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32 Kid-Friendly Valentine's Treats That Parents Will Love Too

Sweets for the sweeties.

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twisted chocolate heart drizzled with pink icing
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

It’s Valentine’s Day, and while for some people, that means romantic special dinners, elaborate desserts, and boozy, celebratory cocktails, for others, not so much. If you’ve got kids, for example, you might be spending less time on how to perfectly cook steak or make risotto, and more on helping attach tiny candies to tiny cards, figuring out a craft to share that isn't those tiny cards and tiny chocolate, or figuring out a crowd-pleasing dessert to bring to the classroom Valentine's party. While we can’t help with the former, we’ve definitely got you for the last. We’ve rounded up a mix of adorable, shareable Valentine’s Day treats that everyone, kids and adults, will love.

There’s a bit of everything here, from easy shortcut recipes (box mix is your friend) that kids can help bake, to more involved recipes that you can make ahead of time and let the kids focus on the decorating. We’ve even got a few special diet-friendly recipes here, like our gluten-free chocolate chip cookies or our vegan brownies, so no one has to miss out. Looking for a hack that gets dessert done, fast? Check out our mason jar ice cream, our pull-apart heart, or our strawberry love notes. Want something that’s as much an activity as it is a sweet treat? Our chocolate pizza, our candy heart bark, and our heart sugar cookies are the decoratable Valentines that keep on giving. Need something extra shareable for the classroom party? Bake up a batch of our red velvet cheesecake brownies, our strawberries 'n' cream granola bars, or our Oreo Rice Krispies treats—don’t forget to grab a piece for yourself before letting the kids get in there, these go fast!

For even more Valentine’s Day inspiration, check out our top Valentine’s snacks and desserts too.

1

Heart Cookies

heart shaped sugar cookies iced with red, white, and pink frosting and sprinkles
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

What could be sweeter than baking and decorating the cutest heart-shaped cookies this Valentine's? We went with a cream cheese frosting, but feel free to go with buttercream if you like. Dye the frosting any colors you wish or use any sprinkles your heart desires.

Get the Heart Cookies recipe.

2

Oreo Cookie Cake

cookie cake with oreos mixed in and on top with chocolate frosting
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This recipe is similar to our regular cookie cake, but made extra special with the addition of Oreo cookies to the batter. We kept the decorations pretty simple here, but feel free to have fun with it! The whole cake can be your canvas!

Get the Oreo Cookie Cake recipe.

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3

Strawberry Palmiers

strawberry palmier dipped in chocolate
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Here, puff pastry is rolled in a generous amount of granulated sugar, sprinkled with freeze-dried strawberry powder, and dipped in white chocolate. The result is flaky, jam-filled palmiers that will outshine any box of waxy chocolate.

Get the Strawberry Palmiers recipe.

4

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

cherry cheesecake bites
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLIST: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

To make these easier for little hands (and WAY simpler to make) we've combined layers of crisp and buttery phyllo dough dough with cheesecake for adorable bites that look as good as they taste.

Get the Cherry Cheesecake Bites recipe.

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5

Neapolitan Cupcakes

neapolitan cupcakes
Parker feierbach

If you can't decide what kind of cupcake to make, then this is the one for you! It has all of the classic flavors with the most scrumptious frosting, and it's one of the cutest Valentine's desserts ever!

Get the Neapolitan Cupcakes recipe.

6

Strawberry Love Notes

strawberry love notes
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

Valentine's Day doesn't need to be over-the-top lovey dovey or seriously sad and depressing. Instead, February 14 should be fun! These strawberry "love notes" are the most fun—to make, to give, and to eat.

Get the Strawberry Love Notes recipe.

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7

Pull-Apart Heart

twisted chocolate heart drizzled with pink icing
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Nothing says “I love you” like a melt-in-your mouth pastry that is both irresistible and ridiculously cute. This heart-shaped, shareable dessert has just the right amount of sweetness to make anyone’s heart skip a beat. Bursting with Nutella and brushed with raspberry glaze, this heart screams romance with every tear.

Get the Pull-Apart Heart recipe.

8

Jell-O Cake

jello cake topped with frosting and strawberry slices
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This Jell-O cake is a delicious and easy dessert that was all the rage at potlucks and parties in the '70s and '80s, and we want to bring it back. It's giving nostalgia, kitsch, and strawberry shortcake vibes, and we are here for it.

Get the Jell-O Cake recipe.

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9

Chocolate Pizza

chocolate covered pizza dough topped with marshmallows, pretzels, and candy

We start with our favorite homemade pizza dough for this dessert, but you can absolutely use store-bought if that's what you prefer. Add some sliced strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, candy or just leave it at Nutella! The best thing about this easy dessert? You absolutely can't mess it up.

Get the Chocolate Pizza recipe.

10

Puppy Chow

chex mix tossed in peanut butter and powdered sugar
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Whatever you call it—puppy chow, muddy buddies—one thing is for certain: This creation is one of the easiest, most satisfying party favors. With only a handful of ingredients, this peanut butter-chocolate treat comes together in under 20 minutes, making it the easiest dessert or party snack for Valentine's.

Get the Puppy Chow recipe.

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11

Strawberry Brownies

pink brownies topped with pink icing and strawberry hearts
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE

Channel your inner Glinda the Good Witch, because these spellbinding strawberry brownies are pretty in pink, unapologetically charming, and ready to steal the spotlight at any Valentine's Day celebration. Made from scratch with fresh strawberries and decorated with white chocolate-strawberry ganache, these beauties might sound complicated, but trust us—they’re simple!

Get the Strawberry Brownies recipe.

12

Loaded Cookie Brittle

loaded cookie brittle
PHOTO: JONATHAN BOLTON

We added pretzels, crushed potato chips, and healthy drizzles of both caramel and chocolate to our classic cookie brittle, and it is AMAZING. If you just can't decide between sweet or salty, then this chocolate chip cookie upgrade is the perfect compromise that will keep you coming back for more (and more).

Get the Loaded Cookie Brittle recipe.

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13

Heart-Shaped Cake

heart shaped cake
PARKER FEIERBACH

This easy hack utilizes a square and round cake pan, as well as our absolute favorite red velvet cake recipe. If you're in a hurry, boxed cake mix works just as well! Don't sleep on the cream cheese frosting though, it makes everything 1,000x better.

Get the Heart-Shaped Cake recipe.

14

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

red velvet and cheesecake swirls in brownies
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

We’re no strangers to red velvet desserts, cheesecakes, or brownies, so this marriage felt like a no-brainer. The fudginess of the red velvet and the tang of the cheesecake make a beautiful partnership, while the brownie is the perfect base to hold it all together. It’s a true celebration of love.

Get the Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies recipe.

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15

Strawberries 'N' Cream Granola Bars

strawberry 'n cream granola bars
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

These strawberries 'n' cream granola bars are so much better than the store-bought kind, not in the least because they're extra festive. Packed with rolled oats, coconut flakes, pepitas, and freeze-dried strawberries for a hit of tart flavor, these are the perfect on-the-go snack.

Get the Strawberries 'N' Cream Granola Bars recipe.

16

Candy Heart Bark

Candy Heart Bark
Sally Quinn

This chocolate bark only takes about five seconds to make (though it does chill in the fridge to firm up after) and is the best way to eat Valentine's chocolate and candy at the same time.

Get the Candy Heart Bark recipe.

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17

Chocolate-Covered Cake Balls

cake balls
Parker Feierbach

Our classic vanilla would be wonderful here, but you can use any type of cake for this recipe. Truthfully, though, we like starting with boxed mix. With the homemade buttercream, chocolate coating, and festive sprinkles (use hearts and pink for V-Day!), no one will notice or care.

Get the Chocolate-Covered Cake Balls recipe.

18

Mason Jar Ice Cream

mason jar ice cream
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: ERIKA JOYCE

We scream, you scream, we ALL scream for ice cream. What we’re not so into: some of the hoops you have jump through to make it at home. Luckily, we’ve lots of magic shortcuts for you, like this recipe. It's is as easy as it sounds: simply put your ingredients into a jar, then shake it!

Get the Mason Jar Ice Cream recipe.

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19

Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

cheesecake stuffed strawberries recipe

This fun and fruity dessert is the perfect no-bake treat for Valentine's. It's everything you love about cheesecake, in snackable, poppable bites.

Get the Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries recipe.

20

Conversation Heart Cookies

Conversation Heart Cookies
Chelsea Lupkin

Move over, chocolate chip. These cookies are super easy and adorable—kids flip over them. Best part? They taste infinitely better than conversation hearts do on their own. 😉

Get the Conversation Heart Cookies recipe.

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