition?
In this post, we will take a look at some Christmas afternoon tea ideas that are sure to go down well during the holiday festivities.
Christmas Afternoon Tea Ideas
Tea Selection
Okay, let’s start with the most important part of the Christmas afternoon tea puzzle, the tea selection.
The great news is that thanks to loose leaf tea, there is a wide variety of flavours to choose from, meaning you’ll have an abundance of ideas for Christmas tea.
Loose-leaf tea has flavours best for each season, including the Christmas season.
Other seasonal teas include:
As you can see, the versatility of loose-leaf tea is excellent, making it a great addition to your Christmas afternoon tea party.
Your guests can try all of their favourite Christmas tea flavours. Christmas Day tea ideas include:
You’ll have their taste buds tingling at the very smell of the sweet aroma of your freshly brewed Christmas tea.
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are a staple of afternoon tea, so Christmas afternoon tea should be no different.
Similar to tea, sandwiches offer immense versatility, making them the perfect partner to pair up with your Christmas afternoon.
Here are some creative Christmas finger sandwiches along with their festive fillings:
- Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich:
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- Roast turkey slices.
- Cranberry sauce or chutney.
- Stuffing.
- Baby spinach or rocket.
- Mayonnaise or cream cheese.
- Whole-grain or cranberry bread.
- Christmas Club Sandwich:
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- Sliced turkey or chicken.
- Bacon strips.
- Lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
- Cranberry aioli (mix cranberry sauce with mayonnaise for a spread).
- Sourdough or whole-grain bread.
- Brie and Apple Sandwich:
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- Thinly sliced Brie cheese.
- Sliced apples (try Granny Smith for a tart contrast).
- Pecans or walnuts for crunch.
- Honey or fig preserves.
- Baguette or ciabatta.
- Leftover Roast Vegetable Sandwich:
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- Roasted vegetables (e.g., butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, or sweet potatoes).
- Goat cheese or cream cheese.
- Fresh herbs (such as rosemary or thyme).
- Balsamic glaze.
- Multigrain or sourdough bread.
- Cranberry and Brie Panini:
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- Sliced Brie cheese.
- Cranberry sauce.
- Baby spinach or rocket.
- Sourdough or ciabatta bread.
- Butter or olive oil for grilling.
Scones
The truth is that scones are an all-year-round delicacy.
But they also happen to be a big part of afternoon tea.
What you can do is add a Christmas twist to your succulent scones just to add to the Christmas cheer.
Bake your scones and add in Christmas ingredients such as cranberry or cinnamon.
You’ll impress your guests by turning a basic all-year-round food into a household Christmas classic.
Go a step further and decorate the scones with a dusting of powdered sugar to resemble snow.
Pastries and Treats
No afternoon tea is complete without pastries and treats.
Thankfully, the Christmas period is perfect for serving great-tasting food such as these.
When making these treats, you can get creative with your decorations and flavourings to make them truly festive. They’re perfect for sharing with loved ones or giving as gifts during the holiday season.
Here are a few Christmas-inspired ideas for your Christmas afternoon tea pastries and treats:
- Gingerbread Cookies – A Christmas classic, gingerbread cookies can be shaped into various holiday-themed figures and decorated with royal icing.
- Sugar Cookies – Cut out sugar cookies in the shape of snowflakes, ornaments, or Santa Claus. Decorate with coloured icing and sprinkles.
- Peppermint Bark – Layered white and dark chocolate, sprinkled with crushed candy canes, and then broken into pieces.
- Fruitcake – A dense, spiced cake filled with candied fruits and nuts. Traditionally soaked in rum or brandy.
- Christmas Cookies – Sandwich cookies with a layer of jam (raspberry or strawberry) between two almond-flavoured cookies, with a cutout in the top one to reveal the jam.
- Chocolate Truffles – These rich and indulgent chocolate treats can be made with various flavours and coatings like cocoa powder, crushed nuts, or sprinkles.
- Cranberry Bliss Bars – Dessert bars with a white chocolate and cranberry base, topped with cream cheese icing and more cranberries.
- Cinnamon Rolls – Soft, doughy cinnamon rolls drizzled with cream cheese icing, often enjoyed as a festive breakfast treat.
- Yule Log Cake – A rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream or ganache, often decorated to look like a log with snow (icing sugar) on top of it.
- Snowball Cookies – Cookie dough rolled in icing sugar to resemble snowballs.
- Eggnog Cheesecake – Creamy eggnog-flavoured cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.
- Mini Mince Pies – Small pastry pies filled with mincemeat, which is a mixture of dried fruits, spices, and sometimes alcohol.
Hot Chocolate or Mulled Wine
A really strong addition to your Christmas afternoon tea would be to add some mulled wine or hot chocolate.
These festive favourites are the epitome of Christmas time.
During the holiday season, these beverages would be served at Christmas markets on frosty nights from a dimly lit wooden cabin.
Now you can bring the spirit of the Christmas markets to your afternoon tea.
If you don’t want to buy ready-made mulled wine or hot chocolate then you can make your own using the ingredients below:
Hot Chocolate Ingredients:
- 2 cups of milk.
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar (adjust to taste).
- 1/4 cup of water.
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Whipped cream, marshmallows, or chocolate shavings for garnish (optional).
Mulled Wine Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of red wine (750ml).
- 1/4 cup sugar (adjust to taste).
- 1 orange, sliced.
- 1 lemon, sliced.
- 1 cinnamon stick.
- 3-4 cloves.
- 3-4 star anise.
- 2-3 cardamom pods (optional).
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla extract (optional).
- A small piece of fresh ginger (optional).
Festive Afternoon Tea Ideas with Leaf Tea
We hope you are inspired to create a Christmas afternoon tea that will fill your guests with Christmas cheer.
Afternoon tea is a unique tradition that can bring so much enjoyment to friends and family.
That’s why you should choose high-quality food and ingredients so the experience isn’t compromised.
Having high-quality loose leaf tea should be high on your list.
Luckily, we have a huge selection of loose leaf tea to choose from. We even have a festive selection which is sure to be a favoured choice around the festive period.
Get your LEAF Tea online and enjoy a festive afternoon tea with your friends and family.
