This recipe is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission. All opinions are my own.
What is Afternoon Tea?
Afternoon Tea is a British ritual that dates back to the 1800s. Traditionally it includes savoury finger sandwiches, scones with jam or cream, and a few sweet treats, all enjoyed with multiple cups of tea. Served on tiered stands in many venues, Afternoon Tea was originally taken around 4pm to bridge the gap between lunch and a typically late dinner.
Today, Afternoon Tea is more often a special occasion or treat than a daily meal. Because the traditional menu usually includes dairy and gluten, this avocado-forward version adapts the classic elements to be vegan and gluten-free while highlighting creamy California avocados.
California Avocado Afternoon Tea Ingredients
This avocado lovers’ Afternoon Tea features cucumber, vegan cream cheese and avocado finger sandwiches, whipped avocado on crackers topped with radish and chives, caprese-style stuffed avocados, and green-themed matcha bliss balls for a sweet finish.
Key ingredients used across the board:
- California avocados — creamy texture and heart-healthy fats; used in sandwiches, whip and stuffed avocados.
- Lemon — bright acidity to complement the avocado whip.
- Fresh cucumbers — crisp, cooling slices for sandwiches and garnish.
- Vegan cream cheese — a spreadable base for the finger sandwiches.
- Vegan mozzarella — used for the caprese-style stuffed avocados.
- Crackers — a crunchy base for piped avocado whip.
- Fresh basil — aromatic herb for the caprese filling.
- Olive oil — a finishing drizzle for stuffed avocados.
- Cherry tomatoes — halved and tossed into the stuffed avocados.
- Radish and chives — thinly sliced radish and chopped chives for garnish and a peppery bite.
- Salt and pepper — season generously to taste.
You can customize with additional avocado slices for garnish, seeds, nuts, or spices in the whip to suit your taste.
Why Use California Avocados?
California avocados offer rich, creamy texture and beneficial monounsaturated fats, which help make dishes more satisfying. They’re especially useful in vegan cooking to add richness and creaminess without dairy. Fresh, peak-season produce delivers brighter flavor and better texture, and California avocados shine in both simple and elevated preparations.
Living near California produce makes it easy to incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables into everyday dishes, and avocados are versatile enough to work in sandwiches, dips, spreads and stuffed preparations.
P.S. California avocados are at the peak of their season from spring through summer.
3 Ways to Use California Avocados
1) Avocado whip: Blend ripe California avocados with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil for a silky, pipeable cream. Use a star tip for an elegant presentation on crackers.
2) Sandwiches or skewers: For finger sandwiches and skewers, choose avocados that are ripe but still hold their shape so slices or chunks remain neat on the platter.
3) Stuffed avocados: For filled avocados, pick ones soft enough to be easily scooped. Leave enough flesh inside the shell for a creamy bite alongside your chosen filling—here we use vegan mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.
Experiment with spices, seeds or citrus zest to add variety. Avocados lend themselves to both simple and creative dishes.
Cucumber California Avocado Tea Sandwiches
These sandwiches combine vegan cream cheese, thinly sliced cucumber and ripe avocado for a refreshing, creamy bite. Spread cream cheese on soft gluten-free sandwich bread, layer cucumber slices, add thin avocado slices, season with salt and cracked black pepper, top with the second slice of bread, trim the crusts and cut diagonally into finger sandwiches.
California Avocado Toast Bites
For a refined take on avocado toast that works as finger food, pipe the avocado whip onto crunchy crackers and top with thin radish slices and chopped chives. Customize the whip with chili flakes, garlic or cumin, and add seeds or nuts for extra texture.
Caprese Stuffed California Avocados
These stuffed avocados echo caprese flavors: creamy California avocado filled with halved cherry tomatoes, torn basil and small vegan mozzarella balls, finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve each half as a bite-sized bowl of fresh flavors.
How to Assemble Afternoon Tea
Assembling this board takes about 15–20 minutes if you have ingredients prepped. Follow these steps for an attractive and easy afternoon tea spread:
- Choose a serving board or a tiered stand.
- Slice a few cucumbers lengthwise and reserve rounds for sandwiches.
- Make the finger sandwiches: spread vegan cream cheese on bread, add cucumber and avocado, season, trim crusts and cut diagonally.
- Blend avocado whip: combine ripe avocados, lemon juice, olive oil (optional), salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto crackers; garnish with radish and chives.
- Prepare stuffed avocados: scoop out a small amount of flesh from avocado halves (reserve for the whip), then fill with vegan mozzarella balls, halved cherry tomatoes and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and season.
- Arrange everything on the board or tiered stand with extra cucumber slices and a green-themed dessert.
- Serve immediately with plenty of tea.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this afternoon tea fresh. You can prep cucumbers, tomatoes and mozzarella in advance, but avoid prepping avocado too early to prevent browning. Assemble just before serving for the best texture and color.
Recipe: California Avocado Afternoon Tea (vegan, gluten free)
This avocado-focused Afternoon Tea features finger sandwiches, whipped avocado crackers and caprese-style stuffed avocados—perfect for a light gathering or special treat.
Ingredients
- 4 slices gluten-free sandwich bread
- 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
- 2 small Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 2–3 ripe California avocados (various uses: sandwiches, whip, stuffed halves)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
- Drizzle of olive oil (optional)
- Handful chives, chopped
- 1–2 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
- 8–10 crackers
- 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella, rolled into small balls
- 3–4 fresh basil leaves
- 5–6 fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Spread vegan cream cheese on one slice of bread, layer cucumber and avocado slices, season, top with the second slice, trim crusts and slice into finger sandwiches. Repeat for remaining bread.
- Make the avocado whip by blending ripe avocados with lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil (optional), salt and pepper until very smooth. Pipe onto crackers and garnish with radish and chives.
- For stuffed avocados, roll vegan mozzarella into small balls. Scoop a small amount of flesh from each avocado half, fill with mozzarella balls, halved tomatoes and basil. Finish with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Arrange sandwiches, crackers, stuffed avocados and extra cucumber slices on a board or tiered stand. Add a green-themed dessert and serve with plenty of tea.
Nutrition information is approximate and provided as a guideline.
If you make this California Avocado Afternoon Tea, please leave a comment to share how it turned out. Tag @veggiekins on social media if you post your version.