6 Desserts for Valentine’s Day: What to Cook for a Romantic Evening

Valentine’s Day is coming. The entire world is frantically buying chocolate and trying to come up with the most creative date ideas. But going traditional can be nice too. A homemade dinner followed by a Valentine’s Day dessert is a safe choice, especially for couples who enjoy cooking together.

Sure, February is a busy month, especially for everyone in college. Students may have to postpone studying for one night and order essay online to have a free evening for Valentine’s. So most of the desserts on this list do not take much time or effort. They are very busy people-friendly.

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Fried Chicken Ice Cream

• Ingredients: vanilla ice cream, a Twix bar, and crushed cornflakes
• Equipment: parchment paper, saran wrap
• Time: one hour, but needs to cool overnight

This unconventional dessert brings together a medley of contrasting elements that harmonize to create a truly memorable experience. If you’re wondering how to make fried chicken ice cream, keep in mind that it is not really chicken, but rather a clever combination of vanilla ice cream and crunchy cornflakes that mimics the textures of fried chicken. The creamy sweetness of vanilla ice cream forms the base, providing a familiar and comforting backdrop for the more adventurous components.

This Valentine’s Day dessert is a playful and unexpected way to surprise your loved one. Its blend of traditional and unconventional elements symbolizes the uniqueness and adventure of your relationship. Sharing this indulgent treat together will undoubtedly create lasting memories and spark laughter and joy.

Chocolate-covered strawberries (or any other fruit)

• Ingredients: baking chocolate, strawberries, toppings you like (for example, toasted coconut, sprinkles, or nuts)
• Equipment: a double boiler or a saucepan 
• Time: 20-30 minutes

Chocolate-covered strawberries are a classic. This decadent dessert fits the occasion perfectly and is just the right mix of indulgent and healthy. It is one of the first desserts that comes to one’s mind when one thinks of Valentine’s Day.

Also, chocolate-covered strawberries are great for hand-feeding your partner. While not everyone’s cup of tea, this is an intimate and romantic way to eat. And it is also quite convenient since strawberries are bite-sized.

But you can totally use any other fruit you have at hand or the one you and your partner prefer. Apple or dried mango slices, tangerines, and pineapple are less conventional options to consider.

Chocolate fondue

• Ingredients: heavy cream, a couple of bars of dark chocolate, a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt, food to dip (for example, strawberries, apple slices, pineapple, brownies, marshmallows, or all at once)
• Equipment: a fondue pot (but a regular pot will do as well)
• Time: 15 minutes

Chocolate fondue is the best Valentine’s Day dessert because of how little preparation and time it requires. It is irreplaceable for last-minute dinner plans or if your cupboards are almost empty. And it is totally cool to be creative and customize the recipe. A shot of Baileys Irish Cream can do wonders.

Also, chocolate fondue is a messy dessert. So you will inevitably end up kissing the chocolate off of your partner’s face (if that is something both of you enjoy). 

Death by Chocolate

• Ingredients: cocoa powder, flour, oil, vanilla, baking soda, sugar (or another sweetener), chocolate frosting, coffee-flavored liquor. Or use brownie mix and chocolate pudding mix to save time and effort.
• Equipment: a mixing bowl, a cake pan, oven
• Time: 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the recipe

Death by Chocolate is not nearly as easy as chocolate-covered fruit or chocolate fondue. But it is yet another Valentine’s Day classic that deserves its place on this list. Chocolate is the food most people associate with Valentine’s Day, so the chocolatey-est cake ever is fantastic for the occasion.

One thing, though. If you decide to make Death by Chocolate from scratch instead of using brownie and chocolate pudding mixes, it may take a while. Estimate the time needed correctly. Or cook together with your partner to have something fun to do together.

Heart-shaped sugar cookies

• Ingredients: flour, an egg, butter, sugar, icing, a pinch of salt, and vanilla powder
• Equipment: a rolling pin, at least two mixing bowls, a mixer, a baking pan and mat, heart-shaped cookie cutters, a piping bag (a DIY one works just fine)
• Time: about 1 hour

The heart is the official symbol of Valentine’s Day, so any heart-shaped food suits the occasion. But heart-shaped cookies are not just pretty to look at—they are also delicious. And they are just complicated enough to be a perfect date activity for couples who enjoy a shared project.

By the way, gel food coloring can take any heart-shaped cookies to the next level. A seasoned calligraphy expert can write entire love letters on them that will make Petrarch proud. But just coloring the icing or drawing tiny hearts on it can be enough.

Dark chocolate truffles

• Ingredients: heavy cream, dark chocolate, vanilla extract, cocoa powder
• Equipment: a saucepan, a mixing bowl, an electric mixer (optional), a small ice cream scoop
• Time: 3 to 4 hours

Don’t be discouraged by the time required to prepare dark chocolate truffles. Yes, they take a while, but most of this time is for refrigerating the chocolate and then the truffles. The recipe itself is not nearly as challenging as the time suggests.

Also, unlike most other desserts, dark chocolate truffles can be stored for weeks. So if you prepare enough, you and your partner will get to enjoy them long after Valentine’s is over. Tons of leftovers are the best thing about cooking at home.

Peanut butter heart cookies

• Ingredients: flour, shortening, eggs, baking powder, butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, store-bought chocolate hearts for decoration
• Equipment: two mixing bowls, an electric mixer, a small ice cream scoop (but a spoon will do), a baking sheet
• Time: about 30 minutes

Peanut butter heart cookies are a lovely alternative to heart-shaped sugar cookies. Even though they need more ingredients, they are easier to make and take much less time.

And since store-bought chocolate heart candy is what most people get for Valentine’s from friends and family, you will probably have one of the main ingredients at hand. Or you can quickly get them from any grocery store.

Aside from the chocolate hearts used for decoration, there is nothing chocolate about this recipe. It is all peanut butter lovers’ Valentine’s Day dessert of choice. But first, make sure that your date does not have a peanut allergy unless you are okay with a visit to the emergency room.

What to drink with a Valentine’s Day dessert?

There is only one correct answer to this. No matter which dessert one chooses for Valentine’s Day, sparkling wine (but not necessarily champagne) will go with it. It is okay to opt for a fine dessert wine instead, but it does not create the same festive mood.