The best Valentine’s Day-worthy desserts

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and I’m here to tell you that you deserve a homemade special treat this Valentine’s Day whether you’re celebrating how much you love yourself, your partner, or close friends.

Below is a list of my all-time favorite special occasion desserts that feel sexy and indulgent.

There’s a little something for everyone – the chocolate obsessed, the cake lovers, mousse connoisseurs, and more!

Plus, all of them cake be made a day in advance and some taste even better the next day, so you can keep celebrating your love all week long!

If you love a good mousse

Mousse is a the perfect cap to any heavy meal because it’s light and creamy and won’t weigh you down. I’m not personally a big mousse eater, but since I have a mousse-loving husband, I’ve grown to really love a **good** mousse. The three below are excellent in every way.

French Chocolate Mousse

If you want a dense yet magically light and fluffy and extremely chocolate-y classic French mousse. It’s the best you’ll ever have, I promise. Make it a day ahead.

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

If you want a denser, creamier mousse that also happens to be vegan (no eggs or dairy!). Coconut milk, homemade hazelnut butter, and melted chocolate create a light, yet rich consistency that tastes like a Ferrero Rocher.

This one couldn’t be easier – just throw all the ingredient into a blender until smooth. Be sure to make these ahead so they have time to chill in the fridge! 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse

If you want something less chocolate-y and more like a bowl of strawberry infused whipped cream with chocolate on top. Heavy cream gets whipped up in a blender along with tangy yogurt, a touch of sugar, and lots of freeze-dried strawberries into a beautiful fluffy pink mousse. A simple chocolate ganache gets poured on top for that classic chocolate covered strawberry flavor. 

Let there be cake!

There are only so many times in the year where you take the time to make an actual cake and Valentine’s Day is one of them! Go with an intensely chocolate cake, a rich olive oil cake, or a lighter hazelnut cake!

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

If you want a simple one layer chocolate cake that is naturally gluten-free and only lightly sweetened with a rich, bittersweet chocolate flavor. It’s dense and fudgy from the olive oil and chocolate, yet super light thanks to fluffy whipped egg whites.

Olive Oil Cake with Whipped Maple Crème Fraîche and Pomegranate

If you love a dense, extremely moist, olive oil infused cake. It’s hard to find words to describe how much I love this cake. I make it for our anniversary every year to try and replicate our wedding dessert. It’s impossible to mess up and a real show stopper.

Natalie’s Birthday Cake (Haselnuss Torte)

If you want a super light layer cake with lots of hazelnut flavor and a hazelnut-infused whipped cream. This one is truly special (and naturally gluten-free)!

Tarts and tiramisu!

These don’t fall into any specific category, but I couldn’t not put them on this list because I love them both so much.

Ricotta Tiramisu for Two

If you want the perfect ending to your Italian pasta dinner. My much easier spin on tiramisu is light, simple, and a beautiful balance of bitter and sweet.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Tarts

If you want a fudgy tart with a chewy no-bake crust that tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry. This was the dessert on my very first Valentine’s Day menu and it still remains a favorite. Blend up the crust in a food processor or blender and fill it with a simple coconut milk and chocolate mixture that turns into a dense ganache-like filling with a strawberry hiding inside.