Spread the love on Valentine's Day with these tasty heart-shaped food ideas. Turn it into a date night by making the treats together!
20 Heart-Shaped Foods for Valentine’s Day
Updated on Dec. 19, 2024
1/20
Marbled Meringue Hearts
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
45 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Pretty pastel cookies are a fun way to brighten any special occasion. Replace the vanilla with a different extract for a change of flavor. —Laurie Herr, Westford, Vermont
You only need five ingredients to make these lighter-than-air meringue sweets. Add more food coloring for bright red hearts, or a few drops less for pinker hearts.
2/20
Valentine Heart Brownies
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
50 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Steal hearts this Valentine's Day with brownies that have cute frosting centers. They're simply irresistible. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
These brownies are the perfect way to show your love on Valentine’s Day. Find heart-shaped sprinkles online or at specialty baking stores.
3/20
Conversation Cupcakes
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
28 cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
Enjoy frosting sweet sentiments onto these valentines cupcakes by baking a batch ahead of time using no-fuss cake mix. You don't even need a heart-shaped muffin tin to make them. — Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ditch the drugstore candy and show your love with these clever cupcakes. To create the heart shape, place a marble (or a marble-sized ball of foil) between the cupcake liners and the muffin pan.
4/20
Heart’s Delight Eclair
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
45 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This lovely and luscious treat is rumored to have been the favorite dessert of European royalty long ago. I know that it's won the hearts of everyone I've ever made it for. Enjoy! —Lorene Milligan, Chemainus, British Columbia
Instant vanilla pudding and puff pastry sheets make this recipe foolproof. With only 30 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of baking time, you’ll fall in love with it, too.
5/20
Heart-Shaped Cookies
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
30 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This specialty cookie takes a little extra effort, but the delectable results are well-worth it. I bake the tender jam-filled hearts when I need something fancy to serve for Valentine's Day or other special occasions. —Jane Pearcy, Verona, Wisconsin
Linzer cookie fans will love this Valentine’s version. These heart-shaped cookies even have a red heart at their core. You could also fill these cookies with your sweetheart’s favorite spread, like Nutella or cookie butter.
6/20
Raspberry Meringue Hearts
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here’s a lovely dessert that your guests will think is almost too pretty to eat! I love the graceful heart shape of the raspberry meringue. —Mary Lou Wayman, Salt Lake City, Utah
Whip up this restaurant-quality dessert for someone extra special. You’ll need a hand mixer and a food processor, but the extra work is well worth it.
7/20
Valentine Cutouts
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
45 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Cool, fruity and creamy, these gelatin valentine cut outs are noticeably richer than plain gelatin. They're a fun finger food that can be easily cut into whichever shape you'd like for any holiday or theme.
—Annette Ellyson, Carolina, West Virginia
—Annette Ellyson, Carolina, West Virginia
Cherry or raspberry gelatin and vanilla pudding mix are the secret ingredients in these cool and refreshing snacks. Serve as is, or with homemade whipped cream.
8/20
Candy Pizza Heart
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
15 min
Servings
1-3/4 pounds (14 servings)
From the Recipe Creator:
I found this recipe in an old cookbook and changed a few ingredients to suit my family's taste. My children really enjoy this candy pizza. Get the kids to help you spread the toppings. —Becky Thesman, Enid, Oklahoma
This decadent candy pizza features everything but the kitchen sink: butterscotch chips, mini marshmallows, milk chocolate chips, shredded coconut, maraschino cherries, M&M’s, vanilla chips, salted peanuts and even potato chips. Add any extra toppings your heart desires.
9/20
Butter Cookies
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 6-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This great butter cookie recipe is a favorite of my nephews, who love the creamy frosting. —Ruth Griggs, South Hill, Virginia
Simple butter cookies make baking fun and easy. Pull out your cookie press fitted with the heart disk to make these more suited to Valentine’s Day. Top with red, white and pink frosting.
10/20
Strawberry Heart Brownies
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Dress up your favorite brownie recipe for Valentine's Day! Adding heart-shaped strawberries gives them festive flair. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
In this dessert, fresh strawberries are cut into hearts instead of the brownies themselves. They’re simple, elegant and most importantly, low-maintenance.
11/20
Peanut Butter Cutout Cookies
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
40 min
Servings
4-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I used peanut butter in place of the butter in my take on a traditional cutout cookie, which turned out super nutty and soft. My children love to decorate the cookie with frosting, sprinkles and some creativity. —Cindi Bauer, Marshfield, Wisconsin
Move over, sugar cookies. Kids and adults alike will have tons of fun decorating these peanut-buttery sweets.
12/20
Gruyere and Crab Palmiers
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
45 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I keep these little bursts of flavor in my freezer so they can be pulled out and popped into the oven at a moment's notice. Crab, pancetta and Gruyere make an elegant appetizer, and you can make your own variations of the filling. Try chicken and pesto, or a Mediterranean version with spinach and feta. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut
I love these savory palmiers for a stunning Valentine’s Day appetizer. Gruyere and lump crabmeat aren’t the only flavorful ingredients: Thyme, Dijon, horseradish, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and pancetta are rolled into the buttery puff pastry, too.
13/20
Heart’s Desire Pizza
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
35 min
Servings
8 individual pizzas
From the Recipe Creator:
Sweethearts of all ages will have a delightful time sprinkling these fun personal heart pizzas with whatever tasty toppings they love most. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Thanks to the best store-bought biscuits and a jar of pizza sauce, these mini pizzas come together in a snap. Add your favorite toppings, like olives, green peppers and pepperoni.
14/20
Oatmeal Rollout Cookies
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
40 min
Servings
3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
For special events, my mother would bring these cookies to the rural school I attended. She decorated each cookie with a student's name written in frosting. —Sally Gores, Almena, Wisconsin
These sweet oatmeal cookies are both tasty and cute. Butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract transform into a quick and tasty cream cheese frosting.
15/20
Palmier Cookies
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
35 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
It takes just two ingredients to make these impressive but easy-to-do French pastries, which are often called palm leaves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
All it takes to pull off these palmiers is a package of puff pastry and some granulated sugar. In just about an hour, these heart-shaped French pastries can be gifted to your sweetheart.
16/20
Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Coffee Cakes
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
55 min
Servings
2 coffee cakes (8 servings each)
From the Recipe Creator:
I enjoy making this lovely coffee cake for anniversaries, Valentine's Day and other special occasions. I found the recipe more than 30 years ago, and I've been making it ever since. The delicious treat is a hit with family and friends. —Norma Hammond, Leland, Iowa
A delicious homemade breakfast is one of the best ways to show your love. This recipe involves active dry yeast, so you’ll need to wait at least an hour for the dough to rise.
17/20
Chocolate Chip Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
55 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Baking a fun treat is a must when my four grandchildren come to stay for "grandma camp." Sometimes the grandkids help by piping the cake batter. —Linda Schend, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Whoopie pies are thicker and more cakey than regular sandwich cookies. Cream cheese and mini chocolate chips make the filling extra special.
18/20
Valentine’s Cookies
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Start a new Valentine’s Day tradition with these pretty, whimsical cookies. The sweet strawberry flavor is a perfect complement to the chocolate glaze. —Marna Heitz
Strawberry-flavored, pink-tinged and heart-shaped, these cookies are Valentine’s Day come to life. The simple chocolate glaze on top creates an on-theme chocolate-covered strawberry flavor.
19/20
Almond French Toast Hearts
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
25 min
Servings
3 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I like to surprise my family at breakfast by having heart-shaped French toast on the table. Confectioners' sugar, strawberries and almond butter tastefully top off each bite. —Donna Cline, Pensacola, Florida
These adorable French toast hearts start Valentine’s Day off on the right foot. After pressing a heart-shaped cookie cutter into slices of bread, all you have to do is soak them in the custard and griddle them until golden brown.
20/20
Mushroom Palmiers
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
35 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I found this recipe while working at a small-town museum in West Texas. It was the appetizer for a fundraiser a long, long time ago, and it’s still a huge hit at parties. Frozen puff pastry helps make it easy and impressive. The palmiers also freeze well. —Judy Lock, Panhandle, Texas
This savory vegetarian finger food might just become a mainstay in your house, no matter the holiday. Mushrooms and onions are cooked until tender, then enlivened with lemon, thyme and hot sauce. Roll them up in puff pastry for a heart-shaped Valentine’s Day snack.
Heart-Shaped Foods FAQ
How can you make hearts out of food?
You can make hearts out of food by using heart-shaped molds and cutouts. Some of our favorite Valentine’s Day baking supplies are heart-shaped cake pans and cookie cutters. These tools make it easy to bake heart-shaped desserts at home. There are also heart-shaped waffle makers on the market for an easy, on-theme Valentine’s Day breakfast.
You could also cut or form certain foods into hearts by yourself. Our strawberry heart brownie recipe (slide #10) shows you how to cut strawberries to look like hearts, and the dough for our heart-shaped cinnamon coffee cakes (slide #16) are specially shaped into the symbol of love.
What foods are naturally heart-shaped?
Palmiers are naturally heart-shaped foods. This French dessert takes a sheet of puff pastry and rolls up both sides towards the center until they meet in the middle. Cut the roll into slices and you have beautiful heart-shaped pastries. Its traditional method just so happens to be on-theme for Valentine’s Day!
What are some heart-shaped food ideas for a Valentine’s Day brunch?
When it comes to Valentine’s Day brunch, I like to break out the cookie cutters. They serve as a mold for so many breakfast favorites. Use them to cut out heart-shaped pieces of toast, over-easy eggs, pancakes or French toast. You could also place any metal cookie cutters on a skillet and add your pancake batter inside. That way, your pancakes will cook into the form of hearts. Try not to fill the cookie cutter more than 1/4 full or the pancakes won’t cook all the way through. For a Valentine’s Day breakfast idea that’s a little more advanced, give our heart-shaped cinnamon coffee cakes (slide #16) a try.
