The shared love of food is a bond to take seriously! Whether you are hoping to surprise your partner with your chef skills this February 14th, or planning to spend some quality time cooking together, a romantic dinner in can be even more memorable than a fancy night out.
Here’s our chef-curated collection of Valentine’s Day recipes designed to impress. They include easy-to-prepare meals like chocolate pasta, red-wine basted lamb shanks, and heart-shaped pizza, along with delightful desserts.
16 Special Valentine’s Day Recipes (Cupid-Approved)
Put on your chef’s hat in the name of love with 16 Valentine’s Day recipes celebrating romance.
1. White Chocolate Cheesecake With Sour Cherry Sauce
White Chocolate Cheesecake Is A Sumptuous Treat For Two.
Cheesecake is always an indulgent treat, but this white chocolate cheesecake is extra-rich. It comes out of the oven boasting the silkiest white chocolate texture, which pairs wonderfully with the sour cherry sauce, red as a Valentine’s heart. The surprising savory note of star anise adds depth to the sweet and sour cherries.
Ingredients: Shortbread cookies, butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla bean paste, eggs, cornstarch, sour cream, white chocolate, Morello cherries, star anise.
2. Mini Pavlovas
Mini Pavlovas Are Light On Their Feet.
“Pavlova” is fun to say, but even more fun to make for your sweetheart! The key to a good pavlova is high-quality meringue, and this recipe guides you through how to make it, step-by-step. Arrange your miniature pavlovas on pre-drawn circles and bake them low and very slow. Add whipped cream and strawberries, or any fruit topping you like best.
Ingredients: Egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, white vinegar, whipped cream.
3. Pumpkin & Pine Nut Ravioli With Sage Butter Sauce
Ravioli Makes Every Supper Into Date Night.
Making ravioli at home this Valentine’s Day is a fun activity to do with your special someone. With this recipe, you can use pre-made pasta sheets so the meal preparation is all about the filling. These pumpkin and pine nut ravioli feature butter, garlic, sage, and parmesan to entice your taste buds. By steaming or roasting an entire pumpkin, your ravioli will be bursting at the seams with depth of flavor.
Ingredients: Pumpkin, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, cumin, parmesan, fresh pasta sheets, butter, sage leaves, lemon juice.
4. Banana Tarte Tatin With Rum & Orange Cream
Banana Tarte Tatin Flips The Script.
How romantic would sharing a tarte Tatin with your Valentine after dinner be? This version ditches the apples for an inviting blend of banana, caramel sauce, and rum cream. It uses a store-bought puff pastry, so you won’t spend too much time in the kitchen. You can present one serious showstopper when unveiling this tarte Tatin and top it with rum, cinnamon, and orange cream.
Ingredients: Sugar, butter, bananas, lemon, oranges, cinnamon, puff pastry, heavy cream, confectioners sugar, dark rum.
5. Marry Me Chicken
Marry Me Chicken Says It All With The Name.
Even if you don’t plan on proposing this Valentine’s Day, make your meal of choice Marry Me Chicken. You can prepare the Tuscan-style chicken in one pot with just half an hour of prep time. The flavors of Tuscany come alive with sundried tomatoes, parmesan, and cream. This recipe makes two generous portions for an intimate Valentine’s dinner.
Ingredients: Chicken breasts, salt, black pepper, flour, olive oil, butter, garlic, chicken stock, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, chili flakes, oregano, thyme, sun dried tomatoes, basil.
6. Limoncello Tiramisu
Limoncello Tiramisu Is Layered In Valentine’s Day Bliss.
If tiramisu seems too c’est basique for your Valentine, try this limoncello version instead. The tart notes of lemon flow through this dessert, making it one of the most refreshing Valentine’s Day recipes. Top a dish of creamy tiramisu with strawberries for a beautiful flavor combination in each bite.
Ingredients: Eggs, lemons, limoncello, sugar, mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers.
7. Duck Confit With Sour Cherry Sauce
Duck Confit Is The Perfect Pleaser For Supper.
Don’t be surprised to see duck confit on our list of not-too-difficult Valentine’s Day recipes! The sour cherry sauce comes together easily using a can of Morello cherries and wine. Serve this sophisticated duck dish with an apple and fennel salad for the ultimate dinner for two.
Ingredients: Morello cherries, red wine, port, cinnamon, anise, cloves, brown sugar, green apples, fennel bulb, walnuts, scallions, parsley, duck confit, cornflour, cold water, olive oil, lemon juice.
8. Double Chocolate Mousse Cake
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake Is Twice As Nice.
This recipe for double chocolate mousse cake takes a love of chocolate seriously, including its brownie base. Skip the work by using a brownie mix so the crust doesn’t take long. With a combination of milk and dark chocolate mousse, all chocolate lovers will delight in this rich treat.
Ingredients: Brownie mix, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, eggs, gelatin, whipped cream, sugar, raspberries.
9. French Strawberry Tart
French Strawberry Tart Exudes Sweetness.
Trust the French for a fruity Valentine’s Day recipe that honors love in all its forms. This French strawberry tart is visually stunning and — lucky for you — it tastes as good as it looks. Save time with a pre-made pastry shell so you can focus on the sumptuous cream and strawberries. A drizzle of brandy jam is that one extra something to keep you coming back for more.
Ingredients: Flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg yolks, ice water, whole milk, vanilla pod, cornflour, lemon zest, strawberries, strawberry jam, brandy.
10. Heart-Shaped Pizza
Heart-Shaped Pizza Gets Romantic With Your Next Slice.
Even pizza gets the Valentine’s Day treatment when it’s adorably heart-shaped. When your sweetie loves pizza, deliver them one that shows how they make you feel. It’s simple to shape a pizza crust into a heart perfectly suited for two people to enjoy together. Customize the ingredients to your heart’s content, so this pizza is meant for just you and your Valentine.
Ingredients: Pizza dough, olive oil, pepperoni, flour, pizza sauce, mozzarella.
11. Earl Grey Tea & Raspberry Jam Biscuits
Tea & Jam Biscuits Will Steal Your Heart.
Few desserts among Valentine’s Day recipes are as precious as these Earl Grey tea biscuits. They’re filled with raspberry jam that peeks out through a tiny cut-out heart. These biscuits make a light and elegant finish to a romantic dinner and can be frozen for your next cookie craving.
Ingredients: Earl Grey tea, sugar, butter, vanilla bean paste, salt, almond meal, egg, flour, raspberry jam, confectioners sugar.
12. Butter and Herb-Baked Oysters
Butter And Herb-Baked Oysters Know How To Bring Flavor.
Oysters are the signature appetizer if dining at a romantic seafood restaurant. But you may want to stay in this Valentine’s Day when you see how easy it is to make these buttery beauties! Traditional ingredients like herb butter and toasted breadcrumbs help these oysters shine.
Ingredients: Uncooked rice, fresh oysters, butter, breadcrumbs, chives, lemon zest, lemons, paprika, parsley.
13. Vertical Layer Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Icing
Vertical Red Velvet Cake Makes The Ultimate Valentine.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to take advantage of the vivid color of red velvet cake. You’ll wow your special someone when you cut a slice and reveal the vertical layers in this unique dessert. Save plenty of time to make this one, because the cake-rolling process is a bit tricky. But don’t worry – the recipe includes detailed instructions with photos. The piles of cream cheese frosting on top make this decadent dessert taste as fancy as it looks.
Ingredients: Cocoa powder, hot water, eggs, sugar, self-raising flour, red food coloring, vanilla extract, butter, confectioners sugar, cream cheese.
14. Lamb Shanks With Red Wine & Garlic Sauce
Lamb Shanks Come With A Glass Of Red.
It’s hard to get more romantic –or delicious – than a red wine sauce. Port wine, rosemary, and tomato paste bring the flavor as the lamb shanks cook in this surprisingly easy recipe. This is one dinner you might expect to have out – but will be so thankful you enjoyed it at home.
Ingredients: Lamb shanks, olive oil, garlic, chicken stock, port wine, tomato paste, rosemary, butter, balsamic vinegar.
15. Chocolate Pasta with Caramel and Pecans
Chocolate Pasta Marries Sweet And Savory.
Only Nigella Lawson could be behind this recipe for chocolate pasta with caramel and pecans. It may look and taste like a dessert, but go ahead and enjoy this pasta for dinner anyway. Once you purchase chocolate pasta, the rest is easy. Add the toasted pecans to a caramel sauce for the naughtiest Valentine’s Day dinner ever.
Ingredients: Chocolate pasta, salt, pecans, butter, brown sugar, heavy cream.
16. Churros With Rum & Coconut Caramel Sauce
Churros Are Filled With Love From Inside Out.
The only thing better than warm doughnuts on Valentine’s Day may be warm churros. This recipe makes about 20 gluten-free churros that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Once you dip them into luscious caramel sauce, you’ll love these cinnamon-kissed churros until the very last bite.
Ingredients: Coconut sugar, water, coconut cream, dark rum, milk, butter, sea salt, gluten-free self-raising flour, cinnamon, eggs, vegetable oil, sugar.
What do you love to cook on February 14?
Have we inspired you to cook something magical this Valentine’s Day? Do you have other favorites we should add to the list?
If you’ve made any of the recipes on our site, let us know how it tasted in the comments below!
