Best Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes

Gateau au Chocolat
Photo: Blaine Moats

Treat your sweetie to decadent cakes, glazed Valentine cookies, easy truffles, mini chocolate souffles and more.

01 of 20

Gâteau au Chocolate

gold rim plate with Gâteau au Chocolate
Blaine Moats

This exceedingly moist and rich (but so simple!) cake is all about chocolate and butter; if you can swing it, choose top-quality brands.

02 of 20

Chocolate Cream Cups

Chocolate Cream Cups
Brie Goldman

If you need a last-minute Valentine's Day recipe, this one is perfect. It's a relatively quick make-ahead dessert—and is ultra-rich. Each spoonful is a moment to savor with your Valentine's sweetie.

03 of 20

Mini Raspberry White Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Mini Raspberry and White Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Kritsada Panichgul

This special-occasion dessert will disappear quickly. Soft cookies sandwich a white chocolate mascarpone filling and seedless raspberry preserves.

04 of 20

Valentine's Day Marshmallow Treats

Valentine’s Day Marshmallow Treats

Dress up rice cereal hearts with frosting, pretzels, peanut butter, chocolate and other toppings for Valentine's Day sweets.

05 of 20

Red-Hot Velvet Brownies

Red-Hot Velvet Brownies

These cinnamon-spiked red velvet bars taste just like red-hot candies—with a layer of luscious cream cheese frosting on top!

06 of 20

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Top these gooey-center, intense chocolate desserts with powdered sugar.

07 of 20

Cookie Canvas

Cookie canvas

Whip up flavored icing for cookies, sweet rolls, cakes or coffee cake in minutes. Just mix 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons liquid, then drizzle away. For a Valentine's Day treat, try maraschino cherry juice for pretty pink color. Maraschino cherry juice, coffee and creme de menthe add color as well as flavor. Most other liqueurs and citrus juices yield white or cream-color icing. For unflavored drizzle, use milk.

08 of 20

Mini Chocolate Soufflés

Mini Chocolate Soufflés

These warm, bittersweet puffs have coffee in them, but you'd never know it. Performing culinary sleight of hand, the hidden ingredient just helps chocolate taste more chocolatey, like a capful of vanilla would, but with a darker intent.

09 of 20

Red Velvet Pots

Red Velvet Pots

For a cake that comes together in minutes, just mix and microwave. Top with a powdered sugar heart.

10 of 20

White Chocolate-Cherry Shortbread

White-Chocolate-Cherry Shortbread

Dip these cookies in melted white chocolate, then roll in nonpareils and edible glitter for Valentine color.

11 of 20

Valentine's Day Chocolate Trail Mix

Valentine's Day Chocolate Trail Mix

Sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy—this has everything you want in a snack mix. Plus chocolate, of course!

12 of 20

Salted Almond Truffle Tart

Salted Almond Truffle Tart

One of our testers described this tart's filling as "chocolate butter." We couldn't agree more. It's fantastically rich, with roast-toasty salted almonds in the crust and flaky sea salt on top to balance the sweetness.

13 of 20

Vanilla Pudding with Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

Vanilla Pudding with Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

Chocolate desserts may be traditional on Valentine's Day, but for vanilla fans, we like this twist on old-fashioned cookies and milk—a creamy vanilla pudding topped with crispy-buttery cookie bits.

14 of 20

Three-Tiered Chocolate Cake

Three-Tiered Fudgy Chocolate Cake

Few foods say "celebration" like cake, especially chocolate. The recipe for this decadently rich dessert includes variations such as Hot Chocolate Cake, Spice is Nice Chocolate Cake and Mocha Chocolate Cake.

15 of 20

Fudge Brownie Hearts

Fudge Brownie Hearts

These Valentine treats combine bittersweet and semisweet chocolate with plenty of butter, eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar for a moist, rich dessert. After the brownies have cooked and cooled, you can cut them into bars or use 3-inch heart-shape cutters. Drizzle with a vanilla glaze.

16 of 20

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

We took the red velvet cake we love and gave it a creamy twist. Don't let the red color fool you: The flavor is all chocolate.

17 of 20

Candy-Box Caramels

Candy-Box Caramels

Make packaged caramel squares a perfect, easy Valentine treat by dipping them in sprinkles, crushed nuts and bits of candy. Drizzle with dark or white chocolate to add even more color.

18 of 20

Cocoa and Brown Butter Shortbread Bites

Cocoa and Brown Butter Shortbread Bites

Browned butter infuses irresistible nuttiness into these four-ingredient cookies without sullying their essential simplicity or sandy texture. Dip them in satiny chocolate for effortless glamour.

19 of 20

Creamy Peanut Butter Truffles

Creamy Peanut Butter Truffles

Minnesota's Saint Paul Hotel features truffles similar to these.

20 of 20

The Original Chocolate Fondue

The Original Chocolate Fondue

Fondue stars at the Melting Pot restaurant in Indianapolis. We offer The Original Chocolate Fondue recipe as well as versions based on s'mores and caramels. Dippers include fruit, angel food cake, pound cake cubes and marshmallows.

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