Afternoon tea is all about enjoying a break with a warm cup of tea and a fair amount of snacks, both sweet and savory! So, the holidays are the perfect time to share a seasonal afternoon tea menu with friends and family.
I’ve gone out for high tea a couple of times and even with sometimes limited vegan options, it still is such a fun, low-key experience. (EDIT: In the states it was labeled as High Tea, though internationally this would be known as “afternoon tea”). If you’re not familiar with the concept of afternoon tea, it started out as an in between meal to hold you over until a late dinner. So, instead of the traditional tea time where you would have maybe some biscuits as a light snack, this tea venture is more involved AKA more delicious.
Now, in my experience, afternoon tea features both savory and sweet foods, and many bread-type things. What’s not to like? For my menu I wanted to have a good variety of seasonal flavors, but also not be super overwhelming. So, yes, there are some cookies and baked goods, but there are also finger foods that take literally 5 or so minutes to make. Hooray!
The Vegan Holiday Afternoon Tea Menu for 4
Chocolate Orange Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies
This is another recipe that already resides on my site but definitely needed a refresh, so this worked out swimmingly! I updated the measurements with metric equivalents and put everything in a recipe plug-in. The whole recipe makes 30 cookies, so I recommend making a 1/3 recipe which I’ve outlined below so you don’t have to do the math! But, follow the link above for the full directions/recipe.
- 1/3 cup (75 g) vegan butter
- 1/3 cup (78 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) hot water
- 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A couple drops almond extract (optional)
- 7/8 cup + 1 tablespoon (127 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- Pinch of baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup (71 g) orange marmalade
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) melted, refined coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Glazed Cranberry Orange Mini Scones
This is a recipe I already have on the blog in full-size form, but if you 1/2 the ingredients, cut the scones into 2-inch triangles, and bake for 13-15 minutes, you will have 12 perfect lil’ scones for tea time.
Vegan Savory Pinwheels
This recipe is new, and made just for this! Though I was inspired by some similar vegan turkey rollups that I posted last year.
Vegan Savory Pinwheels
Lavash wrapped vegan slices with dairy-free cheese, chard, parsley, and more! Such a quick and easy snack.
Ingredients
- 2 lavash wraps
- 3 tablespoons (35 g) vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 8 slices vegan sandwich meat (I used Tofurky black pepper-flavored)
- 8 slices vegan cheese ( I did a mix of provolone and American)
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (1 g) roughly chopped fresh parsley
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large Swiss chard leaves, stems removed
Instructions
- Quickly warm the lavash wraps in the microwave for 15 seconds or toast on the stove top. Lay them out, side-by-side, with the short side facing you. Spread vegan mayo over both pieces, leaving 2 inches bare on the two short ends of the wraps (this will be the area where all fillings go.
- Next, spread dijon over the mayo, and organize vegan meat slices in a single layer, followed by vegan cheese slices. Sprinkle red wine vinegar over the cheese along with parsley, salt, and pepper. Place two pieces of chard over the fillings, they can overlap, to fill the space.
- Starting from one short end of the wrap, roll it up slowly, making sure that it's not too loose, until you get to the other end. Place 6 toothpicks along the roll, equally space out, and carefully cut between each one, to create the pinwheels. Repeat with second wrap.
- If you do not serve them right away, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Roasted Squash Chickpea Salad Tea Sandwiches
In an effort to substitute the quintessential cucumber tea sandwich with a more seasonal, and vegan-friendly version, I came up with these tea sandwiches that have thinly sliced, roasted winter squash, fresh arugula, and a chickpea salad seasoned with rosemary and lemon. YUM! And while cutting the crust off of these isn’t for the faint of heart, it makes for a polished main.
Roasted Squash Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
This recipe is a wonderful winter squash version of your traditional cucumber tea sandwich, but with a plant-based twist as well!
Ingredients
- 15.5-ounce (439 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons (35 g) vegan mayo
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 cup thinly sliced winter squash (I used Kabocha)
- 1 teaspoon olive or sunflower oil
- Large pinch salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 4 slices white bread, or similar (I used Dave's Killer Bread)
- 1 cup (15 g) fresh arugula
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, place chickpeas, mayo, lemon juice, rosemary, dijon, onion powder, and salt. Using a potato masher or fork, mash together until slighty chunky, but with no whole chickpeas. Place in refrigerator to chill and allow flavors to meld while you prep squash.
- In another bowl, place thinly sliced squash rounds, drizzle oil over them, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, tossing to coat all of the slices evenly. Place them in an air fryer basket or try, and air fry at 375F for 9-11 minutes, or until tender and cooked through.
- Alternatively, you can roast them on a parchment-line baking sheet at 375F for 18-20 minutes. Once squash is cooked, set it on a rack to cool.
- To assemble sandwiches, divide chickpea salad between two slices of bread and spread into a very even layer. Then top with fresh arugula, and squash slices, both in even layers, with some overlapping pieces. Top with remaining slices of bread, trim crust from the sides, and cut each sandwich into 4 pieces.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1 sandwichAmount Per Serving: Calories: 499Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 13gSugar: 12gProtein: 19g
Pomegranate Persimmon Crostini
I LOOOOOVE this recipe, and actually developed it as a New Year’s appetizer a couple years back. I’ve made it a few times since then, and maybe just had 6 of them as part of my lunch today. They’re so incredibly easy to make, and you only need a 1/2 recipe for this Afternoon Tea menu. If you aren’t a fan of vegan cream cheese, sub it out with vegan ricotta and it will still be great.
I recommend making these pretty dang close to when you’re going to put the spread together as they only take a few minutes, and you don’t want the toasted crostini to get stale. And these can easily be made gluten-free if you use GF bread or crackers in place of the baguette.
Bonus: Crudités Cups
This is more of a guideline/idea for you than an exact recipe. THOUGH, the idea is from my first book, Vegan Bowl Attack! where there is an actual recipe. But, because I want this to be fun, easy, and seasonal, please use whatever veggies suit your fancy!
In this case, I used chard stems (in lieu of celery sticks), quartered radishes, sugar snap peas, carrot sticks, and baby greens. All you have to do is place them standing up in a ramekin or shot glass, but first fill it with a couple tablespoons of vegan ranch, or other desired dressing. Et voilà! You have a cute lil’ veggie snack that can double as a palate cleanser of sorts between the other bites. And really, I think you only need one per person.
Tea Suggestions
Now, if you’re super unfamiliar with afternoon tea, you may need tea suggestions. It really is personal preference, but I do suggest avoiding lattes or heavy tea drinks. Here are a few tea options that would pair well with this menu: peppermint, chamomile, English breakfast, Earl Grey, black tea, Rooibos, anything citrusy, and I wouldn’t dabble in anything too herbal/rooty or super-spiced, in this case.
Of course, it’s nice to have a little soy or oatmilk milk on hand for some milky tea, plus some agave in place of honey. Now go, enjoy your wonderful Afternoon Tea, and let me know how it goes!
Michelle
Monday 24th of June 2024
The term is not high tea. The proper term is afternoon tea. High tea is a quick casual lunch you have with tea while afternoon tea is the 3 course (tiered plates) longer paced and fancy tea.
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack
Tuesday 25th of June 2024
@Michelle, Hi Michelle, thank you! One of the references I read while writing this up was a bit misleading, plus my experience here in the states where they're a bit less discerning in differentiating the two. I have adjusted the title and write up, though need to find the lead photo to change the title.
Judee@glutenfreeA-Z Blog
Tuesday 21st of December 2021
All of your selections look wonderful . I especially like the marmalade thumb cookies drizzled with chocolate. I've only had high tea on a cruise and it was quite the fancy ordeal. They even had a few options for vegans and gluten-free.
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack
Wednesday 22nd of December 2021
@Judee@glutenfreeA-Z Blog, Oooh I can imagine it being super fancy on a cruise! Glad to hear they had some allergy-friendly options, too!