Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food 41 Delicious Valentine's Day Desserts You'll Fall in Love With By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 11, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos These Valentine's Day dessert recipes will surely charm your sweetie. Skip the basic box of chocolates this year and go for a more dazzling confection like our pink lemonade cake, red velvet brownies, or Neapolitan cookies. Valentine's Day is all about celebrating the people you love and cherish in your life. And what better way to do that than make them a simply irresistible dessert? From fancy and involved to quick and easy, there's something for everyone in this collection of Valentine's dessert recipes. Some of these Valentine's Day desserts start with store-bought cookies, while others are made completely from scratch. Are you in the mood for something classically chocolate? Try our Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes or Chocolate Strawberry Cake. If you're looking for something fruity, our Lemon Raspberry Cake and Strawberry Icebox Cake are sure to impress. Skip the restaurant this year and make a romantic dinner at home. Be sure to end with one of these Valentine's Day treats for the grand finale. 01 of 41 Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake If you can't resist a slice of cheesecake or a chocolate-covered strawberry, we've found your Valentine. 02 of 41 Valentine's Day Cake Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Valentine's Day Cake Sweet strawberries and buttercream frosting are the most beautiful couple for this heart-shape cake. 03 of 41 Red Velvet Cake Balls Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Balls Are you celebrating Valentine's Day with the whole family this year? Red Velvet Cake Balls are great to make with the kids. 04 of 41 Heart Cookies Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Heart Cookies These cookies have a secret we promise not to tell your party guests. Hint: There's store-bought cake mix involved. 05 of 41 Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies Zoe Denenberg; Prop Styling: Grant Gaar Recipe: Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies We swapped classic conversation heart sayings for Southern quips like,"Hotter Than Texas" and "Bless Your Heart." 06 of 41 White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Micah A. Leal Recipe: White Chocolate Covered Strawberries Impress your Valentine with a white chocolate design that's easier to dip than it looks. 07 of 41 White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Styling: Kay Clarke, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake You can enjoy this beautiful cake after Valentine's dinner or with a cup of coffee for Valentine's Day breakfast in bed. 08 of 41 Strawberry Brownies Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke Recipe: Strawberry Brownies These fudgy brownies are delicious on their own, but a layer of fresh, juicy strawberries and chocolate ganache on top take them over the top. 09 of 41 Chocolate Strawberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Chocolate Strawberry Cake This dessert tastes like a chocolate-dipped strawberry in cake form, so yeah, it's delicious. 10 of 41 Lemon Raspberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake Brimming with elegance, this Lemon Raspberry Cake is light and tender with a twist of lemon zest. 11 of 41 Molten Red Velvet Cakes Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Molten Red Velvet Cakes End the perfect Valentine's Day dinner at home with these Molten Red Velvet Cakes, and watch your sweetheart swoon. 12 of 41 Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes Pound cake, but make it miniature. We love these personal, chocolate-filled treats. 13 of 41 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies If you don't have hours to spend in the kitchen making a traditional cheesecake, give these cookies a try. They are easy to make and taste just a great. 14 of 41 Buttermilk Lime Mini Cakes with Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream Greg DuPree Recipe: Buttermilk Lime Mini Cakes with Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream These mini cakes are sure to impress your special someone. Layers of buttercream make this dessert oh-so decadent. 15 of 41 Angel Food Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Angel Food Cake Pillowy Angel Food Cake and fresh strawberries make this dessert truly celebratory. And it only takes 10 minutes to prep! 16 of 41 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Looking for the perfect bake-and-take dessert to bring to a Valentine's day party? This sheet cake will be the belle of the ball - guaranteed. 17 of 41 Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream Did someone say chocolate ganache? This fudge-filled layer cake is rich and creamy in all the right ways. 18 of 41 Strawberry Cream Pie Iain Bagwell Recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie Enhance your Valentine's day with red currant jelly and orange liqueur. Complete with fresh strawberries, this dessert is an elegant choice for a romantic dinner. 19 of 41 Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake Indulge in a sheet of sweet, strawberry-rosé satisfaction. This fruity snack cake is light, fluffy, and pretty in pink. 20 of 41 Red Velvet Brownies Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Red Velvet Brownies Sweet cream cheese frosting and rich red velvet cake make this dessert the ideal choice for a Valentine's Day dinner. 21 of 41 Strawberry Icebox Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Strawberry Icebox Cake What's better than whipped cream and cookies to make your Valentine's Day dreams come to life? This easy-to-make cake is oh-so fancy. 22 of 41 Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Why decide between ice cream and cake on Valentine's Day? This beautiful dessert offers the best of both worlds. 23 of 41 Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Whip up these striking red cookies in just 10 minutes. Chewy, rich, and topped with white chocolate chips, they are sure to impress your sweetheart. 24 of 41 Pink Lemonade Cake Southern Living Recipe: Pink Lemonade Cake We transformed one of the South's favorite beverages into a sinfully sweet cake for Valentine's Day. 25 of 41 Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Micah Leal Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Your partner will think you picked up these airy delights at the local bakery. Made with no artificial flavors or colors, the taste is unmatched by any other dessert. 26 of 41 Lane Cupcakes Southern Living Recipe: Lane Cupcakes Inspired by the beloved Southern cake that bears the same name, these Lane cupcakes pack the same flavor punch in a single serving. 27 of 41 Butterscotch Pie with Whiskey Caramel Sauce Greg DuPree Recipe: Butterscotch Pie with Whiskey Caramel Sauce Butterscotch filling and caramel sauce create a delicious pie worthy of only the highest praise. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream to take it over the top. 28 of 41 Red Velvet-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Red Velvet-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies We swapped red velvet's usual cream cheese frosting companion for rich white chocolate chunks, and you're going to love the rich pairing. 29 of 41 Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Jennifer Causey Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream This bright flavor combination will have you ready for spring. 30 of 41 Conversation Heart White Chocolate Bark Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Recipe: Conversation Heart White Chocolate Bark We gave your favorite Christmas toffee recipe a makeover that's ready for Valentine's Day. 31 of 41 Mini Red Velvet Cakes Southern Living Recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cakes After a decadent Valentine's Day dinner, these perfectly portioned mini cakes hit the spot. 32 of 41 Cheerwine Cherry Cupcakes with Cherry-Swirl Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Cheerwine Cherry Cupcakes with Cherry-Swirl Frosting These festive little cupcakes prove everything is better with a splash of Cheerwine! 33 of 41 Marbled Sugar Heart Cookies Zoe Denenberg; Prop Styling: Grant Gaar Recipe: Marbled Sugar Heart Cookies The kids will have so much fun decorating these sugar cookies on Valentine's Day. 34 of 41 Red Velvet Soufflés with Whipped Sour Cream Jennifer Davick Recipe: Red Velvet Soufflés with Whipped Sour Cream Totally dreamy and beautiful, you'll fall in love with these red velvet mini desserts. 35 of 41 Mini Strawberry Chiffon Pies Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Mini Strawberry Chiffon Pies Refrigerated pie crusts and an easy whipped cream topping make these pretty little pies super easy. 36 of 41 Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes Victor Protasio Recipe: Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes If you're not a fan of red food dye, these adorable cupcakes get their color from natural red beets. 37 of 41 Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes Finish your date night with a spirited dessert that feels inherently romantic. 38 of 41 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake This stunning pink cake combines two of our favorite flavors that will have it feeling like spring has arrived to your table. 39 of 41 Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake If your Valentine doesn't want red velvet on Valentine's Day, treat them to a decadent cheesecake with a homemade praline topping. 40 of 41 Raspberry-White Chocolate Meringue Sandwich Cookies Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Raspberry-White Chocolate Meringue Sandwich Cookies Thesepretty sandwich cookies beautifully swirled to resemble our favorite pink blooms. How do we get this sweet look? We spike the meringue with finely-ground, freeze-dried raspberries. 41 of 41 Chocolate-Marshmallow Linzer Heart Cookies Recipe: Chocolate-Marshmallow Linzer Heart Cookies Nothing says Valentine's Day quite like these cookies. Made with decadent ingredients like marshmallows and chocolate, Linzer Heart Cookies are great for celebrating your sweetheart. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit