Holidays & Occasions Valentine's Day 30 Valentine's Desserts That Have Us Seeing Red By Southern Living Editors Updated on December 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar For Valentine's Day, maybe you want to avoid the crowds this year and enjoy a romantic dinner in the comfort of your own home. Everyone enjoys a box of indulgent chocolate candies, and a stunning bouquet of fresh flowers will brighten your room for several days. But nothing says "you are special" like a red-tinted treat you made with labor and love. Show how much you care and appreciate that special someone, whether a spouse, child, parent, or friend, with one of these top-rated red Valentine's Day desserts. 01 of 30 Valentine's Day Cake Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar As if a colorful buttercream wasn't enough, a strawberry trim really takes this Valentine's treat over the top. The best part? It's made from a sheet cake. No layering required. 02 of 30 Red Velvet Soufflés with Whipped Sour Cream Jennifer Davick Give elegant soufflés get a Valentine’s Day twist with a red velvet update. A whipped sour cream topping elevates the experience. Garnish with ruby-red raspberries or strawberries if desired. 03 of 30 Heart Cookies Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Start with store-bought strawberry cake mix. Top with frosting and finish with your favorite red and pink sprinkles. Then get ready for these party-perfect cookies to fly off the table. 04 of 30 Molten Red Velvet Cakes HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ Portioned just right, you don't have to share the magic of this chocolatey center with anyone else, no matter how much you love them. You’ll want that cream cheese whipped cream all to yourself. These single-serving desserts can be prepared a day ahead, making them that much sweeter. 05 of 30 Red Velvet Brownies Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Cream cheese frosting makes these treats festive, but chocolate frosting will be just as decadent. To make these brownies extra pretty, use decorative white chocolate curls. Simply pull a vegetable peeler along the side of a white chocolate bar and sprinkle the curls on top. 06 of 30 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey This pretty cake can help get you into the party spirit. Lemon cake is layered with a tangy Strawberry-Lemonade Jam. You can assemble this dessert up to two days ahead, leaving you lots of time to prepare the rest of your Valentine's Day meal. 07 of 30 Red Velvet Cake Balls Southern Living These are the perfect treats to pack for a dinner on the go. Held together with homemade cream cheese frosting and coated in white chocolate, it's hard to eat just one. 08 of 30 Strawberry Brownies Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke These brownies require extra time, but one bite will tell you they are worth it. Indulgent and fudgy with a fun strawberry-studded surprise, these squares will put your normal chocolate-covered strawberries to shame. 09 of 30 Chocolate-Marshmallow Linzer Heart Cookies As fun to decorate as they are to eat, these Linzer cookies are filled with a ready-made marshmallow crème—no icing or special filling required. Tint the crème pink or red if you wish, and top with sprinkles. 10 of 30 Lemon Raspberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Nothing says "I love you" quite like a layer cake, and this cake is sure to shout it with a dreamy cream cheese-raspberry frosting. Cut to reveal a layer of fresh raspberries inside. You can make the cake layers a day ahead. 11 of 30 Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Micah A. Leal These cookies combine the perfect crisp cookie texture with the taste of a red velvet cake pop. With just five ingredients, these cake mix cookies will be ready for the school Valentine's Day party in no time. 12 of 30 Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe Victor Protasio If you're looking for a deep red dessert, look no further. These tender cupcakes use beets as a natural food coloring, and their rich cream cheese frosting makes them impossible to resist. 13 of 30 Chocolate Strawberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford This chocolate cake tastes like a strawberry dipped in chocolate. Want to make this cake even more over the top? Garnish with chocolate-covered strawberries instead of regular, whole strawberries. 14 of 30 Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey This treat turns a favorite dessert into a special occasion ice cream. Cool off before you cuddle up with this homemade ice cream that's speckled with just the right amount of fresh strawberry chunks and angel food cake cubes. 15 of 30 Mini Red Velvet Cakes Southern Living Classic red velvet cake takes on a new twist in this individual-sized dessert that you only have to share if you really want to be sweet to your valentine. Mascarpone cheese replaces cream cheese for a decadent frosting you may want to keep for yourself. 16 of 30 Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar There’s a lot to love about this ganache-topped cheesecake. This date night dessert is sure to dazzle any time of year, but we particularly love pairing it with a glass of champagne on Valentine's Day. 17 of 30 Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies Zoe Denenberg; Prop Styling: Grant Gaar If you didn't get your cookie decorating itch totally scratched last Christmas, you can pull out your piping bags for these pretty conversation heart cookies. While we love a fun, Southern saying, you can get as clever and original with your decorative phrases as you'd like. 18 of 30 Make Sweet Cherry Hand Pies For Valentine's Day These easy cherry and rosemary hand pies are a cute (and very sweet) way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Made with pre-made pie crust and cherry pie filling, this fun food craft takes just a few steps with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Simply mix together the pie filling with some fresh rosemary, add to half of the piecrust hearts, crimp the edges, brush with milk, top with sparkling sugar, and bake. Voilà—easy and quick miniature pies that are perfect for your sweetheart (or, for your child's classroom friends!). If you're not a fan of cherries, sub in your partner's favorite filling (or a healthy dollop of Nutella). 19 of 30 Mini Strawberry Chiffon Pies Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Made with refrigerated pie crusts and a simple whipped cream topping, these Strawberry Chiffon Mini Pies are easier to make than they look. They'll add a fresh ending to any Valentine's Day meal. 20 of 30 Fresh Strawberry Milkshake Antonis Achilleos Want to cool off after a hot, romantic meal? There's no better way than a homemade shake. Whip this up with just five simple ingredients. 21 of 30 Red Velvet Layer Cake Jennifer Davick If you need a dessert for a crowd of valentines, this cake will satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. Nothing says "I love you" like this tall red velvet cake, cloaked in a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. 22 of 30 Mini Strawberry Tarts Greg Dupree These sweet tarts, with a dreamy filling of cream cheese, whipped cream, and lemon, make a lovely presentation for a Valentine's Day dessert. Make these in advance, as they need time to chill. 23 of 30 Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen While it may not be a traditional Valentine's Day treat, we love the idea of key lime and strawberries on a sweet occasion. Make this in advance to allow time to chill. It’s the perfect recipe for a party. 24 of 30 Red Velvet Fudge Alison Miksch If you like red velvet, this fudge is a must-try. With just 30 minutes of hands-on time, this recipe does most of the work in the fridge as it chills. You’ll have plenty of sweets for all of your valentines. 25 of 30 Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler Put a spin on the classic cobbler with red velvet cake. Spoon the red batter over berries to bake, and layer in glasses with cream cheese ice cream for a pretty presentation. There’s a Chocolate-Cherry Cobbler version too. 26 of 30 White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Micah A. Leal Simple chocolate-covered strawberries are a sweet way to tell someone how much you care. White chocolate is the canvas for creative patterns. These are easy to make in advance. 27 of 30 Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke What’s not to love about this pretty-in-pink cake? It comes together in one bowl, and rosé is mixed right into the cake. It’s perfect for your favorite galentines and valentines. Top with strawberries for an easy presentation. 28 of 30 Conversation Heart White Chocolate Bark Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Prop Stylist: Christina Daley White chocolate is the perfect backdrop for Valentine’s Day candies and sprinkles. Make a batch of this bark to give to your fun valentines. It freezes well if you want to make it in advance. 29 of 30 Chocolate-Raspberry Truffles Joy Howard Rolling these truffles in freeze-dried raspberries gives them their bright color and berry flavor. They come together quickly, then chill for a few hours so they’re perfect for making ahead. This recipe gives you plenty for sharing. 30 of 30 Salted Caramel Strawberries Jennifer Davick; Styling: Leigh Anne Montgomery This take on dipped strawberries has sweetness and crunch. Simple to make, these are a satisfying ending to an indulgent meal. Make sure to dry the strawberries well so the caramel coating will stick. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! 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