Before you can say winter blues, Valentine's Day arrives to add some love and romance to our lives. Some of us prefer cooking with our special someone at home over spending Valentine's Day out and about. The best part of Valentine's Day dinner at home is sharing an intimate dessert for two with someone you love.
Once you're set to celebrate Cupid's big day at home, you might still need help finding the perfect dessert. While plenty of decadent Valentine's Day desserts are out there, not as many are portioned for two people.
You're in luck, because we found 25 delicious desserts for two to enjoy on Valentine's Day. They're all made exclusively for couples or are perfectly sized for two foodies in love. If you crave chocolate, you'll find everything from a chocolate cherry cake and a creamy chocolate trifle to retro chocolate fondue. For those who think beyond chocolate, there's also raspberry tiramisu, strawberry shortcake and heart-shaped treats.
The best part is that you'll be able to whip up these quick desserts for two in no time. That way, you can spend Valentine's Day with the one you love instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
Warm Carrot Cakes With Cream Cheese Sauce
When you can't think of anything better than warm carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, consider this recipe. It makes two mini carrot cakes, so you don't have to worry about finishing an entire cake. They easily bake using ramekins and are as wonderful as their bigger counterparts. Don't forget a drizzle of cream cheese sauce for extra sweetness.
Chocolate Cherry Cake for Two
When you and your love have your hearts set on a chocolate cake for Valentine's Day, this one's for you. The cake looks like any other but is only 4 inches in diameter. It's ideal among desserts for two to enjoy on Valentine's Day. The rich chocolate cake has a maraschino cherry layer and is topped with chocolate ganache for a picture-perfect finish to dinner.
Mini Oreo Cheesecakes for Two
There is nothing as tempting as cheesecake on Valentine's Day, except for Oreo cheesecake! This recipe makes two miniature Oreo cheesecakes in 4-inch springform pans. It takes all the stress out of cheesecake sticking to the pan and not looking as pretty as you'd like. Oreos are used for both the crust and the topping to keep Valentine's Day as sweet as ever.
Lemon Meringue Tart for Two
Pucker up for a Valentine's Day kiss — and a delectable lemon meringue tart for two. Its lemon-infused flavor is a refreshing end to a big dinner but still satisfies your sweet tooth. You'll end up with two 6-inch tarts that are simple to whip up.
If you're tired from cooking dinner, replace the homemade dough with a store-bought version. You can make these tarts ahead of time and add the meringue when you're both ready to dig in.
Chocolate Soufflés for Two With Creme Anglaise
Nothing shows your sweetie how much you care like taking the time to make a chocolate soufflé. Whether sweet or savory, soufflés impress but have a reputation for being difficult. This recipe offers helpful tips for the ultimate chocolate soufflé, such as keeping the oven door closed. Serve with creme anglaise, a fancy term for the creamy base we use to make vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Few desserts for two to enjoy on Valentine's Day are as comforting as a skillet cookie. It's fun preparing a cast-iron skillet dessert, but make sure you've got a clean skillet on hand. Add the cookie dough to a roughly 6-inch cast-iron skillet and top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream or ice cream.
You're guaranteed not to have any leftovers. Hey — think of it as one giant cookie to share with someone special.
Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings
By making chocolate chunk bread pudding, you'll help create a Valentine's dessert to remember. Plus, you'll use up any day-old bread you have lying around. Hawaiian sweet rolls work particularly well, as do croissants, brioche or other hearty bread.
You'll end up with two ramekins of bread pudding with chunks of chopped chocolate. Kahlua adds a kick of coffee to keep you both bright-eyed for the evening.
Blueberry Tarts for Two
Small-batch desserts such as these blueberry tarts keep fruit front and center for your Valentine's Day dessert. They're not your average mini tarts, since they have an almond-based crust and are vegan. With all the treats surrounding Valentine's Day, fresh fruit tarts may be the restoring dessert you need after dinner.
Raspberry Tiramisu
Nothing is as mouth-watering as layers of tiramisu filling, cocoa and coffee-soaked ladyfingers. Change things up by inviting fresh raspberries to your Valentine's Day party for two. In just 20 minutes, you can layer the ingredients into two glasses or Mason jars. Make ahead and simply take them out of the refrigerator once when it's time to toast to love and tiramisu!
Small Yellow Cake
Want to bet you have all or most of the ingredients to this small-sized yellow cake in your refrigerator right now? The 6-inch yellow cake, with rich chocolate buttercream frosting, will remind you of cakes you loved as a kid.
You can make buttermilk yourself by stirring in a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for every cup of milk. The recipe also offers a variety of frosting choices to suit your Valentine's Day mood.
Death By Chocolate Parfait
If you're someone who loves the dramatic aspect of romance, only two death-by-chocolate parfaits will pass the test. These little trifles are packed with endless chocolate textures and flavors.
They include chocolate cookie crumbs, chocolate cheesecake mousse, chocolate syrup, chocolate whipped cream and chocolate curls. They can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to devour.
Chocolate Fondue for Two
While we're on a Valentine's Day chocolate kick, go retro with some easy-to-prepare chocolate fondue. All you need is good-quality dark chocolate and heavy cream. It comes together quickly and offers the option of swirling in white chocolate for the most balanced of fondues. You and your honey can dip anything in fondue, from fruit and wafer cookies to marshmallows.
English Custard Trifle for Two
It's entirely possible to celebrate Valentine's Day with a non-chocolate dessert. This classic trifle, made with English-style custard, brings together sponge cake, strawberries and whipped cream. Use store-bought pound cake to save time, and use red food coloring for a custard the color of a heart-shaped Valentine.
Strawberry Shortcake for Two
Strawberries are a Valentine's Day favorite, whether dipped in chocolate or dropped into a flute of champagne. Indulge in a fresh strawberry shortcake for two this year with minimal effort. This recipe uses homemade biscuits as its base instead of sponge cake. Sweetened strawberries and vanilla ice cream turn a summertime treat into a sweet Valentine's surprise.
Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Spoil the one you love with a miniature version of a pineapple upside-down cake they won't expect. How spectacular is it to create a dessert for two based on a vintage classic like an upside-down cake?
The cake uses maraschino cherries, allspice and brown sugar with amazing results in less than an hour in total. Impress your love with a dramatic pineapple cake reveal at the dessert table.
Heart-Shaped Strawberry Hand Pies for Two
For some of us, Valentine's Day dessert means heart-shaped anything. Combine this cute shape with the sweetness of strawberries in hand pies made for two. The recipe makes enough little hearts to indulge on Valentine's, and have some left over for the next morning. Hand one of these adorable pies to your sweetie the way you would a homemade Valentine to a childhood crush.
Chocolate Mousse for Two
Nothing says Valentine's Day romance like chocolate mousse made for two. This recipe can be made ahead of time so you can pull them out of the fridge after a romantic dinner. It's not overly sweet, so the chocolate flavor can shine.
Get creative by adding liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Kahlua and Chambord. This way, you'll end up with classic chocolate pairings such as orange, coffee and raspberry for something truly unique.
Red Velvet Mug Cake
Red symbolizes the color of love, so take advantage of the vibrant color that red velvet cake has to offer. You won't find anything as cute or simple to make as this red velvet mug cake from The Pioneer Woman. It yields one mug of cake you can bake in the microwave. Prepare the frosting with cream cheese you already have in the refrigerator for a mug full of warmth and comfort.
Blood Orange Crepes Suzette
Ever heard of having breakfast for dinner? You and your Valentine can take this to heart by having crêpes Suzette for dessert. This version uses the much sweeter blood orange to flavor its velvety, buttery crêpes. The best part? Show off in front of your sweetheart by flambéing the crêpes in Grand Marnier for a wildly good time.
Mason Jar Ice Cream
It seems that all the trendy cocktails and desserts come in a Mason jar these days. You can make a pint of homemade ice cream ideal for a post-Valentine's Day dinner snuggle session. The ice cream base is super creamy with the help of condensed milk and whipped cream cheese. Personalize your ice cream by adding citrus zest, cake crumbs or cookie dough.
Deep Dish S'mores Bowls for Two
Whether you and your Valentine sit by the fire or watch your favorite Netflix series, s'mores can warm both your hearts. While traditional s'mores can be messy to put together and eat, a deep dish s'mores bowl solves the problem.
Add the buttery graham cracker crust into two ramekins, along with chocolate bars and marshmallows. They'll bake into ooey-gooey perfection that's almost as intoxicating as a romantic evening.
Apple Crisp for Two
When your special someone notices the aroma of apple and cinnamon, their Valentine's Day will never be the same. This straightforward recipe re-creates everything you love about apple pie and adds a crumb topping with oats and brown sugar. The moment their spoon sinks into the jammy apple-cinnamon filling, their heart will belong to you for good.
Thumbprint Heart Cookies
Valentine's Day is the one day of the year you're expected to give your heart to someone you love. Take it literally with thumbprint heart cookies that you can offer your sweetheart. This recipe makes enough for at least two cookie-eating sessions with the one you love.
Use your thumb to make heart shapes in the center and fill them with any store-bought jam you like. We're partial to strawberry and raspberry for Valentine's Day. Store extra cookies in the freezer when you feel a romantic evening for two coming on.
Chocolate Heart Doughnuts
Nothing says "I love you" like a warm batch of doughnuts. They make just as sweet an after-dinner treat as your typical Valentine's Day desserts. This recipe makes about a dozen heart-shaped doughnuts with chocolate Nutella filling. You can use different-sized heart-shaped cookie cutters for a variety of doughnut hearts to share with your sweetie.
Heart-Shaped Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Let's round out heart-shaped desserts for two to enjoy on Valentine's Day with chocolate sandwich cookies. They're pretty effortless, yet they delight the eyes with their cuteness.
The chocolate cookies are sandwiched with a buttercream filling that stands out in red. Wrap a few cookies together for your Valentine and create something much tastier than last-minute drugstore chocolates!