Sweet Treats: A Pairing Guide for Tea Party Dessert Ideas

I could write a whole series of posts on tea party dessert ideas. When it comes to deciding what to eat with tea for dessert, the possible pairings of teas and sweets are endless! Cookies, cakes, scones, brownies, breads – just to name a few. So to save you from a post of epic proportions that would have even Game of Thrones fans saying, “I think she may be trying to cover too much material,” I’ve simplified the selection of desserts to three broad categories: sugar cookies and shortbread, chocolate, and fruit-based.

Sugar Cookies and Shortbread Tea Pairings

Nothing says “tea party” quite like a sugar cookie. When brainstorming tea party dessert ideas, a sugar cookie or shortbread option is at the very top of most people’s lists. The delicate flavor of sugar cookies and the buttery essence of shortbread make them both ideal for enjoying with tea.
Light cookies pair beautifully with an equally light white or green tea, which won’t overpower the subtle flavoring of the dessert. Jasmine tea provides a lovely floral contrast without undermining the cookie’s inherent taste.
If you like to add a little citrus to the icing on your sugar cookies or straight into your shortbread dough, orange- or lemon-based teas like Citrus Mint Green Tea or Kitchen Table Blend will naturally enhance that citrusy twist.
When you’re in the mood for something more robust, the spices in a chai – with its overtures of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and clove – are the perfect complement to the softer elements of the dessert.
For a fun take on a classic shortbread, try gluten free Rosemary Honeyed Shortbread with Queen’s Blend Green Tea – a royal tribute ideal for any classic tea party.

Chocolate Dessert Tea Pairings

Chocolate pairings are almost as wide-ranging as tea pairings – which is good news for all you chocoholic tea party planners out there! When you decide what to eat with tea for dessert, start with the flavors you like to combine with your chocolate. Then choose a tea that reflects that taste, and you can’t go wrong!
If you’re a chocolate-caramel person, Stargazer Caramel Maté might be right up your alley when you’re ready to reach for that slice of chocolate cake. Swap out the Earl Grey for Stargazer in this fudgy brownie recipe for a delicious tea-infused treat. Or try Chocolate Rosemary Caramel Herbal Tea if you don’t want to mix a caffeine high with your sugar rush!
Are you planning your tea party for the holiday season? If you love peppermint and chocolate, White Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tea is the perfect accompaniment to any choco-centric indulgence. It’s a wonderful beverage to enhance the chocolate in these non-peppermint barks or a decadent Chocolate Yule Log.
For anyone who is a fan of fruit with their chocolate, try Raspberry Revitalizer Lemon Maté or Brunch in Paris Black Tea. The cocoa nibs in Brunch in Paris will totally boost the chocolate factor in your dessert while adding a pleasant twist of orange peel and orange extract. Pair it with this chocolate orange tart and treat your guests to a truly decadent tea party.

Fruit Dessert Tea Pairings

Tea and fruity baked goods are another classic combo. Breads, muffins, scones, crumbles, you name it. If it’s baked and contains fruit, you can bet you’ll find a tea that tastes as if it was created specifically to be paired with that dessert. They are perfect for tea parties, and when you’re choosing what to eat with tea for dessert, here are a couple of fruitful suggestions.
Earl Grey is excellent with banana bread. For a match made in absolute heaven, try Earl Grey Banana Bread with Tea Soaked Raisins. Pair it with a cup of Mindful Morning Blend and hear the “Hallelujah Chorus” start up.
For chai-themed tea parties, apple-based desserts are a no-brainer. Because cinnamon and apples go so well together, I find that almost any apple dessert is awesome with chai. The cinnamon in the chai enhances the cinnamon that inevitably accompanies most apple desserts, and the additional spices in the chai are a fabulous supplement to the mild sweetness of the apple. Try Apple Bread with Crumb Topping paired with Full Moon Chai, Caramel Apple “Almost Pie” with Stargazer Caramel Maté Chai, or Baked Apple Casserole with Uplifting Coconut Chai.
Other tea and fruit pairings that would be a lovely addition to any tea party are Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Fog Cutter Irish Breakfast, Coconut Cherry Macaroons with Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, and Strawberry Jam Scones with Gratitude Blend black tea. Simple, elegant flavors that blend marvelously together.

Whether you’re a fruit fanatic, crazy for chocolate, or sure to love sugar cookies, Plum Deluxe has a bounty of tea party dessert ideas and perfectly paired teas to make your next event a resounding success.