The 73 Best Valentine’s Day Desserts You’ll Swoon Over

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

This pretty-in-pink recipe only requires 40 minutes of your time. The secret to the cookies' blush color? Freeze-dried raspberries.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients

Your S.O. will be totally impressed that you took the time to brown butter for these crackly, caramelly, cinnamon-kissed bars.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly

Red velvet cake is, dare we say it, sexy—especially on V-Day. That’s a cream cheese and marshmallow filling, in case you needed another reason to make these.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, gluten free, vegan, crowd-pleaser

They’re also vegan, in case your bae is plant-based. Don't skimp on the dried rose petals; rose tea will do if you can't find edible flowers.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly

You know how we feel about dessert mash-ups. Make a second batch for the kids to take to their school Valentine's Day party.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly

The gooey chocolate center really seals the deal. (A scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn't hurt either.)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly

Official proclamation: Dessert for breakfast is totally fine on V-Day. These sprinkle-topped delights are just the match for post-dinner coffee.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

Between the strawberry-Nutella buttercream, freeze-dried strawberry dust and heart-shaped chocolate garnish, you’re officially Cupid in an apron.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

Savor everything you love about red velvet cake without fussing over all those layers. Go ahead, lay the frosting on thick.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

These dainty little tartlets are bound to impress, but they’re actually super easy to make. (You don’t even need a rolling pin.) Fill them with pudding, whipped cream, custard or ice cream.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes (plus cooling time)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, gluten free

Aren't those swoops and swirls of rich chocolate and simple meringue straight-up hypnotizing? Your date will fall for this one at first bite.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Be still our salty-sweet loving heart. A heart-shaped cookie cutter makes these fudgy gems holiday-appropriate in a flash.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Want a break from chocolate? We love these delicate, buttery shortbread cookies. Add some rose petals or candied lemon peel if you’re feeling fancy.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

We love the way the berry filling peeks out the tops of these adorable hand pies. Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and all the napkins.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

In case your Valentine's Day plans involve kids, these will definitely fit the bill. Use pink and red sanding or sparkling sugars instead of rainbow.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, gluten free

Mousse seems like the kind of dessert reserved for high-end restaurants, but it’s actually super simple to make at home. Bring on the chocolate-hazelnut deliciousness.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Indulge a little or a lot (as in like, a dozen of 'em). Yogurt in the batter offers both moisture and tang.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Might we suggest wrapping these up in cute goodie bags for the kids' classmates? (They sure beat paper valentines, no?)

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

You only need dairy and chocolate chips for the mousse, but the salty crackle of Rice Krispies and hazelnuts is well worth the extra ingredients and effort.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, kid-friendly, gluten free

Three ingredients, plus the optional (read: essential) addition of sprinkles and conversation hearts.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, gluten free

It's never too cold out for sundaes in our book. This vibrant, nostalgic recipe is just the excuse we were looking for, too.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

That's amore, folks. Feel free to pour the brandy or rum with a heavy hand when preparing this coffee-laced treat.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Chewy, tangy, creamy and flat-out festive, these bars are a breeze to prepare. They're basically blondies with a surprise inside.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, crowd-pleaser

This Italian treat is timelessly elegant and only calls for six ingredients. Plus, grapefruit are peak delicious right now.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours (includes chilling)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Complete with chocolate coating and festive sprinkles. Use Dutch processed cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

The press-in pecan crust is a breeze to assemble, meaning you'll have plenty of time and energy left to craft the apple-rose toppers.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Tiny meringues stuffed with chocolate-hazelnut spread? Excuse us while we inhale the whole plate.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly

Espresso powder gives the cupcakes an extra dose of intensity. The keys to the frosting are raspberry preserves and a dash of rosewater.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegan

This grown-up take on shaved ice isn't limited to summertime, especially during citrus season.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients

Your kids will be chomping at the bit to help decorate. Bonus points for icing them with classic phrases (we call "Be Mine").

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free

The only way we're eating fruit for dessert from now on is if it's soaked in wine, cool? This is an ingenious way to use up a lingering bottle of rosé.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

The secret to foolproof soufflé? Don't over-mix the batter or slam the sheet tray down too hard on the countertop.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead

One thing that always puts us in the mood? Candy, especially if it's homemade. We didn't know mini marshmallows had this in them.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, gluten free, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

Your date is sure to ask what fancy confectionery you bought these at. Tell them the truth and let the compliments roll in.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

Boxed cake mix never looked this good. It's the key to going from zero to cookie in 15 minutes flat.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, no bake, <30 minutes

How classy are these? No one would guess you started with store-bought palmiers (and your secret is safe with us).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no bake, kid-friendly

This frees your oven up to cook Valentine's Day dinner. Inside awaits Oreos, cream cheese filling, chocolate filling, cherry jam and graham crackers.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients

There's no better day than the 14th to think pink. Pair 'em with a batch of chocolate-covered strawberries for good measure.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, crowd-pleaser,

No butter, eggs or milk to be found here. The tart is crowned with crystallized ginger and chopped pistachios.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

Scared of your soufflé deflating before it hits the table? This foolproof recipe calls for freezing it for a few hours instead of baking.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

These handhelds have a delicious secret. (OK, we'll spill: They're stuffed with creamy raspberry-chocolate candies.)

• Time Commitment: 5 hours
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

Ending dinner with coffee and dessert has a whole new meaning. The glaze is as simple as combining two-ingredient ganache with corn syrup.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes chilling)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Our pink strawberry milk version has V-Day written all over it. (We're springing for pink non-pareils too.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Chocolate-cream cheese ice cream + chocolate cookies = a one-way ticket to our happy place.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

Anyone else humming "Lovefool" by The Cardigans? Just us? It's as simple to make as a microwave mug cake, but so much more satisfying and impressive.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

These just never get old, do they? Your kids will scarf them down so fast that they won't even notice the oats.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

Thanks to store-bought puff pastry, these come together in just 35 minutes. The jam is store-bought too, but your date won't know the difference.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

Stack them with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries between each pancake for dessert, then serve the leftovers to the kids for breakfast.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy

Complete with layers of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry custard. The nostalgia is real.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

One perk of serving pavlova instead of cake? You can have two (or, ahem, three) slices without feeling too bogged down.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy

Wow. We can hear your date's oohs and ahhs already. These will no doubt lend a certain je ne sais quoi to your Valentine's Day spread.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead

Chewy at the edges, fudgy in the middle and stuffed with your favorite milk chocolate. What's not to like?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead

It's light as air and topped with lemon-spritzed berries, leaving you with plenty of room for another glass of vino.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

Just lay the puff pastry in a skillet, pile on the fruit and bake to golden-brown perfection. Substitute pears or apples if you'd prefer.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

Fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar is our love language. We're planning to eat these the same way Lady and The Tramp ate their spaghetti.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

We have nothing against old-school gingerbread, but we’re swooning over the gooey, molten caramel centers in these wintry sweets.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Thanks to store-bought red currant jelly, these little cheesecakes take ten minutes to prepare before magically coming together in the fridge.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Bursting with blood oranges, cranberries and plenty of spices. We're talking cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

These patisserie-quality cookies are a labor of love...but that's what Valentine's Day is all about, isn't it?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

Best served alongside a cup of joe. (Or even better, coffee spiked with Baileys.) Savor the leftovers the next morning.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

Just looking at these cuties gives us all the warm fuzzies. The crème pâtissière has a surprise whipped inside: passionfruit pulp.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

Forget stressing over piped frosting and fussily cut fruit. This shockingly simple crêpe cake is a lazy baker's dream.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy

Steeping whole cardamom pods in the cream not only offers warm spice to the custard, but it also modernizes the dessert and plucks it right out of '90s territory.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

They're essentially double chocolate chip cookies dusted with cayenne-spiked cinnamon sugar. We'd make a pot of hot cocoa for dunking them in, if we were you.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Believe it or not, this crowd favorite starts with an unexpected ingredient: active sourdough starter.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Honey-like fig jam, dark chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder make for the coziest winter dessert of all time. You'll need a tall glass of milk for this one.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

If Valentine's Day is a family affair at your house, look no further than these marbled handhelds that the kids will go gaga for.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Nothing says "I love you" like a piece of homemade candy that's nine inches wide. Consider your dinner date wooed.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

Yes, the crust is homemade, but surprisingly hands-off. Promise. (Oh, and to gather the vanilla bean seeds, place the bean on a flat surface, cut it lengthwise, then scrape the seeds from the inside of the pod using the edge of a knife.)

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Whole macadamia nuts simply exude class. They contribute to the bites' uniquely (and delightfully) waxy crunch.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes chilling)
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

These almond flour-based cookies are macaroon like in flavor and texture, so they're crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Yum.