Valentine’s Day sure can bring with it a lot of hullaballoo. Come 14th February, will you put a ring on your loved one’s finger? Will you deliver two dozen red roses? A box of chocolates? Will you have a card among the 25 million that are sent in the UK each year? Will you spontaneously start comparing your beloved to a summer’s day? Maybe you will you grumpily cancel the ancient holiday altogether.

For our money, a little feast at home is the best of all worlds. After all, if you put some effort into what you eat, love is sure to conquer all.

Here are nine of our favourite recipes for Valentine’s Day desserts.

Chocolate Pots With Salted Date Caramel


Anna Jones/ The Guardian
Chocolate Pots With Salted Date Caramel

With her typical stylish flair, Jones shows us how to produce a ‘delicious and plentiful’ dinner without resorting to any ghastly Valentine’s clichés. Their perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness make these unctuous little pots an ideal end to a meal on February 14. Find the recipe here.


Mini Blackberry And Apple Crumbles


Tate And Lyle
Mini Blackberry And Apple Crumbles

Winter celebrations very often call for crumble. There is something particularly festive about these vibrantly coloured individual ones. Best of all, they are a great way to use up any apple or blackberries you have lurking in the freezer. Find the recipe here.


Pears Belle Helene


Nigel Slater/ The Guardian
If you are familiar with the great Nigel Slater, you won’t be surprised that he, too, takes a hard line against a cliched Valentine’s experience. Explaining why his recipes for February 14 are only devised for one person, he writes: ‘I refuse to believe that everyone in the land is cooking a romantic supper for two tonight.’ He has a point. These old-school poached pears, with their partners of ice cream and hot chocolate sauce, will delight any number of diners. Find the recipe here.


Love Buns


Nigella Lawson
Love Buns

These little cakes are as playful as Nigella herself. Deep diving into the Valentine’s theme, they work well for grown-ups and for children. Plus, their topping’s meringue base elevates them way beyond your common or garden cupcake. Find the recipe here.


Rainbow Jam Tarts


Jamie Oliver
Rainbow Jam Tarts

Jam tarts feel like a wholesome, charming, vintage treat. When did you last eat or make one, after all? We take great pleasure in reintroducing them to you here. With their glistening, jewel-like centres, they earn their place on the table at any party. Find the recipe here.


Zabaglione


Delia Smith
Zabaglione

Sophisticated, punchy and just a little retro, zabaglione is a sort of pudding/digestif hybrid. Perfect for date night, then. In this recipe, Delia Smith combines, eggs, sugar and Marsala (with a clever touch of cornflour) to produce a light and foamy confection that is best served soon after it is made. Find the recipe here.


Cherry Shortbread Hearts


BBC Good Food
Cherry Shortbread Hearts Copy

These perky biscuits would make a great accompaniment to a cup of after-dinner coffee or herbal tea and they’d thrill little people at suppertime. Top tip: they are the gift that keeps on giving as they can be frozen before the jam is added. Find the recipe here.


Rhubarb And Custard Tart


Amelia Freer
Rhubarb And Custard Tart

Photo by Emma Goodwin
Who knew a tart made without a hint of gluten or dairy could look this appealing? The vibrant rhubarb sings with promise as it nestles on its bed of crème pâttisiere. Not a scrap of this love token will be left on the plate. Find the recipe here.


Persian Love Cake


BBC
Persian Love Cake

Every cook worth their salt – including, for instance, Ottolenghi and Nigella – has a recipe for this ancient dessert. This one takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and packs a serious punch. The fragrant and exotic cake has its origins in the 16th century, when it was baked to win the hearts of potential suitors. Several hundreds of years on, it’s still worth a try – surely? Find the recipe here.

By Becky Ladenburg
Updated February 2023