Hi all! I hope your February is off to a great start. Personally, I’m thrilled that we’ve gotten through my least favourite month of the year. I know January is supposed to be a time for reinvention and being your best self, but between the post-Christmas comedown, dark mornings and wintry weather (and no holidays; what’s that about!?) it’s just not my cup of tea.
February brings some much-needed levity to winter with one of my favourite holidays: Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day can get a bad rap, but personally, I’ll take any excuse to wear pink, hang up some girly decor, and eat copious amounts of chocolate. I’m a big fan of staying in over going out on Valentine’s, and what better way to top off a delicious homemade meal than with a beautiful dessert?
I was just looking back at some of my old Valentine’s blogs, and decided this post could use a refresh. So today, I’m sharing 14 of my favourite Valentine’s Day dessert recipes! Whether you’re hosting a girly Galentine’s brunch, cooking a romantic meal for your S.O., or baking cookies with your kids, there’s a recipe here for you. These recipes are all tested and approved by yours truly, and they tick all the boxes: delicious, easy to make, and gorgeous for any Valentine’s celebration.
In This Post
- Valentine’s Day Cakes
- Valentine’s Day Brownies & Bars
- Valentine’s Day Cookies
- Other Valentine’s Day Recipes
Valentine’s Day Cakes
Heart-Shaped Bundt Cake – Family Savvy’s “cake mix magic” hack turns a simple box mix (I like strawberry or cherry chip for Valentine’s) into a deceptively impressive dessert that couldn’t be easier to make. Disregard the instructions on the box: it’s the magic ingredients (instant pudding mix, sour cream, extra sugar and eggs) that take this cake from box-mix basic to bakery-worthy. I make two substitutions to this recipe: I use 3/4 cup of milk instead of water, and reduce the 3/4 cup of sour cream to 1/2 cup. You can make this as a layer cake, but I prefer using my Nordic Ware heart-shaped Bundt pan. No need to fuss with frosting or decorating: the pan does all the decorative work for you. It just needs a simple glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar, and some berries or sprinkles if you’re feeling fancy. In the above photos, you can see how I’ve decorated this cake three different ways. I always say a little prayer when I take a Bundt cake out of the pan, but luckily, I haven’t experienced too much breakage in the million-and-one times I’ve made this cake. The secret? Let it cool in the pan for at LEAST an hour, loosen the edges with a butter knife before turning out, and use a LOT of PAM baking spray (ensure every nook and cranny is coated.)
Strawberry Shortcake – Craving a taste of summer in the middle of February? This delightful recipe from Life, Love & Sugar combines fresh, juicy strawberries with mountains of fluffy whipped cream. The recipe makes a LOT of whipped cream, but trust me, use it all – more is more here! This is one of those cakes that manages to taste light, fresh and deliciously indulgent all at the same time. It’s a definite crowd-pleaser.
Mamaw Emily’s Strawberry Cake – Yes, this is the third strawberry cake I’m including, but I promise they’re all uniquely delicious in their own way. This recipe from Taste of Home has the sweetest name, and whoever Mamaw Emily is, she’s definitely on to something. Like the Bundt cake, this recipe starts with a boxed cake mix, making it a super quick and easy dessert. The crushed strawberry frosting is what really takes it over the top – you can taste the fresh berries in every bite. I made this for a family gathering and everyone came back for seconds. It’s addictively good!
German Chocolate Cake – I’ve just given you three pink cakes, so I had to be fair and round it out with a chocolate creation. If you’re looking for a cake that’s truly decadent, this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction is the one. It combines three layers of chocolate cake with a silky chocolate buttercream and a rich coconut-pecan frosting. I love chocolate cake (who doesn’t?) but this just takes it to the next level. With three layers and two different frostings, it’s truly an epic creation. Just don’t do what I did for my Dad’s 75th birthday and attempt to turn it into a six-layer cake…
Valentine’s Day Brownies & Bars
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars – You can never go wrong with a Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe, and this one is no exception. These bars combine creamy white chocolate cheesecake with a tart raspberry sauce and a decadent Oreo cookie crust, and the flavour combination is impeccable. The pretty swirl pattern is created using a toothpick, and it couldn’t be easier! I do find the raspberry sauce is quite thick and can be difficult to strain, so when I make these, I double the sauce ingredients to ensure I have enough.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies – Yet another winning recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction! (Is my fangirl showing?) If you’re a brownie lover but want something red for the Valentine’s theme, you’ll love these red velvet ‘brownies’. They combine the distinct chocolate-y tang of a red velvet cake with the creamy sweetness of a classic cheesecake, without needing to fuss over transporting or slicing an actual cake. These perfectly portioned, mess-free, grab-and-go treats are great for bringing to a Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day party.
Strawberry Lemon Blondies – If you’re craving light and citrusy over rich and chocolate-y, this blondie recipe by The View From Great Island is for you. I’ll confess, I was lazy and didn’t add the strawberry puree the glaze called for – I just used powdered sugar and lemon juice, and added food colouring to turn it pink. They still looked and tasted great! Refrigerating the blondies for about an hour will help the glaze set, and unlike most desserts, I actually find they taste better straight from the fridge.
Other Valentine’s Day Recipes
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries – These classic Valentine’s Day delicacies look stunning, taste delicious, feel oh-so special… and yes, tend to be crazy expensive. But they’re relatively easy to make at home if you remember a couple of important tips: first, make sure your strawberries are room-temperature. If you dip them straight from the fridge, condensation will form as the berries warm up, and the chocolate will slide right off. Second, make sure your berries are completely dry before dipping. Even the slightest bit of moisture will make your berries ‘sweat’ and ruin the chocolate’s consistency. (I’ve made these two mistakes myself, so I speak from experience!) I don’t recommend using grocery store chocolate chips; instead, high-quality baking chocolate or melting wafers (I buy mine from Bulk Barn) yield the best results. Plus, you can get these wafers in pink, red, and other fun colours! For extra pizzazz, roll the berries in sprinkles or sanding sugar after dipping.
Coconut Ice – This two-toned treat looks like something you’d find in a retro candy shop on Mackinac Island. Made with only four ingredients – condensed milk, shredded coconut, icing sugar, and red food colouring – this no-bake recipe from Kitchen Sanctuary makes the cutest Valentine’s gift. The dough is on the sticky side, so I recommend working it directly on a parchment-lined baking tray (instead of trying to lift it afterwards.) A word of caution: make sure to use unsweetened coconut! Because the other ingredients are basically pure sugar, the ‘ice cubes’ will be sweet enough on their own. The first time I made these, I made the mistake of using sweetened coconut (I always have it in my pantry so I didn’t think twice) and they were indeed delicious, but tooth-numbingly sweet!
Candy Charcuterie – If you love the idea of a showstopping Valentine’s dessert but don’t feel like donning an apron or turning on your oven, you’ll love this one – no recipe required! Just grab any platter or charcuterie board and fill it with all your favourite Valentine’s candies and chocolates: conversation hearts, Hershey’s kisses, hot lips, whatever you like. Round out the board with cookies, wafers, macarons, marshmallows, berries, cherries, nuts, mini meringues, chocolate-covered pretzels… anything goes! These boards look so pretty and are perfect for parties, because there’s something for everyone. (If your tastes lean more savoury, check out this post for a Galentine’s charcuterie spread with salami roses and heart-shaped cheeses.)
However you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, I hope you have a wonderful one. If you try any of these recipes, please let me know how you liked them. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
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