11+ Last-Minute Valentine’s Treats Everyone Will Love
Valentine’s Day is just on the horizon! If you can’t figure out what sweet treats you want to make your family or sweetheart, check out some of our favorite ideas for last-minute Valentine’s treats for your favorite person!
Jump to RecipeWhy is chocolate the staple of Valentine’s Day? Let’s branch out! Sure, a box of chocolates is the easiest route. But don’t you want something a little bit more personal made with a little bit more love? With these simple, last-minute Valentine’s treats, you can spread the love all day long!
Last-Minute Valentine’s Treats Fresh from the Oven
Just because it involves baking, it doesn’t mean it’ll be complicated. These simple recipes make Valentine’s treats are tasty and stress-free.
1. Simple Valentine’s Treats: Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Cookies are always a classic Valentine’s treat, but if you run out of time to make them from scratch, cake mix is an easy hack! Mix together a box of red velvet cake mix, 1/3 cup of oil, 2 large eggs, and 1 cup of white chocolate chips. Scoop into tablespoon-sized balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack!
2. Heart Cookies
Any cookies can become Valentine’s cookies when they’re heart-shaped. But these are extra-special. Make a traditional sugar cookie recipe and use a cookie cutter to make the dough into heart shapes. After they’re baked, use royal icing in pastel colors to make your cookies look like big conversation hearts! Once they’re dry, use a food coloring marker to write short conversation heart-inspired phrases on them like, “Be mine” “Sweet” and “XOXO.”
No-Bake Last-Minute Valentine’s Treats
If you want to skip the oven, these simple snacks and desserts are easy to make in a pinch.
3. Mixed Nut Brittle
Are you NUTS for your sweetheart? Or maybe they drive you nuts sometimes. Either way, they’ll enjoy a tasty mixed nut brittle. It’s so easy to make at home, and has only a few ingredients! Put 2 cups of lightly-salted mixed nuts, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of corn syrup, 1 Tbsp of butter, into a medium saucepan and begin cooking over medium-high heat, stirring often.
Cook for 16-20 minutes, until it’s a golden-brown color. Be careful not to let it burn, so err on the side of less time. Add 1 tsp of baking soda and stir vigorously until the baking soda is incorporated (this will start foaming). Quickly pour the brittle into heart molds on a parchment-lined sheet. Let it sit for 20 minutes or until cool enough to break into pieces, then serve!
4. Valentines Snack Mix
There’s nothing better than a snack mix where you can just toss together all the ingredients. It’s great to pack in a lunch, too! For the base, use popcorn. Then add ingredients like white chocolate and milk chocolate-covered heart pretzels, and Valentine M&Ms. For another variation, mix ingredients like corn or rice Chex cereal, mini-pretzels, honey nut cheerios, mixed nuts, or Valentines sprinkles and cover and toss with melted white chocolate.
5. Conversation Heart White Chocolate Bark
Start by lining a baking sheet with wax paper. Spread 2 cups of pretzels and 9 oz of lightly salted mixed nuts on the wax paper. In a large bowl, microwave 24 oz. of white chocolate until melted, about one minute. (Alternatively, use a double broiler.) Stir the chocolate well and pour over the pretzel and nuts. Use a spatula to quickly spread the mixture out on the baking sheet until its a uniform thickness. Sprinkle conversation hearts evenly over the mixture. You can also substitute red and pink M&Ms on top for a pop of Valentine’s color. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until set. Break into approximately 2″ squares and serve!
6. Valentine’s Oreo Bark
Similar to the white chocolate bark, you can make this variation with Oreos!
Valentine’s Oreo Bark
Equipment
- 1 microwave-safe bowl
- 1 cookie sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 10 Oreos coarsely chopped
- 8 oz milk chocolate candy melts or chocolate chips
- 8 oz vanilla candy melts or white chocolate chip
- 1/2 cup conversation hearts
- Valentines sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add chocolate candy to a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Pour onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread flat into an approximately 7×10 rectangle. Sprinkle with chopped Oreos. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Add white chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Pour over the Oreos and spread to the edges of the milk chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped conversation hearts and sprinkles. Chill until set, break into pieces and serve!
Nutrition
7. Chocolate-Dipped Praline Pretzels
Pretzel rods are perfect for an easy Valentine’s treat that looks fancy but takes minimal effort. Dunk your pretzel rods in melted white, milk, or dark chocolate, then dunk them in toppings like pink and red sprinkles, mini M&Ms, or pralines. That’s right…pralines. For these, preheat the oven to 350°.
Stir together 1-1/2 cups of chopped pecans, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 Tablespoons of cream. Spread in a single layer in a lightly buttered 9-inch round cake pan. Bake 20 minutes or until sugar is slightly crystallized, stirring once. Cool in pan 10 minutes; finely chop. Spread mixture in a single layer on wax paper. Now, you’re ready to dunk your pretzels in the chocolate, roll them in the pralines, then let them set! These are the perfect last-minute gift that you can individually wrap!
8. Healthy Valentine’s Treats: Sweet Smoothies
Smoothies are the MVP of healthy foods. Quick, easy, and you can get plenty of vital nutrients mixed in! If you’re looking for a healthy morning or mid-day snack, opt for ingredients like strawberries, beets, cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, or blueberries that’ll give it a nice, pinkish-purple hue. If you’re looking for a creamy, sweet treat smoothie, try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream, greek yogurt, a Tablespoon of cream cheese, or a tsp of vanilla to your fresh strawberry smoothie.
9. Salted Caramel Strawberries
Chocolate-covered strawberries may be the star of the season, but that doesn’t mean that other yummy strawberry desserts can’t shine! Start by soaking the strawberries in an ice bath for 5 minutes to restore their perky leaves, then pat the strawberries completely dry with paper towels.
Remove the wrappings from 20 caramels and combine them with 1-1/2 Tbsp of whipping cream and 1/4 tsp salt. Microwave them together at medium for 2 minutes, mixing every 1 minute. Once it’s completely smooth, dip each strawberry halfway into the caramel mixture. Roll in 1 cup of coarsely chopped nuts, then place on a piece of lightly-greased wax paper. Let them stand for 15 minutes to set, then serve!
Savory Valentine’s Treats
A treat doesn’t have to be something sweet! Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, these savory treats will hit the spot. r
10. Valentine’s Treats for Dinner: Pizza
You don’t have to make dough from scratch (unless you REALLY want to). Trader Joe’s has excellent pre-made doughs that you just have to roll out and form into a heart shape. If you want a pepperoni pizza, don’t forget to use a knife to cut your pepperoni into heart shapes, too!
11. Charcuterie for Your Favorite Char-Cutie
Charcuterie is like the adult version of a Lunchable (in the best possible way). We love the design of this board into a tic-tac-toe format, with sandwiches in heart-shapes going across the “game board” (made of rolled-up deli meat). In the other spaces, place easy-to-grab Valentine’s foods like salami (shaped into roses, of course), gummies, chocolates, nuts, fruits, and crackers.
Last-Minute Valentine’s Treats
Which of these last-minute Valentine’s Day treats are you excited to make? No matter what you pull together, remember that kind words are free, and everyone needs to hear how much they’re loved and appreciated. Write a kind note or short shoutout to them with a Valentine and one of these last-minute Valentine’s treats.
