How to Host an Autumn Tea Party (with Fall Recipes and Table Settings)

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Host an autumn tea party with these fall tea party menu ideas, pretty place settings, and a recipe for gluten-free apple cake. It’s tea time!

 

Guest post by Patti of Blossoms and Posies

What better way to celebrate autumn than to enjoy a harvest tea party on a crisp fall afternoon? When you want to enjoy fall with all your senses, a fall tea party is the perfect setting!

My daughter Abbie and I are tea enthusiasts, so it doesn’t take much for us to find a reason to enjoy a little something special with a cuppa. Whether we invite friends over or just have a family tea, we always feel refreshed after a spell at the tea table. Autumn brings apples, cranberries and pumpkins, so our autumn tea time often highlights one or more of these fall fruits.

Autumn Tea Party Ideas

First things first for a tea party – the tea! Last year a friend introduced us to Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Rooibos tea. It is perfect for this time of year! Rooibos is an herbal tea, which makes it suitable for all ages.

Tea Party Decorations

While both Abbie and I enjoy a fancy table setting, we reserve those for rare special occasions. We generally keep it simple, because let’s be honest – too much fuss and we won’t want to do it again! If we are in the mood to dress things up a bit, candles, leaves or flowers in autumn colors add a nice touch.

A cute yet practical way to decorate is to make apple napkins to put on the plates. If you don’t have red napkins, use orange to make pumpkin napkins!

Apple Napkin Fold

A prettily displayed snack also makes an attractive table decoration. We try to take an extra moment to be mindful of presentation when we have our little tea parties. I keep white cupcake papers and paper doilies on hand – it is surprising how they transform a plain dish into something special.

I love what Abbie did with the apple slices here, which she served with pumpkin dip.

Pumpkin Dip with Apples

Fall Tea Party Recipes

Here are some more recipes that work well for an autumn tea. If you have dietary restrictions, most can be easily modified. When I am cooking gluten-free I use a gluten free flour mix. If I am cooking dairy free I’ll substitute coconut oil for butter and rice milk for cow’s milk. And I am a fan of maple syrup in place of sugar (for low carb I use erythritol with a touch of stevia)

Apple Date Spread (just mix chopped dates, apples and pecans with some thinned cream cheese)
on Gluten Free Pecan Crackers

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Cranberry Scones with Cranberry Orange Butter

Gluten Free Apple Cake

I am happy to share my recipe for Gluten Free Apple Cake with you all! I have made this so many times in so many ways. It is a very handy recipe because it can be modified to eliminate most major allergens. Everyone needs a go to recipe for a light and yummy cake with no gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts!

Do you share our enthusiasm for tea parties? You can get our free Tea Party Checklist when you sign up for our newsletter.

Plan a tea party as a fun mother-daughter bonding idea, host a shower for a lady at your church, or enjoy a family tea when the gradparents come to visit. There are all kinds of excuses reasons to host a tea party, so dust off your tea pot and have some fun!

Do you like to have tea parties with your family? What is your favorite autumn recipe to enjoy with tea?

Patti Brown and her daughter Abbie love to learn and create together. When they aren’t making up recipes, they are dreaming of yarn and fabric. They write at BlossomsAndPosies.com where they encourage girls and their moms to bloom at home! You can also find them on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.