Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events Valentine's Day Recipes 35 Irresistible Chocolate Desserts for Valentine's Day By Jennifer Anderson Jennifer Anderson Jennifer is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 1, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Chris Court There's no better way to say "I love you" than with a delightful, decadent chocolate dessert. But better than any box of store-bought bonbons is a homemade dessert or treat to share. Whether you enjoy it with your partner, the family, or a group of friends is up to you, but we're offering a stellar selection of cacao recipes just right for the holiday of love. There are classic heart-shaped cookies and decadent raspberry-filled whoopee pies (of course, we have more heart-shaped ways to express your affection if your significant other isn't a chocolate lover), as well as cupcakes that aren't just cute—they're sophisticated and heartfelt, too. If your heart desires a dessert to be shared, try a brownie cake or a mousse pie—or go with bite-sized treats like handmade truffles or chocolate-peanut butter cups. Package them in a special box or present them on a gilded platter—either way, your Valentine is sure to swoon over these heartfelt creations. 01 of 35 Chocolate Heart-Shaped Cakes with Buttercream Johnny Miller Mini flourless chocolate cakes get a flavor boost from dark rum and instant espresso. They puff up slightly in the oven, then set into a delicate, truffle-like consistency as they cool. Piped meringue buttercream decorations are the finishing touch that takes these decadent treats over the top. View Recipe 02 of 35 Loaf-Pan Buckeye Brownies David Malosh Bake brownies in a loaf pan using our small-batch recipe when you need a smaller amount of decadent treats. Inspired by buckeye candies—an old-fashioned confection of chocolate-dipped peanut-butter fudge—they are run through with a ribbon of rich peanut-butter cream that takes on a caramel flavor in the oven. View Recipe 03 of 35 Candied-Orange Chocolate-Caramel Tart Paola + Murray Chocolate and orange is a blissful combination, as this tart shows. It has a chocolate wafer crust, a citrus-infused caramel, and a thick layer of ganache on top. It's a dessert project that has delicious results. View Recipe 04 of 35 Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar Sidney Bensimon It's rich and indulgent but also free of refined sugar and eggs and gluten-free. This dessert bar is our top choice for anyone with dietary restrictions or who prefers a healthier dessert. View Recipe 05 of 35 Molten Chocolate-Espresso Cakes Yuki Sugiura For a quick chocolate fix for your valentine, turn to these easy mini cakes. Serve them plain, or topped with a bit of ganache and a sprinkling of pistachios or a touch of flaky sea salt. View Recipe 06 of 35 Handwritten Valentine Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze Sweet messages written in white chocolate adorn these easy one-bowl chocolate cupcakes. View Recipe 07 of 35 Vanilla Pudding Pie Kate Mathis For white chocolate lovers, there's this creamy, dreamy pie with white chocolate in the silky vanilla filling and a chocolate wafer cookie-crust. View Recipe 08 of 35 Mile-High Triple-Chocolate-Espresso Mousse Pie Christopher Testani A chocolate dessert that deserves a pedestal. This lavish sweet has two different chocolate mousses layered over a chocolate wafer crust. On top is an espresso cream and a dusting of cocoa powder. View Recipe 09 of 35 Chocolate-Olive Oil Crisps Johnny Miller Made with olive oil instead of butter, these cookies have a crisp texture and more intense cocoa flavor. Serve them to your sweetheart on their own or with scoops of fruit sorbet. View Recipe 10 of 35 Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts Give a sweet new meaning to the idea of "warm hearts" when you plop fluffy homemade marshmallow cut-outs into rich, creamy hot cocoa. View Recipe 11 of 35 Soft-Serve Peanut Butter Cupcakes Lennart Weibull Talk about spectacular, these cupcakes are one tall treat. Under the semisweet chocolate glaze lies a both swirl of peanut butter and vanilla buttercream and under them, chocolate buttermilk cupcakes. View Recipe 12 of 35 Chocolate-Covered Strawberries It's so easy to make your own version of this classic, coveted Valentine's Day treat. Coat the chocolate-dipped strawberries in pistachios as shown in this recipe, or branch out with other kinds of nuts, coconut, crushed cookies, edible glitter, and more fun surprises. View Recipe 13 of 35 Chocolate-Mousse Parfaits Justin Walker Espresso powder intensifies the chocolate flavor in this light and luscious make-ahead mousse. View Recipe 14 of 35 Chocolate Heart Cupcakes Kate Mathis Sometimes love is black and white, as in these adorable heart-adorned chocolate-cherry cupcakes topped with vanilla-bean frosting. View Recipe 15 of 35 Chocolate-Peppermint Hearts Chelsea Cavanaugh Soft, chewy homemade peppermint patties are bathed in dark chocolate to make gift-worthy bonbons for your valentine. View Recipe 16 of 35 No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Bars CHELSEA CAVANAUGH Sweet, fluffy peanut butter filling luxuriates between two blankets of dark chocolate in our homemade version of the classic candy. Swirl peanut butter hearts on top for an extra-loving touch. View Recipe 17 of 35 Dark- and White-Chocolate Shortbread Hearts CHELSEA CAVANAUGH Your valentine's heart will grow four sizes when you present them with these beautiful (and totally Instagram-worthy) layered shortbread cookies. View Recipe 18 of 35 Chocolate-Caramel Truffles CHELSEA CAVANAUGH Inspired by Brazilian brigadeiros, these chewy truffles have a heart of rich, fudgy caramel made from sweetened condensed milk, cream, and chocolate. View Recipe 19 of 35 Couscous Crunch Bar Aaron Dyer Crispy-rice crunch bars are for amateurs! Double down on the toasty, crunchy goodness when you make chocolate treats filled with pearl couscous and flaky sea salt. View Recipe 20 of 35 Chocolate-Pistachio Tartufo Bryan Gardner Layers of ice cream and cookie crumbs coated in chocolate make the perfect romantic dessert for sharing. Grab two spoons and dive in to discover the two surprise maraschino cherries inside. View Recipe 21 of 35 Whoopie Hearts with Raspberry Meringue Burcu Avsar Make your valentine shout "whoopeeee!" with these heart-shaped chocolate whoopie pies filled with fluffy pink raspberry meringue. View Recipe 22 of 35 Fudgy Brownie Cake Chris Court Simple yet seductive, this dense, almost-flourless cake is pure chocolate bliss. Serve with an understated dusting of cocoa powder or dial up your garnish game with berries and whipped cream. View Recipe 23 of 35 Chocolate Pots de Creme for Two These elegant chocolate custards will transport you to romantic French bistro with every silky bite. View Recipe 24 of 35 Chocolate Eclair Hearts Anna Williams Declare your love with heart-shaped cream puffs coated in a glossy chocolate ganache glaze. View Recipe 25 of 35 Vegan Chocolate Cake Bryan Gardner Use your favorite dairy-free creamer to concoct this decadent vegan chocolate-mocha layer cake. View Recipe 26 of 35 Chocolate-Caramel Pecan Tart Robin Stein A chocolate pastry crust envelops a fudgy pecan filling to create the most dreamy grown-up candy bar. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes things to the next level. View Recipe 27 of 35 Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake Jonathan Lovekin Spelt flour and puréed beets are the healthy secrets behind this moist, ganache-coated chocolate cake. View Recipe 28 of 35 Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Bryan Gardner Cookies, like love, are meant to be shared, and there's plenty to go around when you bake up this great big chocolate-chip beauty. View Recipe 29 of 35 Milk-Chocolate Pudding Cupcakes Con Poulos Achieve ultimate chocolate nirvana in these chocolate cupcakes filled with milk-chocolate pudding, coated in milk-chocolate ganache and decked out with chocolate curls. View Recipe 30 of 35 Chocolate-Raspberry Cake Con Poulos Chambord raspberry liqueur and a fresh raspberry filling build layers of bright berry flavor into this centerpiece-worthy chocolate-buttermilk cake. View Recipe 31 of 35 Flourless Chocolate-Date Cake with Salted-Caramel Sauce Marcus Nilsson A seductive mixture of dates and bourbon is at the base of this sophisticated cake. View Recipe 32 of 35 Chocolate Mousse Pie with Phyllo Crust Kate Mathis Crisp, buttery layers of phyllo dough are coated in a layer of chocolate and then heaped with fluffy chocolate mousse in this all-new interpretation of chocolate cream pie. View Recipe 33 of 35 Raspberry-Filled Molten Chocolate Cupcakes Jonathan Lovekin Tender, chewy, rich, and gooey—these molten chocolate cupcakes hit all the right notes. Don't forget the vanilla ice cream! View Recipe 34 of 35 Chocolate Tart with Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust This restaurant-worthy dessert is easy to make at home, especially if you use store-bought chocolate chip cookies to make the crust. View Recipe 35 of 35 Chocolate-Peanut Butter Semifreddo with Caramel Corn Marcus Nilsson Semifreddo is Italian for "half-cold," and this dessert is a mousse-like riff on ice cream cake. This one is for the chocolate and peanut-butter lovers among us, with meringue folded into dark chocolate and PB ganaches, layered in a loaf pan, and frozen. To knock it out of the park, serve it with our extra-nutty rendition of Cracker Jack. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit