Casanova, well-known as the world’s greatest lover, may have credited his amore to eating chocolate, but Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about boxes of chocolate and chocolate desserts. Treat your sweet to one of these non-chocolate Valentine’s Day desserts and prove that chocolate isn’t the key to being the greatest lover.
Cheese tart with strawberry glaze
When you think of cheesecake and fresh berries, do visions of hugs and long kisses dance in your head? Make this cheese tart with strawberry glaze and make your romantic visions a reality. Perfect for Valentine’s Day — and many other special occasions — this dessert is made with a buttery graham cracker crust and cheesecake filling decoratively topped with fresh fruit and strawberry glaze. Fresh raspberries, blackberries and strawberries give the tart vibrant color and bright flavor that are delicious counterpoints for the creamy cheesecake filling and sweet crust. Your date will proclaim that you and your dessert are utterly irresistible.
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Double-crusted pineapple pie
Give your Valentine a vintage dessert that stands the test of time. This double-crusted pineapple pie — a special heirloom-inspired dessert recipe from Grateful Ventures chef Debbie Elder — has nostalgic roots dating back to the 1950s. It is a stunning pie that features a unique pineapple filling and a gorgeous pie crust made with rendered leaf lard. Rendered leaf lard is a secret baking ingredient that turns ordinary pies into transcendental desserts — you simply must give it a try. There is something romantic about vintage desserts, and this pie is a delicious way to get you and your date talking about your past, present and future.
Apple pie yogurt parfait with cranberries
Buck the Valentine’s Day decadent dessert trend and make this light and luscious apple pie yogurt parfait with cranberries. No need to labor over a traditional apple pie when you can impress your partner with a parfait that delivers all the flavors that pie-lovers crave. This healthier alternative features yummy layers of creamy Greek yogurt, spiced chunks of apple, and crunchy almond cranberry granola. Yogurt parfaits are quick to the table and allow you to spend less time in the kitchen so you can spend more time with your mate spooning dessert.
Limoncello tiramisu
Italian desserts are wildly romantic, and this limoncello tiramisu — from Rossella at Cooking With Nonna — will get your Valentine in the mood for a sweet evening of love. A riff on the traditional espresso-flavored tiramisu, this Valentine’s Day dessert features a lovely lemon curd, rich mascarpone filling, and ladyfingers soaked in limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur. The bold lemon flavors will wake up your senses and have you eagerly puckering up for dessert-time kisses.
Small-batch angel food cupcakes
A dynamite dessert recipe from Tracy at Baking Mischief, these scrumptiously light cupcakes melt in your mouth like marshmallows spun into a cloud. The small batch yields six cupcakes that you and your mate will want to devour on the spot. Make your angel food cupcakes even more irresistible by dressing them up with whipped cream and fruit.
Strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting
Impress your Valentine’s Day date by whipping up a made-from-scratch cake. This strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting from Valerie at From Valerie’s Kitchen is fresh, fruity and flavorful. The cake is lush with strawberry, vanilla and lemon flavors. It is tender and moist from buttermilk, and sports a fun pink hue from strawberry Jell-O mix and bits of fresh strawberries. The yummy lemon-kissed cream cheese frosting is studded with strawberries and gives the cake an inviting presentation. This Valentine’s Day dessert will wow your mate and have them begging for more of you and dessert.
Cherry fluff
Need a last-minute Valentine’s Day dessert that dazzles your date? Make this five-ingredient cherry fluff from Liz at Hoosier Homemade and enjoy your Valentine’s adoration. Whether you’ve overcooked the cake beyond rescue or realized at the last minute that you have no after-dinner treats to woo your mate, this cherry fluff can be made in minutes and stashed in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy dessert. To prepare this tantalizing treat, all you have to do is combine cherry pie filling, sweetened condensed milk, crushed pineapple, whipped topping and pecans. Easy peasy yet so appealing to serve as the finale to a romantic meal.
No-bake key lime pie
If the weather outside is frightful on Valentine’s Day, the sunny sweet flavors of the Florida Keys will be so delightful. This no-bake key lime pie from Jamie at Love Bakes Good Cakes may just inspire you and your mate to book a vacation to the sunshine state. Another five-ingredient dessert, this indulgent citrus pie is made with cream cheese, condensed milk, key lime juice, whipped topping and a graham cracker crust. Though it is ridiculously quick to assemble, the pie needs at least four hours in the fridge to set up. After a scrumptious romantic dinner, you lovebirds will enjoy digging into this pie and talking about life on the beach.
