Why settle for tired, store-bought chocolates when you could try something new and downright sinfully decadent? Here are five of our favorite dessert recipes perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie
(image via grits and pinecones)
If you or someone you love are a chocolate and peanut butter lover, this no-bake recipe from Grits and Pinecones is the ultimate treat for Valentine’s Day. A rich peanut butter and cream cheese filling sits on top of an Oreo crust with a generous amount of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter cups to dress it up.
Ingredients:
- 20 oz chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup smooth and creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp coarse kosher salt
- Peanut butter chips
- Chocolate chips
- Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Instructions:
- In a food processor or large Ziploc bag, crush cookies into a fine crumble. Add butter and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer cookie crumb mix to an 8- or 9-inch pie dish. Place in freezer.
- In a large bowl, add heavy cream. Beat until you have stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese and sugar. Beat for 1-3 minutes or until fully combined.
- Add peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 1-3 minutes or until fully combined.
- Transfer whipped cream to peanut butter mixture. With a spatula, fold until there are no streaks left.
- Transfer filling to pie dish.
- Garnish with peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
- Cover and place in fridge for 2-3 hours.
Raspberry Brownies
(image via two peas & their pod)
Think: chocolate-covered raspberries, but instead of regular chocolate, it’s a fudgy brownie. These raspberry brownies from Two Peas & Their Pod are delightful on their own, but serving them with ice cream is never a bad idea!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1¼ cups chopped chocolate, divided
- 1½ cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper with an overhang on the sides and spray again. This will make lifting the brownies out of the pan easy after baking. Set the pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and espresso powder into mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula until combined. Don’t over-mix.
- Fold in 1 cup chopped chocolate and raspberries. Stir carefully so you don’t break up the raspberries.
- Spread evenly into pan and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chopped chocolate on top.
- Bake 25-30 minutes on the middle rack until brownies are just set to touch. Don’t over-bake; they will set up as they cool. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into squares.
Bourbon Cranberry Cookies
(image via better homes & gardens/andy lyons)
If you’re looking for a more seasonal dessert option, you’re in for a treat with this bourbon cranberry cookie recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. Chocolate chips, macadamias, and bourbon-soaked cranberries make the cookie base, which is topped off with a smooth bourbon ganache.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup regular rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped
- Bourbon ganache (see recipe below)
- Flaked or coarse sea salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Place cranberries and bourbon in a small bowl; cover and let stand for 1 hour (do not drain).
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugars and beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour, oats, and baking soda; beat until combined.
- Stir in chocolate, nuts, and cranberry mixture. Shape into 1½-inch balls and arrange 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
- Using your thumb, make an indent in the center of each ball. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Place cookie sheet on a wire rack. Use the rounded side of a teaspoon to repress the indents and carefully press in edges, if necessary, to reshape cookies. Cool 2 minutes. Remove cookies from wire rack to cool completely.
- Fill each cookie center with ganache. Let stand until slightly firm or chill 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
For the Bourbon Ganache:
- Place 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces in a small heat-proof bowl; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup whipping cream to a simmer.
- Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
- Stir in 1 Tbsp bourbon and stir to combine. Let stand 15 minutes to thicken slightly.
Strawberry Brownies
(image via fantabulosity by meghan hensley)
We’ve realized you can’t go wrong with a recipe that calls for strawberry cake mix. This strawberry brownie recipe from Fantabulosity comes together quickly, and to make them more festive, you can use a heart-shaped cookie cutter!
Ingredients:
- 1 box strawberry cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
- 1½ Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch pan with nonstick spray or line with foil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix strawberry cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Press into prepared pan. Bake 18-22 minutes, until just done. Let cool completely
For the Frosting:
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, strawberry jam, cream cheese, and milk.
- Spread over cooled strawberry brownies.
Red Velvet Cake Truffles
(image via julie’s eats and treats)
We can’t leave out the flavor of the Valentine’s Day season: red velvet. These cake truffles from Julie’s Eats and Treats are simple to make and sinfully sweet, whether you’re celebrating solo, with girlfriends, or with a significant other!
Ingredients:
- 1 box red velvet cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box to prepare the cake)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 12 oz milk, dark, or white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp vegetable oil (optional)
Instructions:
- Prepare cake according to package instructions. Let cool completely before moving on to next step.
- Using a fork or your hands, break cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl. Add softened cream cheese and knead gently until fully incorporated.
- Roll into 42 cake balls (about 1 Tbsp per ball) and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place in fridge to chill while you prepare the chocolate.
- Heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl until completely melted. Add oil and stir to combine. Remove cake balls from fridge and place one ball at a time into melted chocolate.
- Using a fork, evenly coat each ball with chocolate. Before transferring back to the baking sheet, slightly tap the fork against the side of the bowl to get rid of any excess chocolate. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining balls.
- Pour leftover melted chocolate into a small zip-top bag. Cut off one corner and pipe melted chocolate in desired design on top.
- Return balls to the fridge for 15 minutes or until truffles are set. Devour!