No matter how you feel about Valentine’s Day (“It’s the best!” or “It was invented by the devil!”), you have to admit that it’s a great excuse to satisfy your sweet tooth. This year, bake one of these 73 Valentine’s Day dessert recipes (with love, obvi) to complete your romantic dinner menu. We have recipes for Insta-worthy chocolate cake, heart-shaped brownies, no-bake cheesecake jars and everything in between that are just right for indulging on February 14 with your other half.
The 73 Best Valentine’s Day Desserts You’ll Swoon Over
We love you, rose petal brownies
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Published Jan 18, 2023
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
This pretty-in-pink recipe only requires 40 minutes of your time. The secret to the cookies' blush color? Freeze-dried raspberries.
2. Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
Your S.O. will be totally impressed that you took the time to brown butter for these crackly, caramelly, cinnamon-kissed bars.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Red velvet cake is, dare we say it, sexy—especially on V-Day. That’s a cream cheese and marshmallow filling, in case you needed another reason to make these.
4. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: no bake, gluten free, vegan, crowd-pleaser
They’re also vegan, in case your bae is plant-based. Don't skimp on the dried rose petals; rose tea will do if you can't find edible flowers.
5. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
You know how we feel about dessert mash-ups. Make a second batch for the kids to take to their school Valentine's Day party.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
The gooey chocolate center really seals the deal. (A scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn't hurt either.)
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Between the strawberry-Nutella buttercream, freeze-dried strawberry dust and heart-shaped chocolate garnish, you’re officially Cupid in an apron.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Savor everything you love about red velvet cake without fussing over all those layers. Go ahead, lay the frosting on thick.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
These dainty little tartlets are bound to impress, but they’re actually super easy to make. (You don’t even need a rolling pin.) Fill them with pudding, whipped cream, custard or ice cream.
11. Claire Saffitz’s Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
Aren't those swoops and swirls of rich chocolate and simple meringue straight-up hypnotizing? Your date will fall for this one at first bite.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Be still our salty-sweet loving heart. A heart-shaped cookie cutter makes these fudgy gems holiday-appropriate in a flash.
13. Lemon Rose Shortbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Want a break from chocolate? We love these delicate, buttery shortbread cookies. Add some rose petals or candied lemon peel if you’re feeling fancy.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
In case your Valentine's Day plans involve kids, these will definitely fit the bill. Use pink and red sanding or sparkling sugars instead of rainbow.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
Mousse seems like the kind of dessert reserved for high-end restaurants, but it’s actually super simple to make at home. Bring on the chocolate-hazelnut deliciousness.
17. Red Wine Chocolate Truffles
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion, worthy, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Two V-Day icons in one decadent dessert. It only takes four additional pantry staples to pull the boozy bites together.
18. Bite-Size Almond Raspberry Spoon Cakes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Indulge a little or a lot (as in like, a dozen of 'em). Yogurt in the batter offers both moisture and tang.
19. Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Might we suggest wrapping these up in cute goodie bags for the kids' classmates? (They sure beat paper valentines, no?)
20. Chrissy Teigen’s 3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
You only need dairy and chocolate chips for the mousse, but the salty crackle of Rice Krispies and hazelnuts is well worth the extra ingredients and effort.
21. Valentine’s Day White Chocolate Popcorn
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, kid-friendly, gluten free
Three ingredients, plus the optional (read: essential) addition of sprinkles and conversation hearts.
22. 3-Ingredient Strawberry Ice Cream Shell
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, gluten free
It's never too cold out for sundaes in our book. This vibrant, nostalgic recipe is just the excuse we were looking for, too.
23. Mini Tiramisu
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
That's amore, folks. Feel free to pour the brandy or rum with a heavy hand when preparing this coffee-laced treat.
24. M&M Cheesecake Cookie Bars
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Chewy, tangy, creamy and flat-out festive, these bars are a breeze to prepare. They're basically blondies with a surprise inside.
25. Ruby Red Grapefruit Panna Cotta
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
This Italian treat is timelessly elegant and only calls for six ingredients. Plus, grapefruit are peak delicious right now.
26. Chocolate Shortbread Heart Cookies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours (includes chilling)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Complete with chocolate coating and festive sprinkles. Use Dutch processed cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Tiny meringues stuffed with chocolate-hazelnut spread? Excuse us while we inhale the whole plate.
29. Raspberry-Rose Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly
Espresso powder gives the cupcakes an extra dose of intensity. The keys to the frosting are raspberry preserves and a dash of rosewater.
30. 3-Ingredient Blood Orange Granita
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegan
This grown-up take on shaved ice isn't limited to summertime, especially during citrus season.
31. Easy Frosted Valentine Sugar Cookies
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients
Your kids will be chomping at the bit to help decorate. Bonus points for icing them with classic phrases (we call "Be Mine").
32. Rosé Poached Pears with Ginger and Vanilla
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free
The only way we're eating fruit for dessert from now on is if it's soaked in wine, cool? This is an ingenious way to use up a lingering bottle of rosé.
33. Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Soufflés
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
The secret to foolproof soufflé? Don't over-mix the batter or slam the sheet tray down too hard on the countertop.
34. Easy Valentine’s Day Nougat Candy
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead
One thing that always puts us in the mood? Candy, especially if it's homemade. We didn't know mini marshmallows had this in them.
35. Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Cups
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, gluten free, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Your date is sure to ask what fancy confectionery you bought these at. Tell them the truth and let the compliments roll in.
36. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
Boxed cake mix never looked this good. It's the key to going from zero to cookie in 15 minutes flat.
37. Pink Chocolate-Dipped Palmiers
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no bake, <30 minutes
How classy are these? No one would guess you started with store-bought palmiers (and your secret is safe with us).
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no bake, kid-friendly
This frees your oven up to cook Valentine's Day dinner. Inside awaits Oreos, cream cheese filling, chocolate filling, cherry jam and graham crackers.
39. Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients
There's no better day than the 14th to think pink. Pair 'em with a batch of chocolate-covered strawberries for good measure.
40. Vegan & Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Ginger Tart
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, crowd-pleaser,
No butter, eggs or milk to be found here. The tart is crowned with crystallized ginger and chopped pistachios.
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Scared of your soufflé deflating before it hits the table? This foolproof recipe calls for freezing it for a few hours instead of baking.
42. Raspberry Hugs Chocolate Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
These handhelds have a delicious secret. (OK, we'll spill: They're stuffed with creamy raspberry-chocolate candies.)
43. Chocolate-Glazed Espresso Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 5 hours
- Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Ending dinner with coffee and dessert has a whole new meaning. The glaze is as simple as combining two-ingredient ganache with corn syrup.
44. The Easiest 3-Ingredient Brigadeiro
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Our pink strawberry milk version has V-Day written all over it. (We're springing for pink non-pareils too.)
45. Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Chocolate-cream cheese ice cream + chocolate cookies = a one-way ticket to our happy place.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
Anyone else humming "Lovefool" by The Cardigans? Just us? It's as simple to make as a microwave mug cake, but so much more satisfying and impressive.
47. Valentine's Day Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
These just never get old, do they? Your kids will scarf them down so fast that they won't even notice the oats.
48. Blackberry Jam Pie-Crust Straws
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Thanks to store-bought puff pastry, these come together in just 35 minutes. The jam is store-bought too, but your date won't know the difference.
49. Heart Pancakes
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Stack them with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries between each pancake for dessert, then serve the leftovers to the kids for breakfast.
50. Neapolitan Pie
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Complete with layers of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry custard. The nostalgia is real.
51. Gluten-Free Lemon-Raspberry Pavlova
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
One perk of serving pavlova instead of cake? You can have two (or, ahem, three) slices without feeling too bogged down.
52. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
Wow. We can hear your date's oohs and ahhs already. These will no doubt lend a certain je ne sais quoi to your Valentine's Day spread.
53. Chocolate-Stuffed Brownie Bites
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Chewy at the edges, fudgy in the middle and stuffed with your favorite milk chocolate. What's not to like?
54. Angel Food Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
It's light as air and topped with lemon-spritzed berries, leaving you with plenty of room for another glass of vino.
55. Puff Pastry Plum and Thyme Galette
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Just lay the puff pastry in a skillet, pile on the fruit and bake to golden-brown perfection. Substitute pears or apples if you'd prefer.
56. Churro Bites with Chocolate Sauce
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar is our love language. We're planning to eat these the same way Lady and The Tramp ate their spaghetti.
57. Chocolate Charcuterie Board
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, no bake
Alternative charcuterie boards are ever-trendy for a reason. Pair chocolate with cookies for crunch, popcorn for salt and fresh raspberries for tartness.
58. Caramel-Stuffed Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
We have nothing against old-school gingerbread, but we’re swooning over the gooey, molten caramel centers in these wintry sweets.
59. No-Bake Mini Mason Jar Spiced Cheesecakes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: no bake, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Thanks to store-bought red currant jelly, these little cheesecakes take ten minutes to prepare before magically coming together in the fridge.
60. Cranberry Chai Spice Thumbprint Cookies
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Bursting with blood oranges, cranberries and plenty of spices. We're talking cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.
61. Spiced Palmiers
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
These patisserie-quality cookies are a labor of love...but that's what Valentine's Day is all about, isn't it?
62. Espresso Streusel Coffee Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Best served alongside a cup of joe. (Or even better, coffee spiked with Baileys.) Savor the leftovers the next morning.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Just looking at these cuties gives us all the warm fuzzies. The crème pâtissière has a surprise whipped inside: passionfruit pulp.
64. Chocolate and Salted Peanut Crêpe Cake
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Forget stressing over piped frosting and fussily cut fruit. This shockingly simple crêpe cake is a lazy baker's dream.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Steeping whole cardamom pods in the cream not only offers warm spice to the custard, but it also modernizes the dessert and plucks it right out of '90s territory.
67. Espresso-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Believe it or not, this crowd favorite starts with an unexpected ingredient: active sourdough starter.
68. Fig–Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Honey-like fig jam, dark chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder make for the coziest winter dessert of all time. You'll need a tall glass of milk for this one.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
If Valentine's Day is a family affair at your house, look no further than these marbled handhelds that the kids will go gaga for.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Nothing says "I love you" like a piece of homemade candy that's nine inches wide. Consider your dinner date wooed.
71. Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Pie
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Yes, the crust is homemade, but surprisingly hands-off. Promise. (Oh, and to gather the vanilla bean seeds, place the bean on a flat surface, cut it lengthwise, then scrape the seeds from the inside of the pod using the edge of a knife.)
72. Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Chocolate Phantoms
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Whole macadamia nuts simply exude class. They contribute to the bites' uniquely (and delightfully) waxy crunch.
73. Claire Saffitz’s Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
These almond flour-based cookies are macaroon like in flavor and texture, so they're crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Yum.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
