30 Irresistible Chocolate Desserts for Valentine's Day

Sweeten up your loved one's day with a classic.

Jennifer is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com.

There's no better way to say "I love you" than with delightful, decadent chocolate desserts for Valentine's Day. But better than any box of store-bought bonbons is a homemade dessert or treat to share. Whether you enjoy it with your partner, the family, or a group of friends is up to you, but we're offering a stellar selection of cacao recipes just right for the holiday of love.

Mini flourless chocolate cakes get a flavor boost from dark rum and instant espresso. They puff up slightly in the oven, then set into a delicate, truffle-like consistency as they cool. Piped meringue buttercream decorations are the finishing touch that takes these decadent treats over the top.

Bake brownies in a loaf pan using our small-batch recipe when you need a smaller amount of decadent treats. Inspired by buckeye candies—an old-fashioned confection of chocolate-dipped peanut butter fudge—they are run through with a ribbon of rich peanut butter cream that takes on a caramel flavor in the oven.

Milk chocolate and pistachio is a blissful combination, as this tart shows. The best part? You'll find pistachios everywhere in this dessert—embedded in the crust, in a paste layered beneath the milk-chocolate filling, and in a dusted coating on top.

It's rich and indulgent but also free of refined sugar and eggs and gluten-free. This dessert bar is our top choice for anyone with dietary restrictions or who prefers a healthier dessert.

For a quick chocolate fix for your valentine, turn to these easy mini cakes. Serve them plain, or topped with a bit of ganache and a sprinkling of pistachios or a touch of flaky sea salt.

Sweet messages written in white chocolate adorn these easy one-bowl chocolate cupcakes.

For white chocolate lovers, there's this creamy, dreamy pie with white chocolate in the silky vanilla filling and a chocolate wafer cookie crust.

A chocolate dessert that deserves a pedestal. This lavish sweet has two different chocolate mousses layered over a chocolate wafer crust. On top is an espresso cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.

Made with olive oil instead of butter, these cookies have a crisp texture and a more intense cocoa flavor. Serve them to your sweetheart on their own or with scoops of fruit sorbet.

Give a sweet new meaning to the idea of "warm hearts" when you plop fluffy homemade marshmallow cut-outs into rich, creamy hot cocoa.

It's so easy to make your own version of this classic, coveted Valentine's Day treat. Coat the chocolate-dipped strawberries in pistachios as shown in this recipe, or branch out with other kinds of nuts, coconut, crushed cookies, edible glitter, and more fun surprises.

Espresso powder intensifies the chocolate flavor in this light and luscious make-ahead mousse.

Sometimes love is black and white, as in these adorable heart-adorned chocolate-cherry cupcakes topped with vanilla bean frosting.

What's more decadent than a truffle? One that's enrobed in chocolate. These in particular make gift-worthy bonbons for your valentine.

Sweet, fluffy peanut butter filling luxuriates between two blankets of dark chocolate in our homemade version of the classic candy. Swirl peanut butter hearts on top for an extra-loving touch.

Your Valentine's heart will grow four sizes when you present them with these beautiful (and totally Instagram-worthy) layered shortbread cookies.

Layers of ice cream and cookie crumbs coated in chocolate make the perfect romantic dessert for sharing. Grab two spoons and dive in to discover the two surprise maraschino cherries inside.

Make your Valentine shout "whoopeeee!" with these heart-shaped chocolate whoopie pies, filled with fluffy pink raspberry meringue.

Simple yet seductive, this dense, almost-flourless cake is pure chocolate bliss. Serve with an understated dusting of cocoa powder or dial up your garnish game with berries and whipped cream.

These elegant chocolate custards will transport you to a romantic French bistro with every silky bite.

Declare your love with a decadent dessert. It's easy but seems fancy, this no-bake cake is an all-round winner. All the cooking that's needed for our chocolate eclair cake is for the vanilla pudding or custard that's the filling.

Use your favorite dairy-free creamer to concoct this decadent vegan chocolate-mocha layer cake.

Cocoa powder and chocolate chips enrich the batter for these baked beauties, and each one is finished with glaze and sprinkles or more chocolate, in the form of shavings.

Puréed beets are the healthy secrets behind this moist, ganache-coated chocolate cake.

Cookies, like love, are meant to be shared, and there's plenty to go around when you bake up this great big chocolate-chip beauty.

Achieve ultimate chocolate nirvana in these chocolate cupcakes filled with milk-chocolate pudding, coated in milk-chocolate ganache, and decked out with chocolate curls.

Brie Goldman

Our chocolate raspberry cake is a layered creation loaded with decadent chocolate flavor. It features three layers of cake, a homemade raspberry filling, and a creamy chocolate frosting—all that is left is for the love birds to enjoy!

A seductive mixture of dates and bourbon is at the base of this sophisticated cake.

Crisp, buttery layers of phyllo dough are coated in a layer of chocolate and then heaped with fluffy chocolate mousse in this all-new interpretation of chocolate cream pie.

Semifreddo is Italian for "half-cold," and this dessert is a mousse-like riff on ice cream cake. This one is for the chocolate and peanut butter lovers among us, with meringue folded into dark chocolate and PB ganaches, layered in a loaf pan, and frozen. To knock it out of the park, serve it with our extra-nutty rendition of Cracker Jack.