8 recipes to make your Valentine's Day sweeter

Skip the boxed chocolates and make your beloved a giant candy bar. Filled with peanuts, nougat and caramel, it’s like a fancy version of your favorite packaged sweet, but big enough for two happy diners to share.

Find the recipe from Epicurious

Not all Valentine’s Day desserts need to include chocolate. These cheesecake-filled delights are easy to whip up and even easier to eat by the handful.

Get the full recipe from Allrecipes

Don’t say “I love you” with words. Say it with doughnuts. These heart-shaped pastries are stuffed with Nutella, but you can swap in any chocolate, fruity or creamy filling of your choice. You’ll need to pick up a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make them, but consider that an investment in loving treats you can make year-round.

Find the recipe on Half Baked Harvest

Molten lava cake is a classic romantic flourish to finish off a cozy meal for two. The recipe makes two small cakes, so you don’t even have to share a single dish. Feel free to customize the gooey insides with caramel, butterscotch, espresso, citrus, or whatever else you prefer.

Learn how to make them on Smitten Kitchen

Ending a Valentine’s Day meal with a heavy, overly sweet dessert is a quick way to end the evening in a flash. Instead of making you and your partner feel bloated or gross, pick a dessert that’s semi-good for you. These chocolate date-caramel cups come packed with raw nuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, sesame seeds and dates, all ingredients that fit with a healthy but decadent romantic meal.

Get the recipe from Bon Appetit

For all those ex-lovers who are spending Valentine’s Day with their girl squad or their boys, this supremely rich chocolate cake will make up for lost love. Don’t worry about the crunching sound. That’s not actually a broken heart, but the delicious topping of mixed nuts and chocolates.

Find the recipe on Food Network

Want to serve something festive but exciting? These pink macarons pack spicy zing, and a nice fruity flavor, with the inclusion of peppercorns, which pair perfectly with buttercream and chocolate ganache.

Get the recipe from Style Sweet

Roses are a staple of Valentine’s Day. Instead of buying a bouquet that will wilt, whip up this rose water-scented angel food cake. Top it with fresh berries and a single red rose for the ultimate romantic treat.

Get the recipe on Joy the Baker