This Valentine’s Day, go beyond the standard box of chocolates and make something sweet for your special someone.
Perhaps that person is your significant other, your kid, a friend, a family member or yourself (hey, you deserve it!). Maybe they’re a cake lover, a pie person, a cookie monster or a truffle fanatic. Whomever you’re spending the holiday with, and no matter their pastry preferences, we’ve got recipes that will satisfy any kind of sweet tooth on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
We know it can be hard to choose the right dessert for such a special occasion, so we’re here to help. First things first: What are you doing for Valentine’s Day dinner? If you're cooking at home for the family or a group of friends, go for something crowd-pleasing like a chocolate cake, red velvet brownies or salted peanut butter-caramel bars. If you’re whipping up a romantic meal for two, go for individual chocolate lava cakes, chocolate mousse or chocolate fondue. Yes, that’s quite a lot of chocolate, so if you’d rather not go in the chocolate direction, we’ve got choices like cheesecake, Key lime pie and strawberry tiramisu.
There is no greater Valentine’s Day gift than something lovingly handcrafted in the kitchen, and there is no better feeling than watching the person you love savor every last morsel of your creation.
So take your time savoring the options, jot down the ingredients you’ll need, and enjoy planning something sweet for your sweetheart. Whatever you choose, we’ve got you covered — chocolate-covered, that is.
Cakes
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Valerie Bertinelli's Sicilian Love Cake
Valerie Bertinelli
If it's got "love" in the name, it's a must-make for Valentine's Day. Store-bought chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix are the secrets behind this easy cake from Valerie Bertinelli. There's a double dose of mascarpone cheese in both the filling and frosting.
Anina Belle Giannini
Get The Recipe
Dark Chocolate Lava Cake (Moelleux au Chocolat)
Sébastien Giannini
Stick a spoon into the top of the moelleux au chocolat and the aroma will be almost as seductive as the rich chocolate interior that oozes out like slow, molten lava.
Nathan Congelton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Clodagh McKenna
This cake from Irish chef Clodagh McKenna is majestically dark but surprisingly light and velvety in texture. The stout lover in your life will love the fact that the color resembles a pint of Guinness.
Caroline Choe
Get The Recipe
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Caroline Choe
This is one of the easiest cakes to make and — dare we say it — one of the sexiest! A combination of basic ingredients — butter, eggs, sugar, coffee liqueur and bittersweet chocolate — create this decadent dessert oozing with rich chocolate.
Courtesy Clarkson Potter
Get The Recipe
Martha Stewart's Mile High Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cake
Martha Stewart
Truly, madly and deeply chocolate: Pools of rich salted caramel separate layers of chocolate cake, which are then swathed with dark chocolate frosting and sprinkled with flaky salt. Prep the wondrous cake layers and caramel up to three days before assembling (chilling actually improves the texture for stacking).
Getty Images
Get The Recipe
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Gesine Bullock-Prado
It's hard to share a Valentine's Day dessert roundup without including at least one red velvet cake recipe. The delicate combination of moist, ruby-red cake and cream cheese frosting is always a crowd-pleaser.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Christina Tosi's Valentine's Day Layer Cake
Christina Tosi
There's nothing sweeter than making someone you care about a Valentine's Day cake perfectly suited to his or her taste — and in this recipe, you can substitute any of your favorite fillings as a cake layer.
TODAY Illustration / Erica Chayes Wida
Get The Recipe
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
Erica Chayes Wida
The combination of smooth peanut butter and rich chocolate make this five-ingredient dessert incredibly decadent and irresistible to any peanut butter cup fan. Plus, the recipe uses boxed cake mix for an easier-than-ever dessert.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Mini Conversation Heart Cakes
Yolanda Gampp
This Valentine's Day, design your own Sweethearts for your sweetheart! These cakes are so much fun to bake, decorate and customize with fun and flirty phrases.
Nathan Congleton/TODAY
Get The Recipe
Salted Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ryan Scott
Serve these warm, molten cakes with chocolate ice cream for an over-the-top chocolate experience. Bonus: These can be made in advance.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Chocolate Cake
Craig Strong
Coffee is the secret ingredient to making this chocolate cake moist and rich. Decorate it with plump berries and edible flowers for a dessert that's truly worthy of that special someone.
Mike Smith / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Vegan Matcha-Dark Chocolate Cake
Candice Kumai
Mashed ripe banana and Japanese ceremonial matcha powder make this cake one of the most beloved recipes in Candice Kumai's cookbooks.
Courtesy Milk Bar
Get The Recipe
Red Velvet Layer Cake
Christina Tosi
The bold color contrast of red velvet cake layers and pure white frosting make this scrumptious cake as appealing to look at as it is to eat.
Mike Smith / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Jean-Georges' Molten Chocolate Cake
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
These cakes are truly a treat for the senses: the rich chocolaty aroma, the decadent taste and, of course, the satisfying surprise of seeing the river of warm chocolate pour out when you cut into them.
Nathan Congleton/TODAY
Get The Recipe
Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Martha Stewart
There's something extra-special about a personal, individually-sized cake — especially when it's a molten chocolate cake served warm out of the oven.
Susan Power Photography
Get The Recipe
Rainbow Heart Cake
Amanda Rettke
Surprise and delight your Valentine with this beautifully buttercream-frosted cake. The best part of the night will be when they cut into the cake to find a surprise rainbow heart hidden inside.
Sugar Dish Me / Sugar Dish Me
Get The Recipe
Bourbon Cheesecake with Boozy Chocolate for Two
Get love drunk with a double infusion of booze that's added to both the filling and the chocolate sauce. The fragrant bourbon and chocolate give this cheesecake an extra shot of decadence.
Jessie Sheehan
Get The Recipe
No-Bake Cannoli Cheesecake
Jessie Sheehan
A cannoli is a classic Italian pastry. With its crispy shell and creamy, cool, slightly sweet ricotta filling, it checks all the boxes of a delicious dessert (particularly when a little chocolate is added). Here, we've taken everything that everyone loves in a cannoli (including the not-always-traditional, but always welcome pistachio) and created a no-bake cannoli-inspired cheesecake.
Cookies and bars
Sam A. Harris
Get The Recipe
Triple Chocolate Brownie Fingers
Matt Adlard
This is one of those desserts that looks so elegant from the piping, but it’s sneaky-easy to pull together. We dress up basic brownies using a simple chocolate glaze around the outside and then pipe a whipped chocolate ganache on top.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Hidden Surprise Valentine's Cookies
Gesine Bullock-Prado
Getting the gorgeous dual-hued stripes in these heart-shaped cookies takes a bit of effort, but the surprise inside, along with the buttery, sweet flavor, makes this treat completely worth it.
DO, Cookie Dough Confections
Get The Recipe
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Heart Cookies
Kristen Tomlan, founder of DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections
Not only is the cookie dough beautifully bakeable, its also safe to eat uncooked. A win-win! Use a mix of dark and white chocolate, food coloring and sprinkles for fun and festive decorating.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Get The Recipe
XO Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies
Abby Larson
Decorate these on-theme sugar cookies two ways — either with royal icing and your choice of toppings or with a thick smear of fluffy frosting and rock candy on top for some bling.
Courtesy Julia Gartland
Get The Recipe
Salted Peanut Butter-Caramel Bars
Samah Dada
In this recipe, peanut butter is used along with medjool dates and coconut sugar to create a silky and delicious date caramel that rests on a shortbread crust. Top it all off with dark chocolate because, well, why not?
Courtesy Hetty McKinnon
Get The Recipe
Flourless Soy Sauce Brownies
Hetty McKinnon
The use of this yeasty, salty condiment in a brownie is surprising, but it brings a complex depth of flavor to this classic sweet treat. Soy sauce amplifies the chocolate note, bringing a rich caramel glow. The end result very much resembles salted caramel.
Courtesy Natasha Wynnyk
Get The Recipe
Gluten-Free Skillet Brownie
Giada De Laurentiis
This recipe is just as delicious and decadent as a normal brownie, but a tad better for you because it doesn't use refined sugars or all-purpose flour. Instead, they rely on almond flour, which creates a fine crumb and all-around better texture.
Chris Andre
Get The Recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies
Ryan Scott
If you don't tell people these cookies are gluten-free and vegan, they'll never know. They've got that perfect balance of crunchy and chewy; plus, they pop with even more chocolate.
TODAY
Get The Recipe
Daphne Oz's Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Daphne Oz
Whether you freeze the dough into individual cookie balls to bake at a later date, or bake in a skillet for one giant, sensational, golden-brown cookie, it's sure to win over whoever is eating it. Top it with good-quality vanilla ice cream for an extra-scrumptious treat.
Martha Stewart
Get The Recipe
Martha Stewart's No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cups
Martha Stewart
These homemade bars taste just like the beloved classic cups. Velvety chocolate enrobes creamy peanut butter in a perfectly sized two-bite treat.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Elizabeth Heiskell
When it comes to these red velvet brownies, it's all about the frosting. A kiss of rich cream cheese frosting immediately puts us on cloud nine.
Pies, tarts and other confections
David Malosh for The New York Times
Get The Recipe
Two-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Melissa Clark
This is an intense, creamy two-ingredient chocolate mousse that comes together quickly. The nearly instant recipe contains no cream or eggs, so a complex chocolate can shine. The mousse serves four, and it can be doubled. But even if you're serving two, don't be tempted to halve it.
Courtesy Kayla Hoang
Get The Recipe
French Silk Pie
Kayla Hoang
While it’s not as French as the name implies, this luscious pie combines flaky pie crust, rich chocolate mousse and pillows of whipped cream to create a dessert that holds up to its silky moniker. French silk pie is cool, creamy and a great make-ahead dessert for any special occasion. Make all the components yourself (it makes the pie extra special!) or lean on store-bought shortcuts like pre-made pie crust. Either way, you can’t miss with this recipe.
Milk Bar
Get The Recipe
Red Velvet Cake Truffles
Christina Tosi
We love these truffles in place of the traditional box of Valentine's Day chocolates. They are jam-packed with flavor and way more fun to eat!
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Valentine's Day Ombre Cherries
Abby Larson
A fun twist on chocolate-dipped cherries, these three-ingredient ombre-colored treats look absolutely beautiful on any table spread.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Get The Recipe
Siri's Chocolate Fondue
Siri Daly
This is a truly simple dessert to pull off, and yet it appears super impressive. And at the end of the day, there's nothing more deliciously romantic than dipping assorted fruits and cake into melted chocolate.
TODAY All Day / TODAY All Day
Get The Recipe
Stuffed Dates with Almond Butter and Sea Salt
Samah Dada
Make your date salivate with dates! When the medjool variety are heated, they develop a delicious caramel flavor that’s balanced perfectly with nut butter. Add a little chocolate and flaky sea salt and you've got yourself an incredible and easy dessert.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Vanilla Bean Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Gesine Bullock-Prado
All you need is a few pantry staples and 20 minutes to make your own churros, plus an easy chocolate dipping sauce. The result is a batch of warm, sugar-flecked pastries that melt in your mouth.
Angie Mosier
Get The Recipe
Chocolate Pots de Crème
Elizabeth Heiskell
Your guest will never know that their restaurant-worthy dessert only required three ingredients and minutes to make. This is a showstopper every single time!
Brandon Goodwin / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Al's 'Sexy' Strawberry Shortcakes
Al Roker
Individual desserts are the perfect way to add a little romance. One of Al Roker's favorites are these made-from-scratch strawberry shortcakes because they offer a fabulous mix of flavors and textures. And yes, it's worth the extra effort to make homemade whipped cream and biscuits.
Courtesy Jocelyn Delk Adams
Get The Recipe
Classic Key Lime Pie
Jocelyn Delk Adams
For those who love a touch of tartness in their sweets, Key lime pie is a timeless favorite. Jocelyn Delk Adams shares how to make it with a homemade graham cracker crust, which brings the confection from fine to fabulous.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Irresistible Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
PopSugar Food
Love is definitely in your future if you make this tart filled with salted caramel, lavender-infused ganache and topped with toasted marshmallow.
Lucy Schaeffer / Junk Food to Joy Food
Get The Recipe
Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries
Joy Bauer
These bite-sized beauties taste decadent but are surprisingly light, thanks to a smart balance of rich filling and sweet strawberries.
Clodagh McKenna
Get The Recipe
Quick Coffee-Chocolate Mousse
Clodagh McKenna
This quick dessert recipe is perfect for any home baker who is pressed for time but still wants to deliver something special.
Martha Stewart
Get The Recipe
Martha Stewart's Chocolate-Caramel Truffles
Martha Stewart
These truffles are inspired by brigadeiros, a confection popular throughout Brazil. Here, the traditional chocolate sprinkles get swapped for a festive Valentine's Day color combo.
Shutterstock
Get The Recipe
Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse
Julia Child
There are so many recipes for chocolate mousse, but Julia Child's, which uses egg yolks and butter, yields silky, smooth results every time.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Chocolate Truffles
Gesine Bullock-Prado
These truffles are great to give as a Valentine's Day gift, but they're so tasty, you just might want to keep them all for yourself.
Anna Francese Gass
Get The Recipe
Strawberry Tiramisu
Anna Francese Gass
This strawberry tiramisu takes all the classic moves of the traditional espresso-flavored dessert and gives it a vibrant, fruity twist. It also gives the liquor-soaked treat a more family-friendly makeover (think: elegant strawberry milk) and is a great option when serving those who choose not to drink.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
Rose Panna Cotta
Erin French
Panna cotta, a smooth, gelatin-based dessert that's traditionally served cold, gets infused with the natural flavors of a summer garden in this easy Italian dessert. The heavy cream, vanilla bean and rose water make this sweet ending a simple confection worthy of an elegant soiree or warm weather picnic.
Sam A. Harris
Get The Recipe
My Dad's Lemon Tart
Matt Adlard
This is the greatest lemon tart you’ll ever eat. Believe us, we’ve tried to find better, but nothing compares. It has the perfect balance of citrus and sweet, with an incredibly smooth finish. Serve it with crème fraîche, or for some crunch, brulée the top with sugar.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Get The Recipe
No-Cook Chocolate and Raspberry Tart
Mary McCartney
Look no further for the perfect Valentine's Day dessert. This is a picture-perfect, party-worthy, no-cook, no-fuss, decadent, divine, showstopping, make-ahead dessert. It has a crispy, chocolaty cookie base, delicious mousse filling, and it's topped with raspberries. It's indulgent but surprisingly light.
Erica Chayes Wida
Erica Chayes Wida is an award-winning journalist, food writer and recipe editor who helmed a local newspaper before joining TODAY's freelance team. A mother of two, she loves singing, collecting old vinyl and, of course, cooking. Erica is forever on a worldwide quest to find the best ham and cheese croissant and brainstorms best over a sauce pot of bubbling pasta sauce. Her work has been featured on BBC Travel, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living and PopSugar. Follow along onInstagram.