Holidays & Entertaining Valentine's Day Valentine's Day Recipes 19 Heart-Shape Desserts to Make Valentine's Day Sweet By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Instagram Sarah Martens is the senior food and recipes editor at Better Homes & Gardens overseeing all food content on the site. She is a writer, recipe developer, and editor with more than a decade of expertise in publishing. She got her start writing a food blog and firmly believes it’s not a party without a cheese plate. When she’s not thinking about what she's going to eat next, you’ll find her attempting (and regretting) art projects with her kids, scouring the internet for the perfect pair of loafers, or working to perfect her grandmother’s all-butter pie crust recipe. She holds a B.A. in public relations and marketing from Drake University. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on July 7, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Blaine Moats As any kid will tell you, desserts are way tastier when they're made into a fun shape. As one of the easiest shapes to cut, hearts deserve a place in your cookie-cutter (or cake-pan) catalog all year long—not just on Valentine's Day. Is there any better way to show family and friends a little extra love than with a batch of heart cookies or a sweet slice of heart-shape cake? Of course, you can also treat yourself to these delightful desserts—we won't judge if you keep them all to yourself. 01 of 19 Valentine's Day Heart Cookie Trio View Recipe Carson Downing All it takes is one batch of sugar cookie dough to create three adorable cut-out treats: patchwork cookies covered in tiny hearts, others painted with Valentine's Day hues, and striped hearts that bring a touch of the geometric to all those curves. Finish off all three with a shimmery sprinkling of edible luster dust. 02 of 19 Heart-Shape Chocolate Cream Puffs View Recipe Carson Downing These heart-shape cream puffs are surprisingly simple: The only tool you need to make the festive shape is a cookie scoop! You can prepare these decadent puffs plain or with an infusion of chocolate; either way, they're filled with delicious pastry cream. It's perfectly acceptable to serve these unadorned, but we guarantee you won't regret adding a drizzle of hot fudge sauce. 03 of 19 Conversation Heart Cut-Out Cookies View Recipe Jacob Fox Baking a batch of heart-shape cookies is a thoughtful way to show friends and family you care—and adding personalized messages makes the gesture even sweeter. Use food coloring to dye the dough any color you desire, then use heart-shape cookie cutters ($7, Michaels) and tiny stamps to create your own twist on conversation hearts. 04 of 19 Lavender-Lemon Pudding Cakes View Recipe Andy Lyons Of course, these fruity, floral cakes would taste the same if you made them as circles, but they're much cuter in heart-shape ramekins, don't you think? No matter which shape you choose, these creamy pudding cakes will delight your tastebuds with the sprinkle of rock crystal sugar ($7, Walmart) and lavender on top. 05 of 19 Red Velvet Heart Cookies View Recipe Andy Lyons You won't need frosting for these bright red velvet cookies—a dusting of powdered sugar on top is plenty. Create your own powdery patterns with a heart-shape stencil ($9, Walmart). 06 of 19 Red Velvet Heart Cake View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul From the moist red velvet cake to the fudgy chocolate frosting, everything about this heart cake is decadent. Customize every bite with stripes of raspberries, cherries, almonds, and pecans—a nod to everyone's favorite boxed chocolate fillings. 07 of 19 Heart Cookies with Almond Glaze View Recipe Blaine Moats What distinguishes these heart-shape sugar cookies from the competition is the sweet almond glaze on top. To coat your cookies in color, give the glaze a pink or red tint with paste food coloring, then decorate them with a colorful sprinkle mix that includes sugar pearls, jimmies, and nonpareils. 08 of 19 Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies View Recipe Carson Downing Valentine's Day is all about celebrating perfect pairs, and we think chocolate and peanut butter just might be the ultimate match. This V-Day, mix up a batch of adorable mini chocolate pies, topped with creamy peanut butter filling. Use a piping bag to squeeze melted chocolate onto waxed paper to create the heart-shape accents before serving. 09 of 19 Valentine Lollipops View Recipe You could just hand out store-bought heart lollipops. But we think it's way more festive to make your own with melted Jolly Ranchers; personalize your pops with colorful decorations, like candy hearts or sprinkles. Lollipop-making isn't as complicated as you might think: To make the mold, you'll just need a heart-shape cookie cutter and aluminum foil with lollipop sticks ($3 for 50, Michaels) in the middle. 10 of 19 Jelly Donut Cake View Recipe Andy Lyons Thick, luscious cream joins a jelly filling—strawberry or cherry, your choice—in this heart-shape donut-style cake. To tempt your loved ones to cut into it ASAP, spread more jelly on top in a heart pattern, then dust with powdered sugar. 11 of 19 Valentine's Day Cake View Recipe Blaine Moats We'll always have a place in our heart for classic Valentine's cookies. But we're more than willing to make room for a more glamorous V-Day treat, too. This delicious sprinkle-topped confection would take the cake on its own—decorated cookies make it even more irrestistible. Try this over-the-top dessert for your next Galentine's Day celebration. 12 of 19 Grapefruit and White Chocolate Cookies View Recipe Carson Downing A sweet layer of white chocolate perfectly balances the tanginess of these grapefruit cookies. Use a heart cookie cutter to shape the dough, then after baking, dip each cookie in melted white chocolate and top with pink sprinkles for a colorful (and easy!) treat. 13 of 19 Heart-Shape Reindeer Sugar Cookies View Recipe Andy Lyons Why save your heart-shape cookie cutter for February? Bring it out at Christmastime to create these adorable reindeer cookies with candy eyes and noses. Look closely, and you'll see that the antlers are made of teeny-tiny heart cookies, too. 14 of 19 Jam-Filled Hand Pies View Recipe Blaine Moats Surprise your crew with these mini hand pies as a Valentine's Day breakfast—then serve the leftovers as dessert later! Fill them with strawberry jam for a burst of festive red, or use chocolate hazelnut spread to add extra sweetness to the middle. Hint: Brush the tops of the pastries with milk before baking to ensure they come out golden brown. 15 of 19 Chocolate Pistachio Heart Cookies View Recipe Judd Pilossof A quick dip in melted chocolate and a sprinkle of pistachios takes these heart cookies from simple to off-the-charts delicious in a few seconds. Chopped pistachios are also baked into each chocolatey cookie for a double-dose of rich, nutty flavor. 16 of 19 Oaty Doodle Hearts View Recipe Kim Cornelison If you need a reprieve from super-sugary treats, turn to this healthier-than-usual recipe: These cookies contain rolled oats and whole-wheat flour, along with a hearty dose of cinnamon. The cookies form easily with your hands, so you can make heart-shape sweets even if you don't have the right cookie cutter. 17 of 19 Layered Brownie Heart Dessert View Recipe Matthew Clark Borrow the signature flavors of chocolate-covered strawberries for this indulgent Valentine's Day cake. Homemade strawberry whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries serve as both the filling and topping for a rich brownie sandwich that'll have you reaching for seconds. 18 of 19 Red Hot Sugar Cookies View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul Yes, these sugar cookies are sweet, but they're also red hot! Topping your heart-shape cookies with red cinnamon candies sets them apart from their sweeter cousins—and gives your Valentine's Day a spicy kick. 19 of 19 Raspberry Swirl Brownies View Recipe Andy Lyons A swirl of homemade raspberry puree injects these rich dark chocolate brownies with fruity flavor. While no one will complain if you cut them into squares, we love the extra-special feel of heart-shape treats. Use any scraps to create layered brownie trifles. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit