How to Serve a Vegan Afternoon Tea (with cake!)

Scones remind many of simple joys and cosy moments spent with loved ones. Making them at home adds a special touch, and with a few easy swaps, you can serve vegan scones with the same soft crumb and golden top as any tearoom. Pair them with rich fruit jam and a plant-based clotted ‘cream’ for a treat that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

You don’t have to live in Devon or Cornwall to enjoy homemade scones. These homemade vegan scones (The Veg Space) are super-simple to make. With orange-juice-soaked dried fruits.

Before baking, read up on Read more on food safety for people and pets. (keep fresh dough and dried fruits away from pets).

Gather Simple Vegan Ingredients

Start with plain flour, baking powder, caster sugar, and a pinch of salt. For richness, swap dairy butter for a vegan block butter like Flora (no palm oil). Use a thick, unsweetened plant-based milk such as oat or soy.

These choices keep the recipe familiar and the taste spot on. If you like, add a small handful of sultanas or dried fruit for a classic touch.

Mix for a Light, Fluffy Texture

Sift the dry ingredients into a big bowl. Rub the vegan butter into the flour with your fingertips until you see fine crumbs. Pour in the plant-based milk and gently bring the dough together with a blunt knife.

Handle the dough as little as possible. This helps the scones rise well and stay soft inside.

Cut and Shape with Care

Pat the dough out with your hands to about 2.5cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a round cutter or a glass to shape the scones. Keep the shapes neat but don’t press the edges too much. This lets the scones lift high as they bake, giving you that pleasing, tender crumb.

Bake until Golden

Place the scones onto a lined baking tray, brush the tops with a little extra milk, and bake in a hot oven. Vegan scones take about 12-15 minutes at 220°C (200°C fan). They should look tall and golden with soft middles and crisp tops.

Let them cool slightly on a wire rack so they stay light.

Choose the Best Jam

Classic strawberry, raspberry, or blackcurrant jam works well with scones. Use a quality jam with lots of fruit and just the right sweetness. Spoon a generous layer onto each half for that sweet-tart balance. If you fancy a twist, try apricot or cherry.

Homemade Vegan Cheese Scones

These vegan cheese scones (The Veg Space) use vegan block butter and mustard, for a tangy treat. You can even make mini-scones and top with vegan cheese, chutney and chopped chives.

Serve and Enjoy Fresh

Scones are best eaten warm on the day you bake them. Split them and layer with jam and clotted ‘cream’. They make a bright, friendly centrepiece for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea.

Offer plenty of napkins and a big pot of tea for the most authentic touch.

Store and Reheat Sensibly

If you have leftovers, store the scones in an airtight tin. They’ll stay soft for a day or two. Warm them up in the oven for a few minutes before serving to bring back their just-baked charm. Avoid microwaving, which can make them tough.

Homemade Vegan Clotted Cream

Clotted ‘cream’ is easy to make with full-fat coconut milk or a thick vegan cream cheese. Chill a tin of coconut milk overnight, scoop off the solid part, and gently whip with a splash of vanilla and icing sugar.

Most dairy clotted cream is not from free-range cows. So make your own vegan clotted cream (The Veg Space) in just 3 minutes (with vegan block butter, powdered sugar and Flora vegan double cream.

Remember the rule. If you live in Cornwall, it’s jam on top then cream. And the other way round, if you live in Devon!

Despite the images of cats lapping bowls of cream, they are lactose-intolerant. 

Prefer to buy? Flotted Cream has astounded reviewers with its taste and texture (made in a family cafe in Hampshire’s New Forest). Also sold at Leicestershire’s Positive Bakes (which sends out ‘vegan afternoon teas’ with scones and cakes, in compostable packaging).