Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events Valentine's Day Recipes 40 Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes That You'll Fall in Love With 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 9, 2023 Close Photo: Chelsea Cavanaugh The sweetest way to say "I love you" is with one of these heartfelt, homemade Valentine's Day desserts. Whether you're looking for a treat for your partner, your Galentine's crew, or the co-workers who adore your home baking, you'll find plenty of inspiration in this collection, filled with heart-shaped cakes, cupcakes, and cookies—plus, easy chocolate truffles and decadent mousses and parfaits. Our recipes include desserts for two to share and sweets that feed a crowd. We rate them all above a bunch of red roses any day. 01 of 40 Chocolate-Mousse Parfaits Justin Walker There's nothing more romantic than a decadent chocolate dessert on Valentine's Day. This make-ahead parfait, which serves two, uses semisweet chocolate and cocoa. A touch of espresso powder enhances the rich chocolate flavor. View Recipe 02 of 40 Sweetheart Thumbprint Cookies Johnny Miller Show someone special just how much you love them by giving them these sugar cookies with a sweet, jammy filling. They're easy to make, but your sweetheart will never know! View Recipe 03 of 40 Easy Chocolate Truffles Ryan Liebe Love saves the day, but these quick truffles will save you a whole lot of time (and rolling). Rather than scooping and shaping each truffle from a rich ganache made with heavy cream and semisweet chocolate. Pour the mixture into a pan, chill it, and slice it into bite-size squares. Toss them in cocoa powder and box them up for a homemade treat your friends will adore. View Recipe 04 of 40 Coffee Crème Caramel Jenny Huang Opposites attract in this elegant Valentine's Day dessert. While the vanilla custard is delicate and creamy, the espresso-inflected caramel sauce comes on with stronger flavors. One silky spoonful, and you'll agree they bring out the best in each other. View Recipe 05 of 40 Vanilla Heart-Shaped Cake with Raspberry-and-Custard-Filling Johnny Miller A homemade vanilla pastry cream and fresh raspberries are sandwiched between the layers of this cake. They're also used to artfully decorate the top, along with ethereal shredded coconut. View Recipe 06 of 40 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. View Recipe 07 of 40 Raspberry and Chocolate-Hazelnut Crepe Cake Ryan Liebe Consider this the dessert equivalent of holding up the boombox. Paper-thin crepes are stacked between layers of chocolate-hazelnut spread and a raspberry mousse for our romantic Valentine's Day dessert. View Recipe 08 of 40 Mini Pear-and-Cranberry Amaretti Crisps David Malosh Share one of these individual fruit crisps with your partner. The combination of pear with cranberry and the crunchy almond flavor of amaretti cookies is just sublime. View Recipe 09 of 40 Meringue Letters and Hearts Kate Mathis Have a way with words? Spell out your love by hand-piping meringue cookies and baking them until they're set. View Recipe 10 of 40 Handwritten Valentine Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze Spread the love with these double chocolate cupcakes that include a special message written in white chocolate. They're the perfect dessert for celebrating Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day. View Recipe 11 of 40 Dark- and White-Chocolate Shortbread Hearts CHELSEA CAVANAUGH More heart cookies! The chocolate flavor in these shortbread cookies is enhanced by the addition of instant espresso powder. View Recipe 12 of 40 Whoopie Hearts with Raspberry Meringue Burcu Avsar Make kid-friendly whoopie hearts a Valentine's Day special by mixing frozen raspberries into Swiss meringue and pipping it between spongy chocolate pies. View Recipe 13 of 40 Mini Chocolate Cupcakes With Multicolored Frosting Create a festive spread of cheerful Valentine's Day cupcakes by decorating them with various colors of frosting and arranging them in the shape of a heart. View Recipe 14 of 40 Chocolate-Pistachio Tartufo Bryan Gardner Two kinds of ice cream—chocolate and pistachio—are layered in this frozen, Italian-inspired dessert that's just right for Valentine's Day. It looks fancy but is easy to make and doesn't require any cooking. Plus, you can replace the ice cream flavors with your sweetheart's favorites to customize it. View Recipe 15 of 40 Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Ice Cream Nigel Cox Win the heart of your partner or pal with this showstopping dessert. There's toasted meringue on the outside and, inside, chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream await. View Recipe 16 of 40 Chocolate Heart Sandwich Cookies Jonathan Lovekin Sugar cookies are a year-round favorite. To make them Valentine's Day-ready we've added cocoa powder to the mix, cut them into heart shapes, and sandwiched them with a cream filling. View Recipe 17 of 40 Chocolate Eclair Hearts Anna Williams We've turned this favorite French pastry into a heart-shaped dessert for Valentine's Day. Use good-quality chocolate as it makes all the difference. View Recipe 18 of 40 Rice Pudding with Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce Con Poulos This old-fashioned, timeless treat is just the thing to honor a love for the ages. A sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top contrasts the sweet caramel and rich pudding. View Recipe 19 of 40 Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze Chris Court Instead of the usual graham cracker crust, this luscious cheesecake has a crust made with finely ground chocolate wafer cookies. The filling is half peanut butter and half chocolate, and is swirled together for the ultimate marbled dessert. View Recipe 20 of 40 Couscous Crunch Bar Aaron Dyer No one would ever guess that Israeli couscous provides the secret crunch in this chocolate bar. Life is full of surprises, isn't it? View Recipe 21 of 40 Chocolate-Dipped Luxardo Cherries Chelsea Cavanaugh Swap the usual chocolate-dipped strawberries for rich, syrupy Luxardo cherries dunked in chocolate. View Recipe 22 of 40 No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Bars CHELSEA CAVANAUGH This is one of Martha's favorite desserts for Valentine's Day. All you need to make this indulgent treat is peanut butter, butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract, and bittersweet chocolate. View Recipe 23 of 40 Chocolate-Caramel Truffles CHELSEA CAVANAUGH It's not really Valentine's Day if you don't indulge in chocolate, right? Wow your sweetheart with these handmade truffles; they're rolled in an assortment of red, white, and pink sprinkles. View Recipe 24 of 40 Chocolate-Peppermint Hearts Chelsea Cavanaugh Our charming heart-shaped peppermint patties strike the perfect balance between decadent and refreshing. View Recipe 25 of 40 Peanut-Butter-and-Jam Heart Cookies Anyone who loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will fall for these cookies. All you need is a handful of ingredients to make these basic peanut butter cookies, which are filled with raspberry jam. View Recipe 26 of 40 Alexis' Heart Cake Bryan Gardner Martha's daughter Alexis loves to make this banana and coconut cake for Valentine's Day. For festive flair, it's frosted with a cream cheese buttercream and covered in flaked coconut. View Recipe 27 of 40 Coconut Meringue Cakes Johnny Miller Falling in love is like floating on cloud nine, which makes this light-as-air dessert just right for Valentine's Day. Generous scoops of coconut sorbet are layered between individual coconut meringue discs for a simple dessert that makes a big impact. View Recipe 28 of 40 Molten Chocolate-Espresso Cakes Yuki Sugiura With their gooey centers and chocolate ganache topping, these mini molten lava cakes make a delightful indulgence for Valentine's Day. View Recipe 29 of 40 Dark Chocolate Truffles Johnny Miller Does your sweetheart like to eat healthy? Then these vegan truffles are the Valentine's Day dessert recipe you need. They're made with coconut oil instead of the usual heavy cream and dare we say, they're better than ever. View Recipe 30 of 40 Chocolate Heart Cupcakes Kate Mathis These adorable, heart-adorned chocolate-cherry cupcakes are topped with vanilla-bean frosting. They're perfect for Valentine's Day. View Recipe 31 of 40 Tartlets with Yogurt Pastry Cream and Strawberries Christopher Testani If there's one fruit that's so very right for Valentine's Day, it's strawberries. Here, we layer sliced berries over a lightened-up pastry cream and store-bought, all-butter puff pastry. View Recipe 32 of 40 Chocolate-Hazelnut Snowballs Greg Vore Easy to make and easy to love, that's these irresistible treats. They only require five ingredients—semisweet chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, pure vanilla extract, toasted hazelnuts, and shredded coconut. View Recipe 33 of 40 Almond-Rye Heart Cookies Jonathan Lovekin Sometimes the most understated things are the most special. You won't be able to help falling in love with these deeply flavored cookies. A delicate dusting of powdered sugar is the only decoration they need. View Recipe 34 of 40 Biscotti Bites Ryan K Liebe Inspired by classic Italian biscotti, these mini bite-sized cookies are dipped in chocolate for a Valentine's Day dessert that's both cute and delicious. View Recipe 35 of 40 Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo Paola + Murray Cherries and raspberries create a vibrant red hue for this make-ahead Valentine's Day dessert. A few tablespoons of elderflower liqueur adds a bouquet of floral flavors. View Recipe 36 of 40 Conversation Heart Cookies Since the nostalgic candies always have a place in our heart, we decided to turn them into a batch of sugar cookies that are as sweet as can be. Use our recipe for Royal Icing for colorful, precise icing in an array of colors. View Recipe 37 of 40 Brownie Heart Cupcakes These individual desserts marry two in one—brownies and cupcakes. They're guaranteed to take your breath away. View Recipe 38 of 40 Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cakes If there's one day that's made to impress, it's Valentine's Day. So, why not serve a dessert that will knock someone's socks off? This sweet recipe needs to be made at least four hours in advance, which gives you plenty of time to spend with your loved ones during the holiday. View Recipe 39 of 40 Chocolate-Flecked Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting Chris Court Go big or go home on Valentine's Day. That's why we recommend baking this multi-layered cake stuffed with finely chopped chocolate and topped with a lighter chocolate frosting. View Recipe 40 of 40 Chocolate Pots de Crème For Two Make this romantic French-inspired dessert for Valentine's Day. We've scaled down the serving size so that it makes enough for just you and your sweetheart. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit