Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Desserts 15 Valentine's Day Desserts You'll Love at First Bite And 10 of them feature chocolate. (You're welcome.) By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 12, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Getty Images Chocolate and flowers are nice, yes, but the surefire way to your loved one's heart is undoubtedly a romantic dessert. After all, what's Valentine's Day without a little sugar rush? The treats are arguably the best part of the holiday, and these are by no means limited to couples celebrating. Homemade desserts make great gifts for friends, family members, and—perhaps most importantly—yourself. Ambitious sweet tooth lovers can pack up and ship less fragile treat options (like our cookies and brownies) to loved ones in the mail. Still, we are particularly partial to the ooey-gooey decadence of the Chocolate Mousse with Croissant Crumbs and the Marshmallow and Chocolate Shortbread Slices you'll find ahead. 01 of 15 Easy Chocolate Mousse with Croissant Crumbs Caitlin Bensel The only thing better than homemade chocolate mousse on Valentine's Day? An easy-to-make, ultra-decadent mousse filled with folds of fresh whipped cream and topped with croissant breadcrumbs. Serve alongside Champagne and fresh strawberries. Get the recipe. 02 of 15 Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Brownies Alison Miksch This rich brownie batter has a creamy layer of cheesecake, which is then topped with whole Oreos. More thick, chocolaty batter gets spread on top and finished off with a cheesecake swirl. Work quickly on this one before the brownie batter sets—it'll make swirling the cheesecake mixture much more accessible. Because these are super fudgy brownies, let them cool completely in the pan before cutting. Get the recipe. 03 of 15 Marshmallow and Chocolate Shortbread Slices Caitlin Bensel Think of these sweet, creamy shortbread cookies like a homemade candy bar, but better. Thanks to their crunchy cookie base, marshmallow filling, and chocolate coating, they look super fancy, but they only require about a half hour of your precious Valentine's Day time. Don't forget the layer of apricot preserves for a sweet-tart zing. Get the recipe. 04 of 15 No-Churn Papaya Ice Cream Victor Protasio Brighten your Valentine's Day with this no-churn papaya ice cream. It's so easy to make (no special equipment needed!), and you can shower your sundae with coconut flakes, fresh pineapple chunks, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Get the recipe. 05 of 15 Churros With Chocolate Sauce Caitlin Bensel Believe it or not, making churros from scratch is a lot easier than you'd assume. You're in for a real treat when you dip these sweet fried cinnamon breadsticks in the rich chocolate sauce. P.S. If you're more of a caramel fan, that works wonderfully, too (or, better yet, make both). Get the recipe. 06 of 15 Carrot Cake Cupcakes Hector Manuel Sanchez Browned butter adds a luxe caramel note to this rich cream cheese frosting—but be warned: once you taste it, you may never go back to the plain version. The nutty flavor works perfectly with the tender crumb and gentle sweetness of the spiced carrot cake, and a flurry of toasted coconut is a simple but festive garnish. Get the recipe. 07 of 15 Chocolate Bar Fondue Anna Williams A must-have for the holiday: Melty chocolate for coating fresh fruit, cake chunks, marshmallows, or an empty spoon. Get the recipe. 08 of 15 Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Cookies Levi Brown This cookie is the ultimate in decadence. There's melted chocolate in the batter as well as chocolate chunks throughout. So, this is the way to go if your Valentine is a chocoholic. Get the recipe. 09 of 15 Chocolat Espresso Truffles Hector Sanchez Coffee and chocolate need we say more—the sweet notes of the dark chocolate compliment the sharp taste of the espresso for one perfect bite. Get the recipe. 10 of 15 Chocolate Raspberry Skillet Cake Samantha Seneviratne The secret to this dish is graham flour, a coarsely ground wheat flour. It adds a pleasant texture and nutty flavor to the dessert. Get the recipe. 11 of 15 Mini Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes Victor Protasio While olive oil is known as a component of many savory dishes, it can also be used in desserts to make extra moist cakes. In this recipe, brewed earl grey tea to the batter brings floral, aromatic, and citrusy notes. Get the recipe. 12 of 15 Chocolate Ganache Tart Victor Protasio Serve this tart, and your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen. Little do they know it was surprisingly simple to make. The flaky crust is made from buttery, salty crackers. Get the recipe. 13 of 15 Pink Hot Chocolate Why have regular hot chocolate when you can have pink hot chocolate? The color makes it the perfect Valentine's Day beverage. Get the recipe. 14 of 15 Raspberry S'mores James Baigrie The addition of bright, fresh raspberries brings this dessert to the next level. It also brings a decidedly adult twist to a childhood favorite. Get the recipe. 15 of 15 Strawberry Dust Meringues Caitlin Bensel Create a bit of Valentine's Day magic with just eggs and sugar. These light-as-a-feather meringues are dusted with freeze-dried strawberries, but freeze-dried blueberries or raspberries would also work well. Get the recipe. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit