Tea and biscuits are a beloved pairing in British culture, and nothing beats the comfort of dunking a biscuit into a warm cup of tea. With so many varieties to choose from, each biscuit brings its own unique texture and flavour to enhance your tea experience. Here are 10 classic British biscuits that are perfect for dunking.
Digestive Biscuits
A true British staple, Digestive biscuits are known for their wheaty, slightly sweet flavour. They have a perfect balance of softness and crunch, making them ideal for dunking in tea. Digestives soak up the tea beautifully without breaking apart too quickly, offering a satisfying bite after a brief dip. Chocolate-covered Digestives are an even more indulgent option.
Rich Tea
Rich Tea biscuits are another classic choice for dunking. These light, crisp biscuits are subtly sweet and don’t overwhelm your palate, making them perfect for pairing with any type of tea. Rich Tea biscuits are designed to absorb tea quickly while retaining enough structure to avoid crumbling in your cup.
Hobnobs
For those who enjoy a bit of texture, Hobnobs are a top choice. These oat-based biscuits are crunchy and hearty, providing a satisfying contrast to the smoothness of tea. They’re especially good with a layer of chocolate on top, offering both a sweet and savoury experience in each bite. Hobnobs are robust enough to handle a good dunk without falling apart.
Custard Creams
Custard Creams are a nostalgic favourite, featuring two biscuits sandwiching a creamy vanilla-flavoured filling. Their crispness softens perfectly when dipped in tea, allowing the sweet filling to melt slightly for an extra treat. Custard Creams are great with a light black tea or a comforting cup of English Breakfast.
Bourbon Biscuits
For chocolate lovers, Bourbon biscuits are a must. These rectangular biscuits have a rich chocolate filling between two chocolate biscuits, offering a double dose of cocoa goodness. Their firm texture holds up well when dunked, and the chocolate flavour pairs perfectly with tea, especially stronger brews like Earl Grey.
Ginger Nuts
Ginger Nuts bring a spicy kick to your tea break. These crunchy biscuits are infused with warming ginger, and their firm texture makes them ideal for dunking. The ginger flavour complements a range of teas, particularly black or chai varieties, and their sturdy build means they won’t dissolve in your cup.
Jammie Dodgers
Jammie Dodgers are a playful and fruity option for tea lovers. These round, shortbread-like biscuits are filled with a layer of sweet jam, typically raspberry. Dunking them softens the biscuit and slightly melts the jam, creating a delightful mix of textures and flavours. Jammie Dodgers are a fun and indulgent choice for a sweet treat with your tea.
Shortbread
Shortbread is one of the most luxurious biscuits for tea. Its rich, buttery flavour and crumbly texture make it a classic. While shortbread is delicious on its own, a quick dunk in tea softens the biscuit and enhances its buttery goodness. It’s best paired with a milder tea to let the shortbread’s flavour shine through.
Nice Biscuits
Nice biscuits (pronounced “neece”) are lightly flavoured with coconut and have a sugar-dusted top. They bring a subtle sweetness to your tea break without being overpowering. The delicate coconut flavour and firm texture make them ideal for a quick dunk in a cup of tea, particularly with a lighter brew like green or white tea.
Fruit Shortcake
Fruit Shortcake biscuits are studded with currants or raisins, adding a touch of fruity sweetness to the biscuit. Their crisp texture softens slightly when dunked, and the fruit adds a chewy contrast that makes for an enjoyable bite. These biscuits pair wonderfully with both black and herbal teas.