Whether you’re hosting a Galentine’s party or a romantic dinner for two, sweets are a big part of a Valentine celebration. Which is where this list of Valentine’s Day dessert ideas comes in handy. From cakes and brownies to truffles and fudge, there are tons of options to choose from.
One of the best things about Valentine’s Day is that it’s an excuse to make some really pretty and delicious desserts!
So I decided to find some of the best Valentine’s Day dessert recipes out there.
Whether you’re looking for cakes, brownies, chocolate treats or something a little different like Pavlova, doughnuts and gummies, we’ve got you covered.
There’s even some gluten-free, vegan and no bake options.
And most of them are really easy to make!
Keep reading to see my list of Valentine’s Day dessert ideas.
Note: Most of these images are not mine so cannot be pinned from this site. If you wish to pin them, please click the link below the picture to go to the original recipe.
Cakes
Image credit: Diana & Alyssa @ In Fine Taste This bundt cake is moist and delicious, and covered with white frosting.
Then when you cut it open, it has the cutest heart surprise inside.
Making this heart-shaped cake is actually really easy to do.
And you don’t need a heart shaped cake pan to do it.
Your Valentine’s Day cake will be the star of your table.
Image credit: Lyne Proulx @ Ottawa Mommy Club With pink frosting and bright red accents, this cinnamon-flavored cake screams Valentine’s day.
The jaw-dropping cake decorations make for a presentation your valentine will never forget.
Image credit: Alexandra Azary @ Bright Eyed Baker If you’re looking for a gluten-free dessert that tastes as good as it looks, try this chocolate raspberry ice cream cake.
This recipe combines chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream swirled with sweet raspberry that will look so pretty on your Valentine table.
This red velvet cake is a very popular Valentine dessert recipe.
Partly because of its red color and partly because it’s so delicious!
And it also works well for cupcakes.
Image credit: Beth Klosterboer @ Hungry Happenings Cut into this pretty pink conversation heart piñata cake to find candy hearts hiding inside.
For an extra-special touch, personalize this Valentine’s Day cake by writing “Be Mine” on the top.
Made with fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, whipped cream and a delicious vanilla cake, our strawberry shortcake cake is super easy to make.
And looks so pretty on the table.
Image credit: Jamie @ Drive Me Hungry Or you can try this Japanese version.
It uses soft layers of sponge cake along with the strawberries & fresh whipped cream for a light and fluffy Valentine’s Day dessert.
Image credit: Gail Ng @ Teak And Thyme For a different take on traditional cheesecake, try this strawberry jelly version.
It tops a no-bake cheesecake with a cranberry jelly layer that encases fresh strawberry slices.
Easy and delicious!
Image credit: smallfarmbiglife @ Small Farm Big Life This easy gluten free chocolate mayonnaise cake is an updated version of a classic 1950s southern recipe.
It is so moist your Valentine won’t be able to resist it.
Image credit: Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. @ Keto Focus If you want a gluten-free and low-carb cake that is heart-shaped and decorated for Valentine’s Day, this keto recipe may be just what you’re looking for.
It is perfect for people with dietary restrictions.
Image credit: Katalin Nagy @ Spatula Desserts For a non-traditional version of red velvet cake, try this one made with cream cheese mousse.
It’s a lighter version of the well-known cake we all love and a must make for Valentine’s Day.
Image credit: Christi Johnstone @ Love From The Oven This chantilly cake recipe brings easy and delicious elegance to Valentine’s Day dessert with layers of vanilla cake, mascarpone frosting and fresh berries.
And it looks so pretty on a table.
This frozen lemon mousse with raspberry sauce can be made ahead of time, tastes delicious and looks really pretty.
It looks a lot more complicated than it actually is.
Image credit: Vanessa Sturman @ The Vegan Larder This vegan lemon and strawberry cheesecake is gluten-free but you wouldn’t know it!
It’s great for Valentine dinner parties, a romantic night in or casual family dinners since everyone loves it.
Image credit: Katalin Nagy @ Spatula Desserts Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside and covered with whipped cream and strawberries, this pavlova is such a beautiful and delicious dessert, it’s worth the effort to make it.
Image credit: Krystle Smith @ Baking Beauty This super moist cherry cake tastes like a chocolate covered cherry in cake form!
And it literally melts in your mouth.
Cupcakes & Individual Servings
Image credit: Beth Klosterboer @ Hungry Happenings Or if you’re looking for a cake rather than cookies, try these conversation heart mini cheesecakes.
They’re individual servings so they’re easy to serve and who doesn’t love cheesecake?
These mini cherry cheesecakes take less than half an hour to make and everyone loves them.
The perfect bite-sized dessert for a Valentine’s Day party.
Image credit: Veena Azmanov @ Veena Azmanov Kitchen This heart chocolate mousse is a classic recipe made with cooked eggs, whipped cream, and good quality chocolate poured in a silicone heart mold.
So delicious!
Image credit: Cynthia @ What A Girl Eats These heart shaped meringues are made with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.
They’re a light and airy dessert for Valentine’s Day that can be put together ahead of time which is always a bonus for special occasion dinners.
These red velvet cupcakes bake up soft and moist, making them easy to frost, transport, and serve.
With their red color and cream cheese frosting, they’re everyone’s favorite Valentine cupcake.
Cream cheese and raspberries swirled together in a cupcake. Need I say more?
These raspberry cheesecake cupcakes are awesome!
Chocolate is a traditional Valentine’s Day treat.
So if that’s what you want for your dessert, these homemade chocolate cupcakes are my favorite recipe.
And they’re super easy to make!
Image credit: Aya @ Science And Crumbs For a gluten-free dessert, try this moist and fluffy red velvet cupcakes recipe that is topped with cream cheese frosting.
With its red color, this cupcake recipe is perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Image credit: Rachel @ Sweet Tea And Sprinkles This strawberry mug cake is a light and airy dessert filled with bits of fresh strawberries and cooked in just 7 minutes using the microwave.
And the individual servings are great for a Galentine’s Day party.
Image credit: Amanda @ Gluten Free Tranquility If you’re looking for gluten-free chocolate cupcakes, try this recipe that is topped with whipped chocolate ganache frosting.
They are so simple to make but taste and look stunning.
Image credit: Jessica Randhawa @ The Forked Spoon These chocolate covered cheesecake bites are made with mini bite-size pieces of cheesecake covered in a delicious chocolate shell coating.
They are the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day party.
Image credit: Anthea @ Rainbow Nourishments These easy vegan strawberry cupcakes are packed with real strawberries and flavor.
And there’s a gluten-free option, too.
Image credit: MaryAnne @ Gastronotherapy These light almond cupcakes are topped with rich raspberry buttercream and fresh raspberries.
Easy enough for beginners and beautiful enough for your Valentine’s Day dessert table.
Cake balls & rolls
This Valentine Oreo balls recipe is an easy, no-bake Valentine’s Day treat that only requires 4 ingredients.
And looks so pretty with its pink coating and sprinkles.
Image credit: Rob @ Maria’s Mixing Bowl These red velvet cake balls look very fancy, but they’re actually super simple to make.
And they’re a great bite-sized Valentine’s Day treat.
Image credit: Melanie @ Spend With Pennies For a Valentine dessert that combines chocolate and raspberries, try this easy-to-make chocolate swiss roll.
The pink center, whipped cream and raspberry topping look pretty on a serving tray and taste delicious.
Image credit: Jessica Halverstadt @ Tao Of Spice These made-from-scratch strawberry cake pops are the ideal addition to your Valentine’s Day menu, especially if you’re serving for a crowd.
It’s so easy for everyone to grab one. No cake cutting required!
Brownies
Image credit: Bella Bucchiotti @ xoxoBella These fudgy brownies are rich, indulgent and decorated with cute heart shaped sprinkles.
The perfect Valentine treat for chocolate lovers.
These white chocolate raspberry brownies combine chocolate with white chocolate and raspberries for a delicious fudgy dessert.
The perfect Valentine dessert for chocolate lovers!
Image credit: Tammy Spencer @ Scotch and Scones These brownies turn a family-favorite rich chocolate fudge brownie recipe into a heart-shaped dessert topped with whipped chocolate ganache.
A delicious way to say “I love you” for the special people in your life.
Image credit: Amy Casey @ Amy Casey Cookes This over-the-top brownie recipe features a fudgy base with chocolate chips.
Topped with fresh strawberries and decadent chocolate ganache, it’s the perfect treat for your Valentine’s Day sweetheart.
Image credit: Marcie @ Flavor The Moments These red velvet brownies are swirled with cheesecake for an extra special flavor.
And the red and white colors look great on a Valentine’s Day dessert table.
Image credit: Amanda Scarlati @ Scarlati Family Kitchen These chocolate whiskey brownies are an easy Valentine dessert recipe that is fudgy and decadent.
Drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with sea salt, these brownies have a boozy kick that takes them to the next level.
Image credit: Melanie Lorick @ Inspired Epicurean Fudgy and packed full of chocolate, these red wine brownies are the perfect end to a Valentine’s Day meal.
Image credit: Natalie @ Natalie’s Health Fudgy and full of flavor, these gluten-free Chocolate Maca Tahini Brownies are beyond delicious.
No dairy, no flour, no refined sugars. So good and totally guilt-free!
Fudge & truffles
This easy no bake strawberry fudge recipe is super simple to make, looks pretty on a dessert table, and tastes delicious.
The perfect addition to any dessert menu.
Image credit: Stacie Vaughan @ Simply Stacie This Valentine’s Day fudge recipe is made with a secret ingredient – white cake mix!
With just 5 ingredients, it’s a super simple dessert to make for your special dinner.
Image credit: Amee @ Live To Sweet These truffles have a dark chocolate filling flavored with a champagne reduction, then coated in even more chocolate.
And topped with heart sprinkles.
A truly decadent Valentine dessert.
Image credit: Jaclyn Shimmel @ Crayons and Cravings Your valentine will love this pink and white chocolate fudge.
It is easy to make in the microwave and is super sweet and delicious.
Pies & tarts
Image credit: Kyleigh Sage @ Barley & Sage These cute little heart shaped strawberry hand pies have homemade strawberry filling sandwiched between two layers of perfect flaky pie crust.
And their small size makes them super easy to serve.
Image credit: Christina @ Addicted To Dates This silky chocolate ganache is made with hidden fresh raspberries and a raspberry brownie base.
This recipe is vegan-friendly, gluten-free and no-bake.
It is also quite possibly the yummiest, tastiest, easiest tart you will ever make.
Image credit: Kathryn Donangelo @ Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog For the taste of cherry pie in an individual serving, these cherry hand pies are a great solution.
They’re made in a heart shape for Valentine’s and they’re easy to put together.
Image credit: Amanda @ Gluten Free Tranquility These gluten-free mini strawberry tarts are another dessert that is served as individual portions.
The crust is gluten-free and it is topped with fresh strawberries so it looks and tastes amazing.
Image credit: Stacy Roman @ We Dish It Up These cherry pie bars use sugar cookie mix for a sweet and crispy crust that’s super easy to make.
And the cherry filling is absolutely delicious.
Image credit: https://www.facebook.com/RealFoodRN/ @ Real Food RN Made with almond flour, this silky, creamy chocolate French Silk Pie will make eight people deliriously happy!
A wonderful addition to your Valentine dinner menu.
Donuts
Image credit: Bella Bucchiotti @ xoxoBella If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day treat for breakfast or brunch, try this cinnamon roll hack to make heart shaped mini sugar doughnut holes.
They’re easy to make and add some heart to your brunch table (pun intended).
Image credit: Kyleigh Sage @ Barley & Sage These heart shaped sourdough donuts are light and airy and made with a combination of sourdough starter and instant yeast.
They are deep fried to perfection and then dunked in the most amazing strawberry glaze.
Image credit: Katalin Nagy @ Spatula Desserts With their natural pink glaze and delicious raspberry and rose flavor, these baked donuts are a great recipe for a Valentine’s Day brunch menu.
Cookies
Conversation hearts are a universal symbol for Valentine’s Day.
So these conversation heart cookies are a great way to add a themed treat to your dessert table.
And this recipe doesn’t require icing or piping so they’re super easy to make.
Image credit: Christi Johnstone @ Love From The Oven These red velvet whoopie pies are heart shaped for an adorable Valentine’s Day dessert.
A rich cream cheese filling is sandwiched between cakey red velvet cookies for an impressive cookie that’s made with love.
These white chocolate covered Oreos look a lot harder to make than they actually are.
And you’ll be amazed at how good Oreos and white chocolate taste together.
With all of these delicious sweets available, this year’s Valentine’s Day is sure to be a special one!
Want more cookies? Check out our favorite Valentine’s Day cookie recipes.
Other Valentine treats
Image credit: Lyne Proulx @ Ottawa Mommy Club These cookie dough truffles are made into a heart shape and covered in dark chocolate.
A rich and decadent treat to make for that special someone on Valentine’s Day.
Image credit: Samantha Erb @ Everyday Family Cooking Made with only 4 ingredients, this Valentine’s Day chocolate bark recipe is both easy and delicious.
The perfect Valentine treat!
Image credit: Barth Bakery @ Barth Bakery This easy trifle from is creamy, fruity, and spiked with a boozy element for a completely addicting dessert.
Layers of light and spongy angel food cake and peaks of fluffy whipped cream perfectly compliment the fresh sweet strawberries in this divine dessert.
Image credit: Maggie Unzueta @ In Mama Maggies Kitchen This Mexican Chocolate Fondue from lets you have chocolate-covered strawberries without the work of making them yourself.
Make the chocolate sauce, start dipping the strawberries, and enjoy the chocolatey richness!
Image credit: Emily @ Inside The Rustic Kitchen This light, creamy and delicious strawberry tiramisu is made with juicy strawberries, Cointreau liqueur, and shavings of white chocolate.
The perfect dessert after your Valentine’s Day dinner.
Image credit: K @ Berly’s Kitchen These Valentine’s Rice Krispie Treats are packed with melted marshmallows, chocolate candies, and more mini marshmallows for extra gooiness!
They’re a fun way to add a romantic twist on the original recipe.
Image credit: Jamie @ Drive Me Hungry What would Valentine’s Day be without chocolate covered strawberries?
Learn how to make them, including tricks for how to melt the chocolate and how to dip and decorate the strawberries.
Image credit: Kyleigh Sage @ Barley & Sage These heart shaped rosé gummies are super fun and easy to make.
And you only need 3 ingredients to make these Valentine’s Day treats.
Image credit: Teri @ A Sprinkle And A Splash This amazing Valentine dessert is like pudding, but sooo much better.
It’s made with only 5 ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to put it together.
So it’s unbelievably quick and easy but tasty enough to impress.
This post was originally published on January 22, 2022 but was updated with new content on February 10, 2026.