53 Valentine’s Day Desserts for Love at First Bite
Maybe you have a whole Valentine’s Day menu planned, complete with romantic drinks, mood-setting appetizers, and a main course you’ll share on a single plate. Maybe you forgot it was February and need to whip up a romantic Valentine’s Day dessert at a moment’s notice.
Skip the clichéd box of chocolate truffles or chocolate-covered strawberries in favor of these special occasion sweets. Our best Valentine’s Day dessert recipes promise to satisfy every kind of craving: We’ve got rich chocolate cakes, silky, spoonable custards, and light, fruity finales for your romantic evening. Whether you’re a novice baker or a seasoned pro, we’ve got recipes for every skill level, ranging from elegant French gâteaus to simple ways to jazz up store-bought ice cream. No matter which way you go, these Valentine’s dessert ideas will show your loved one that you care. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson1/53Triple-Cherries Jubilee
This flaming Valentine’s Day dessert includes sweet cherries, dried cherries, and cherry juice infused with vanilla bean and orange peel. Spoon it over scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Photo by Columbus Leth2/53Sandkage (Rose Pound Cake)
Pair the bouquet of flowers with this floral pound cake, dripping with pink glaze and adorned with rose petals.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert4/53Vanilla No-Bake Cheesecake With a Chocolate Cookie Crust
Don’t want to mess around with the oven? Let us introduce you to our favorite no-bake cheesecake, which requires just 15 minutes of active time. Prepare it on February 13th to chill overnight before your Valentine’s Day dinner.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova5/53Flourless Chocolate Cake
Rich, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey, this flourless chocolate cake is a Gourmet holiday classic. Since this recipe only calls for five ingredients, each one matters: Seek out the best-quality chocolate and cocoa powder you can find.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova6/53Kuih Lapis (Malaysian Steamed Rose Layer Cake)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton8/53Lemon Bars
Round out courses of fondue and lobster spaghetti with ultra-tart lemon bars. Complete with a crisp shortbread base, silky lemon filling, and a dusting of powdered sugar, they’re the light finale your meal needs.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson9/53Meringue Sundae With Peppery Berry Sauce
Store-bought meringue cookies and frozen berries help this elegant sundae come together in a snap. Serve it on one big plate with two spoons for a sweet ending to a romantic dinner.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad10/53Double Chocolate Layer Cake
For the chocolate lover in your life, this cake recipe—which features two layers of chocolate sponge and a rich chocolate ganache frosting—will be a dream come true.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne11/53Mahalabiya مهلبية (Milk Custard With Strawberry Compote)
Trade the rich chocolate custard for this delightfully milky blonde variety, flavored with cardamom and rose water and topped with strawberries, toasted pistachios, and dried rose petals.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne15/53Marguerite Cassis
Typically, this French dessert involves carefully-constructed layers of cake, buttercream, and a chocolate daisy as decoration. This version takes a more relaxed approach, featuring a single layer of cake that’s halved and filled with whipped cream and jam, then garnished with fresh berries.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/53Chocolate-Hazelnut Napoleons
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks17/53Vanilla-Buttermilk Cake With Raspberries and Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting
Buttermilk adds moisture to this one-layer cake, while fresh orange juice and finely grated orange zest bring a blast of citrus flavor to the tangy cream cheese frosting.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott18/53Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Cookies
This ambitious Mallomars-inspired recipe is a project: Make the (wheat-free) cookie base and top with marshmallow on day one; enrobe in chocolate on day two.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim20/53Sparkly Red Velvet Cookies
For a low-maintenance alternative to red velvet cake, opt for this one-bowl red velvet Valentine’s cookie recipe. Coat the cookie dough balls in sanding sugar to impart their signature sparkle.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne22/53Gâteau Chocolat-Menthe (Chocolate-Mint Cake)
“This is the cake for those of you who keep their freezers stocked with mint-chip ice cream,” writes Aleksandra Crapanzano, author of Gâteau. With mint chantilly, whipped chocolate ganache, and chocolate génoise sponge, this cake is meant to impress.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton23/53Pistachio-Rose Shortbread Squares
An ample coating of crushed, freeze-dried raspberries and pink sanding sugar adds color, sparkle, and crunch to these festive cookies that are perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne24/53Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake
Forgot about dessert until… well, it’s a little too late? These rich, molten mug cakes have all the charm of chocolate lava cake—but they’re ready in just three minutes. Keep this easy dessert in your back pocket for future dessert emergencies.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone25/53Boozy Piña Colada Ice Cream
Store-bought coconut ice cream gets a sunny, boozy kick from a pineapple and rum swirl in this frozen riff on a piña colada.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart28/53Original New York Cheesecake
This creamy, dreamy New York-style cheesecake recipe comes from Junior’s, the original New York cheesecake institution. Top with a crown of glazed strawberries to make it a strawberry cheesecake, or, for the cookies-and-cream fanatic, trade the sponge cake base for a crushed Oreo crust.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi29/53Coeur à la Crème With Roasted Strawberry Sauce
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne30/53Chocolate Pie
We love the textural contrast of this chocolate dessert, which features silky chocolate pudding, billowy whipped cream, and a crisp chocolate wafer crust.
Photo by Tara Fisher31/53Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes
Crushed digestive biscuits (or graham crackers) go into the batter for these chocolate-stuffed marshmallow-topped cupcakes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich32/53Caramel Nut Tart
Impress your sweetheart with this elegant caramel nut tart, ideally served with ginger ice cream and cinnamon nutmeg tuiles.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews33/53Chocolate Mousse
Get creative with this chocolate mousse by substituting vanilla for your flavoring of choice: espresso, Grand Marnier, and cognac would all work well here. No matter which route you choose, serve this elegant dessert in crystal coupes for a pretty presentation.
Kimberley Hasselbrink35/53Cherry Buttermilk Clafoutis
A French dessert popularized in the States by Julia Child, clafoutis combines fruit (any type you please) with a simple, custardy batter to make a low-maintenance, spoonable dish. This version—made with almond flour and rice flour—also happens to be gluten-free.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova36/53Joconde Cake
Styled like a classic Swiss roll, but swirled with whipped cream and studded with fresh berries, this light-as-a-cloud cake will make a lovely finale to a rich Valentine’s dinner.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne37/53Marjolaine
There’s no better way to show your love than toiling over hazelnut sponge, ganache, and two types of buttercream. Now that’s commitment.
Photo by Massimo Pessina & Blandine Boyer, Food Styling by Eric Kayser38/53Fraisier (Strawberry Cream Cake)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Katherine Sacks40/533-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake
Part soufflé and part custard, this lightly sweet, airy cheesecake has just three ingredients: white chocolate, cream cheese, and large eggs.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich41/53Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
Whether you’re vegan, dairy-free, or simply adore chocolate, this vegan chocolate cake is the ultimate crowd-pleaser—and you don’t need to have any baking skills to make it.
42/53Vanilla Heart Cakes With Rosewater Icing
If you can get your hands on culinary-grade dried rose petals, they’re the perfect finishing touch for these lovely little vanilla cakes.
Photo by Kenji Toma43/53Crème Brûlée Tart
In this sunny interpretation of a French classic, crème brûlée is served in a tart shell. The smooth custard in a flaky crust with a crackling burnt-sugar top will put everyone in the mood for love.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou44/53Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars
With fresh banana cheesecake, sour cream whip, and a Nilla wafer crust, this layered wonder combines all the best parts of cheesecake and Southern-style banana pudding in one dreamy dessert.
Photo by Peter Cassidy45/53Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake)
This domed Swedish creation—which features layers of sponge, vanilla bean pastry cream, jam, and marzipan—is wildly popular in San Francisco. It’s truly fit for any princesses, princes, or other VIPs in your life.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich46/53Cold Oven Pound Cake
Starting in a cold—yes, cold—oven helps this Bundt cake develop a thick, golden crust. Read more about the 100+ year old technique, then get baking.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell48/53Cranberry-Pistachio Baked Alaska
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova49/53Hot Cocoa Cake
What’s better than chocolate cake? Try hot chocolate cake. Make it in a Bundt pan, and then serve it with fresh raspberries and plenty of whipped cream.
Photo by Stephanie Foley50/53Amaretti Tiramisu
This twist on tiramisu, which uses amaretti cookies instead of ladyfingers, makes a grand finale to a romantic Italian dinner.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne51/53Classic Sugar Cookies
Cut these classic glazed sugar cookies into hearts and decorate with pink frosting and homemade sprinkles to make perfect Valentine’s Day cookies.
52/53Chocolate-Almond Fridge Fudge
Topped with sliced almonds and flaky salt, these squares of dense, rich, ultra-chocolatey fudge are everything brownies wish they could be. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for snacking all week long.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich53/53Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Need a Valentine’s Day dessert in a pinch? Trade the box of Conversation Hearts for these double-chocolate chip cookies—requiring just 30 minutes of total time, they’re a fantastic last-minute dessert. Oh, and they also happen to be vegan.
