Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events Valentine's Day Recipes 27 Heart-Shaped Treats to Share with Your Valentine By Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 24, 2023 Close Photo: Johnny Miller Flowers are nice, but receiving a homemade treat on Valentine's Day is extra special. If you really want your (edible) token of affection to be a hit this February 14, surprise your sweetheart with heart-shaped cakes, cookies, or chocolates—which have Cupid's seal of approval. Whether you opt for a dessert or prefer something that is savory rather than sweet, we have a whole list of recipes that will help you express your love not through words, but through flavor and shape. No matter who you are cooking or baking for this Valentine's Day, these recipes are undoubtedly the way to their heart. 9 Date-Night Desserts That Make the Sweetest Ending for Any Meal 01 of 27 Vanilla Heart-Shaped Cake with Raspberry-and-Custard-Filling Johnny Miller Show your love with this white layer cake. A heart-shaped cut-out on the top reveals the fresh raspberries and vanilla pastry cream filling. View Recipe 02 of 27 Sweetheart Thumbprint Cookies Johnny Miller Say "I love you" with these buttery, jam-filled cookies. Feel free to use the jelly flavor they love most, such as apricot, raspberry, or peach. View Recipe 03 of 27 Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts Kana Okada Surprise your Valentine with a mug of hot cocoa in bed. To sweeten the deal, cut a marshmallow (mini, regular, jumbo—any size works) in half to make two circles. Snip the tops and pinch the bottoms, then set your affections afloat. View Recipe 04 of 27 Iced Heart Cookies CHELSEA CAVANAUGH It's amazing what you can do with a batch of simple sugar cookies and some pink-and-white royal icing. These striped hearts are just one of our favorite ways to decorate cookies for Valentine's Day. View Recipe 05 of 27 Heart S'mores Bars Kana Okada Enjoy all the toasty flavors of s'mores on Valentine's Day—no campfire required—by making a few tweaks to a standard batch of cereal bars. Cook the marshmallows under the broiler for a minute so they're nicely charred, then stir in crushed graham crackers and chopped chocolate. Let cool before stamping out hearts with a cookie cutter. View Recipe 06 of 27 Chocolate Heart Cupcakes Kate Mathis Nothing shows how much you care more than a batch of homemade baked goods. Show your sweetheart that, just like the chocolate and vanilla in these darling heart cupcakes, you two are a perfect match. View Recipe 07 of 27 Dark- and White-Chocolate Shortbread Hearts CHELSEA CAVANAUGH These concentric heart cookies are as stunning as they are delicious. Fragrant vanilla brings out the flavor of both the dark and white chocolate. View Recipe 08 of 27 Cinnamon Toast and Yogurt Parfaits Pernille Loof Get a sweet start to the day with this easy, thoughtful Valentine's Day breakfast idea. Cinnamon-sugar toast is emblazoned with Xs, Os, and hearts, while make-ahead yogurt parfaits are adorned with piped jam hearts. Whip up both for a winning meal. View Recipe 09 of 27 Chocolate-Peppermint Hearts Chelsea Cavanaugh These treats are like peppermint patties, but so much more festive! Once you learn to temper chocolate, this recipe is a cinch. View Recipe 10 of 27 Conversation Heart Cookies Spark a new relationship with these sentimentally iced sugar cookies. Let the royal icing dry completely before you stamp them with sweet nothings. View Recipe 11 of 27 Heart Pancakes Lisa Hubbard Turn your favorite pancakes into hearts for a special Valentine's Day breakfast—or use our recipe, which includes directions for piping these distinctive flapjacks. View Recipe 12 of 27 Chocolate Eclair Hearts Anna Williams Chocolate lovers (chocolate pate a choux, chocolate filling, and chocolate glaze), Francophiles, and sweethearts everywhere will adore these petit eclairs. View Recipe 13 of 27 Almond-Rye Heart Cookies Jonathan Lovekin Perfect for a snowy Valentine's Day, these crunchy cookies—made with almonds and rye flour for a delicate sweetness—should be on your must-make list. View Recipe 14 of 27 Lox Hearts Aaron Dyer The natural color of smoked salmon makes it fitting for open-faced heart-shaped tea sandwiches. Serve them as an appetizer before a romantic Valentine's Day meal or enjoy them with friends over cocktails. To make them, spread a layer of cream cheese onto thin slices of lightly toasted rye bread; top with sliced Nova lox. Then stamp out sandwiches using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. 15 of 27 Peanut-Butter-and-Jam Heart Cookies Everyone's favorite sandwich will be just as beloved in cookie form. All you need to create the hearts in these peanut butter cookies is raspberry jam and your fingers. View Recipe 16 of 27 Buckwheat Waffles with Fresh Ricotta and Citrus This start-the-day-off-right meal pairs wekk with a cup of coffee, a flute of Champagne, and a kiss. View Recipe 17 of 27 Lemon-Date Bars Anna Williams Okay, we know these lemony treats aren't heart-shaped, but they capture the same sentiment. Give one (or three) kisses, and hugs too, if you fancy, in bar cookie form. To make the Xs and Os, make stencils from card stock. Place one on top of each square, then dust with confectioners' sugar. Carefully lift off stencils. View Recipe 18 of 27 Heart Sandwich Cookies Jonathan Lovekin Pink or chocolate? A small heart or a larger one? Love is full of heart choices. These sweet cookies are sandwiched with a filling inspired by the Oreo. View Recipe 19 of 27 Chocolate Heart-Shaped Cakes with Buttercream Johnny Miller Martha's individual flourless chocolate cakes get a flavor boost from dark rum and instant espresso. They puff up slightly in the oven, then set into a delicate, truffle-like consistency as they cool. Piped meringue buttercream decorations are the finishing touch your Valentine will adore. View Recipe 20 of 27 Whoopie Hearts with Raspberry Meringue Burcu Avsar The key to getting the shape just right for these chocolate-raspberry treats? Using resealable plastic bags to pipe both the batter and the meringue. View Recipe 21 of 27 Brownie Heart Cupcakes A brownie cupcake frosted with pink buttercream and topped with a brownie heart just might be the ultimate love note. View Recipe 22 of 27 Cappuccino Heart Foam Channel your inner barista and whip up a festive cappuccino for a loved one. View Recipe 23 of 27 Chocolate Ganache Heart Tartlets Decorate rich bittersweet chocolate tarts with a rainbow of meringue hearts for a super-festive dessert. View Recipe 24 of 27 Heart-Glazed Cornmeal Cookies Use a cookie cutter to stamp a heart shape into these addictive cornmeal treats before baking, then finish with a bright-pink vanilla glaze. View Recipe 25 of 27 Couscous Crunch Bar Aaron Dyer Couscous in a dessert? You bet! It gives this chocolate candy a wonderful texture. View Recipe 26 of 27 Pear-Raspberry Heart Pies Looking for a romantic on-the-go treat? Try these buttery handheld pies stuffed with a spiced pear-raspberry filling. View Recipe 27 of 27 Meringue Letters and Hearts Kate Mathis Say it with meringue! Spell out your love with these snowy cookies that are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. View Recipe Was this page helpful? 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