50 Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes Better Than a Box of Chocolates
From cheesecakes to cookies to homemade eclairs, we've got the perfect romantic Valentine's Day sweets for your sweetheart.
Sweeten your Valentine's Day with a scrumptious, romantic, or heart-shape dessert recipe. Whether your sweetie likes rich chocolate desserts, berry pies, or creme brulee, you're sure to win hearts with a delicious Valentine's Day dessert.
Jam-Filled Hand Pies
There's more to pie than the slice. These pretty hand pies are the perfect way to indulge without having to share. We think they're best filled with strawberry jam or chocolate hazelnut spread. Use a heart cookie cutter set to create festive designs.
Valentine's Cake
This Valentine's Day cake is a showstopper! Topped with colorful heart sugar cookies and plenty of sprinkles, this party-worthy dessert is easy and impressive. It's covered with a luscious almond whipped cream frosting and filled with tart strawberry-rhubarb jam.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars
These beautiful red velvet bars are the perfect Valentine's Day treat. Be sure to add a generous drizzle of chocolate over the yummy cheesecake filling.
Make-Ahead Tip: Bake and freeze this easy dessert up to three months before serving.
Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies
These mini chocolate and peanut butter pies are tasty any day of the year, but a ruffle of chocolate whipped cream and a DIY chocolate heart turn these treats into a festive Valentine's Day dessert. To make the heart, pipe melted chocolate onto waxed paper; once it's dry, gently peel the paper away and use the hearts to top the pies.
Dark Chocolate Pudding
Valentine's Day is the perfect time to indulge in something decadent. This rich dark chocolate pudding is just that—with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon. Top each bowl with a swirled heart made from whipped cream.
Red Velvet Heart Cookies
Red velvet cake takes cookie form in these adorable Valentine's Day sweets. Add designs with our free stencils and a shake of powdered sugar. These sugar-dusted treats also make a wonderful DIY gift.
Cherry Cobbler
There is nothing better than an old-fashioned cherry cobbler, so why not try making one this Valentine's Day? The fruit dessert is topped with spoonfuls of sweet biscuit dough that turn golden brown when baked. For variety, replace the cherries with blueberries, peaches, or apples.
Tres Leches Strawberry Shortcake
This Valentine's Day cake recipe is a total showstopper. Layer our rich buttermilk almond cake with piles of whipped cream and fresh strawberry sauce.
Test Kitchen Tip: To get the classic flavors and texture of tres leches cake, we recommend soaking the cake for at least three hours or overnight.
Best-Ever Vanilla Pudding
Love is sure to be in the air when you serve this simple vanilla pudding decorated with heart-shape sprinkles. The silky dessert is easy to whip up and can be served hot or cold.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet could vie for the title Official Flavor of Valentine's Day (if it weren't for that pesky dark chocolate that always seems to take the win). These cupcakes hit all the holiday high notes: Taste, color, and a powdered-sugar dusting in the shape of a heart. Get the look by placing a heart-shape cookie on top before sprinkling.
Bourbon Cranberry Cookies
Something sweet (oat-and-chocolate cookies) with something salty (flaked sea salt) with something indulgent (3-ingredient Bourbon Ganache) makes an adults-only cookie that your valentine will swoon for.
Chocolate Bread Pudding
As dessert or a luscious breakfast, this rich chocolaty bread pudding is Valentine's Day baking on-point. Don't skimp on the decadent homemade chocolate ganache drizzle.
Red Velvet Heart Cake
Bake a heart-shape cake for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. Rows of almonds, raspberries, maraschino cherries, and icing stripe this chocolate-frosted red velvet cake for a sweet and romantic dessert. Bake it in a heart-shaped baking pan to make it extra festive.
Strawberry-Cardamom Turnovers
Purchased puff pastry makes these turnovers easier than they look. Our easy stovetop jam recipe makes a fruity filling that's lightly spiced with cardamom.
White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread
These Valentine's Day shortbread cookies get their pink and red color from maraschino cherries and red food coloring. Nonpareils and edible glitter give them an extra holiday-ready touch.
Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread and rich chocolate swirl together in these gooey chocolate pudding cakes. Coffee or vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries complete the indulgent chocolate Valentine's Day dessert.
Chocolate-Pistachio Heart Cookies
These nutty cookies are almost too pretty to eat! Dip half of each finished chocolate cookie into melted chocolate and pistachios. These heart-shape desserts are perfect for Valentine's Day, but feel free to vary the shape depending on the season.
Dark Chocolate Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
Brownie-textured cake layers are topped with smooth, rich buttercream frosting. The result? A decadent Valentine's Day cake enjoyed by chocolate and fruit lovers alike.
Grapefruit and White Chocolate Cookies
After mixing up a batch of tangy grapefruit cookies, use a set of heart shape cookie cutters to cut out various sizes of hearts. Once baked, dip the cookies in creamy white chocolate to balance out the grapefruit zest in the dough.
Jelly Doughnut Cake
Take a love of doughnuts to the next level. Layers of cream filling and ruby red jam between soft yellow cake mimic your sweetheart's favorite breakfast treat.
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cakes
This delightful pairing of rich dark chocolate and sweet-tart raspberries makes for the perfect Valentine's Day dessert. Chocolate truffle icing adds a sweet touch. Bake up the individual cakes in a nonstick muffin pan.
Chocolate Cannoli
For a fancy finish to your romantic Valentine's Day dinner, serve your loved one a chocolaty twist on classic Italian cannoli. Rolled up with love in a homemade chocolate shell, creamy ricotta cheese flavored with cocoa and orange peel gets a gorgeous garnish from shaved dark chocolate.
Double-Cherry Slab Pie
Gooey cherry filling is the key to charming your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. To thicken the fruity filling in this slab pie, we incorporated cornflakes with the cherries. Use heart-shape cookie cutters for a sweet reveal.
Valentine's Day Cookie Cutouts Three Ways
These Valentine's Day sugar cookies start with one batch of basic dough. We'll show you how to decorate them using three simple techniques. For a Midas touch, finish the baked cookies with a touch of gold luster dust.
Lavender-Lemon Pudding Cakes
Softly sweet lavender infuses these mini lemon pudding cups with light ambrosial flavor. Make this personal Valentine's dessert in heart-shape ramekins to show extra love.
Conversation Heart Cut-Out Cookies
Homemade sugar cookies are so much better than candy. Customize your batch with names, sweet notes, or funny sayings. Package them up with one of our free printable tags for a delicious edible Valentine's Day gift.
Test Kitchen Tip: We used cookie imprinting stamps to create the phrases.
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Every nibble of this easy Valentine's Day dessert features crumbly shortbread crust and classic cheesecake filling. The sweetest part? The naturally heart-shape strawberry slices.
Raspberry Swirl Brownies
Fudgy brownies made with dark chocolate get a sweet surprise from a swirl of tart raspberry puree. Heart-shape cutouts give this chocolate Valentine's Day dessert a charming finish.
Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake
Pound cake gets a pink Valentine's Day makeover thanks to fresh grapefruit. The peel of the tart ingredient is used to flavor the deliciously dense cake, while the juice helps create a tangy syrup that complements the crunchy sugar topper.
Love Note Cupcakes
Scrawling a love note in frosting is a sweet way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Start with a mix for German chocolate cupcakes, and top off the dessert with one (or all!) of our three frosting recipes.
Test Kitchen Tip: To make these Valentine's Day cupcakes extra-special, use a piping bag to write sweet messages in the frosting.
Baked Raspberry Custards
Show your love with a dreamy cup of vanilla custard. Sprinkle in raspberries or strawberry slices before baking these sweet, fruity bites.
No-Bake Truffle Treats
Dote on your valentine with homemade chocolate candies that look oh so charming but are finished in about a half-hour. With four flavors, one (or more) is sure to make your holiday sweeter.
White Chocolate Cheesecake with Triple-Raspberry Sauce
Your valentine will be smitten with this delightfully rich white chocolate cheesecake recipe. Raspberry sauce covers the dessert with a dramatic red flair.
Double-Chocolate Mascarpone Raspberry Pie
Fresh raspberries, bittersweet chocolate, luscious mascarpone, and rich whipped cream pile into a flaky crust for this over-the-top Valentine's Day dessert. Top off each slice with a dollop of homemade white chocolate whipped cream.
Lemon Macarons with Cranberry-Mascarpone Filling
Creamy mascarpone cheese fills these tender cookies with just the right Valentine's Day flourish. Tart cranberries and citrusy lemon peel add a subtle tangy kick.
Raspberry Eclairs
Exquisite is the only word for these raspberry-filled delights. As elegant as this special Valentine's Day dessert looks, the pastries are surprisingly easy to prepare, bake, and fill.
Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake
Creamy layers of cherry-flavor frosting between each tier of rich chocolate cake will make your Valentine's Day unforgettable. Chocolate-covered cherries are a gorgeous topper.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cakes
The romance of chocolate-covered strawberries takes a delightfully elegant turn in this Valentine's Day dessert recipe. Upside-down cupcakes are smothered in rich ganache and topped with fresh strawberries.
Pick-a-Flavor No-Churn Ice Cream
Whip up a batch of homemade ice cream in just 10 minutes of hands-on time. Customize your quart with your favorite flavors or try one of our recipe combinations like salted mocha, wildflower honey, or birthday cake.
Blueberry Bundt Cake
This isn't your basic bundt cake! Blogger Yossy Arefi adds cardamom, rye flour, and a fresh blueberry glaze to make this berry dessert truly special.
Test Kitchen Tip: Need a make-ahead Valentine's Day dessert? Make the cake up to one day ahead and store at room temperature.
Copycat Sugar Cookies
Carson Downing
If you're a fan of the oversize soft sugar cookies you can find in shops, this is the copycat cookie recipe for you. Tint the sweet almond buttercream pink for the perfect nod to Valentine's Day.
Millionaire Shortbread
Rachel Marek
One reviewer called this, "the best dessert I had ever eaten in my lifetime." It features layers of shortbread, buttery caramel, and chocolate. A sprinkle of flaky salt is the perfect finishing touch.
Related: Our Best Million Dollar Recipes Are Rich and Decadent
Black Forest Dump Cake
Grant Webster
If you need a quick Valentine's Day dessert idea, try this chocolate and cherry dump cake. It starts with a can of cherry pie filling and a box of devil's food cake mix. You can have the whole cake done with just 10 minutes of prep.
Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes
Jason Donnelly
Give a boxed cake mix a Valentine's Day-worthy upgrade with fresh oranges and a buttercream frosting. Make the toppers by dipping orange wedges or gummy orange candies in dark chocolate.
Schaum Torte
Rachel Marek
This fluffy meringue and cream cake has earned raves since we published the recipe. As one BHG home cook shared, "the recipe was perfect just as it was written—I used apple cider vinegar, not white vinegar. Instead of raspberries, I opted for strawberries because that’s what my grandma would have done."
Deviled Strawberries
Rachel Marek
Try something other than chocolate-covered strawberries this year! Here, strawberry halves are topped with a cheesecake-inspired filling. Decorate them with crushed cookies, sprinkles, or chocolate.
Raspberry-Lemon Whoopie Pies
Carson Downing
If you love fruit desserts, you must make these raspberry whoopie pies for Valentine's Day. Fresh raspberry cake is filled with fluffy lemon cream and decorated with sprinkles.
Limoncello Cheesecake Bars
Lemon liqueur gives this cheesecake dessert it's bright, zesty flavor. Top each bar with a candied lemon slice and powdered sugar.
Polka-Dot Neapolitan Pie
A little prep is all you'll need to make this delicious ice cream pie. Scoop chocolate and strawberry ice cream balls to create the polka dots. A fluffy strawberry marshmallow meringue is torched till golden before serving.
Heart-Shape Chocolate Cream Puffs
Cream puffs may seem intimidating to make but we'll walk you through every step of the process. Watch our helpful video for everything you need to make the puffs and the chocolate and strawberry fillings.
For more Better Homes & Gardens news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens.