Love, hearts, flowers, sweets -- all things typically associated with Valentine’s Day. It’s a day we celebrate love, whether it’s a spouse, your children, other family members, good friends, your favorite pet, or the love of life itself.
According to Julia Childs, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” So, what better way to express your love than to whip up something special.
Here are 14 fantastic, tasty ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, including breakfast foods, fruits and veggies, hearty main dishes, unique sweets, and even drinks. You can try each of these ideas, or choose your favorites, either way; you can’t go wrong!
1. Bacon Hearts
Chelsey at The Paper Mama shows you how to start the day with heart-shaped bacon. Such a simple idea, but oh so tantalizing! Who wouldn’t love to see these on their plate first thing in the morning?
2. Heart Shaped Eggs
Can you imagine these heart-shaped eggs right next to the heart shaped bacon on your plate? Oh my!
Anna uses a milk carton, chopsticks, and a rubber band to shape hard-boiled eggs into delightful hearts. Has she got you intrigued? Check out how she does this at Anna the Red to see just how easy this Valentine’s Day breakfast treat can be.
3. Heart Shaped Fruit Salad
You may think fruit salad is fruit salad, but on Valentine’s Day, heart-shaped fruit salad is a must. Watermelon and strawberries perfectly cut into tiny little hearts, will be a lovely addition to your Valentine’s Day lunch or evening meal.
Jess at Design Intuition shows you how to create this recipe using a cookie cutter and fruit. A simple but yummy treat you will want to make this Valentine’s Day.
4. Tomato Tulips
Flowers are a traditional gift for Valentine’s Day, but we bet you’ve never seen these flowers before.
These beautiful edible flowers are actually Roma tomatoes stuffed with a cream cheese filling and placed on green onion stalks. The perfect addition to any table! Fabiana at Caio! Newport Beach gives the exact recipe and instructions for this beautiful bouquet of tulips.
5. Valentine’s Day Snack Mix
This snack mix is easy to make and uses ingredients like pretzels, peanuts, chocolate candies, popcorn, and Chex type cereals, all held together with melted white and pink chocolate, then topped with festive sprinkles.
Glory at Glorious Treats explains how to make this yummy treat, and she also adds that part of the beauty of this recipe is that you can customize the ingredients to fit your taste buds. This one is so easy and delicious; it is a must-try!
6. White Chocolate Dipped Valentine’s Day Fortune Cookies
It doesn’t matter how old you are; everyone loves to read their fortune. There is just something about breaking open a cookie to see what your future holds. Maybe a new love, wealth, or even a long-awaited adventure is coming your way.
These Valentine’s Day Fortune Cookies are “easy... to make delicious, fun treats without a lot of money, effort or skill,” according to Betsy from Jave Cupcake.
7. Homemade Conversation Hearts
Those sweet little confection hearts with “Be Mine,” or “U R Sweet,” or any number of love messages on them will take you back to your grade school years.
They bring back memories of decorating shoeboxes to collect a Valentine from everyone in your class, and hoping for a special card from that one particular crush! Ahhh, remember those days?
Well these homemade conversation hearts from Who? Me? Cook? will not only melt in your mouth, but they will melt your heart as well.
In Mizme’s Mommy’s blog, she says the instructions for these hearts are a little long, but not to let that deter you from trying this recipe. She assures that the process is simple and so worth it in the end.
8. Red Velvet Puppy Chow
Lizzy from Your Cup of Cake provides a delicious twist to the traditional Puppy Chow. The red color, along with the white, pink, and red candies and sprinkles, make this a perfect Valentine’s Day treat for all ages. And yes, this tastes like Red Velvet Cake; you can’t beat it!
9. No Bake White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
Tthis will become a go-to recipe for you from here on out
If you have never made cheesecake before, or if you’re a cheesecake veteran, It is so easy and tasty, not to mention the fact that it makes a beautiful treat.
The ingredients that Beth, with The First Year, Something Sweet, uses are simple and easily found at your local grocery store. The red chocolate drizzle and fresh strawberries on top of these mini cheesecakes are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palette.
10. Sweetheart Steak and Potato Pot Pie
You are thinking just how romantic can a pot pie be, right? Well when you see this creation and then taste it, you will understand why it is a necessity for a romantic meal. It is the perfect entree for Valentine’s Day.
When Carole was trying to figure out something to make her beef craving husband for Valentine’s dinner, she came up with this pot pie recipe. Thankfully she decided to share it with the world at Toot Sweet 4 Two. You will be glad you tried it, trust us!
11. Roasted Heart Potatoes
These are possibly the crispiest, tastiest roasted potatoes you will ever make— Hani, with Haniela's shares her secret for the crispness of this recipe.
She says that par-cooking speeds up the process and makes the potato hearts crispy.
“Here is how it works: while you simmer potatoes in the salty water, starch and sugar from potatoes are drawn to the surface of the potatoes. Starch and sugar coats the potatoes. Then in the oven, while potatoes are roasting, the sugar and starch layer turns into a super crispy shell.”
Adding these little potato hearts to your dinner plates is a sure-fire way to let someone know how much you love them. These are a perfect side dish for Valentine’s Day, but they are also a nice touch for an anniversary, birthday, or anytime you want to sneak in an “I love you”.
12. Heart Shaped Pizza
Everybody loves pizza, but those special ones in your life will swoon over a heart-shaped pizza with heart-shaped pepperonis.
A mother of 6 kids, Kristyn, with Lil' Luna, depends on things being relatively simple and quick, and this recipe is no exception. She explains how to make the heart-shaped crust, add the toppings, and bake this Valentine’s Day meal in just 30 minutes. And, the best part is you can customize it by adding whatever toppings you or that special someone like best.
13. Conversation Heart Cocoa
What a special treat! Strawberry and white chocolate flavored cocoa with crushed conversation hearts around the rim of the mug and sprinkled over the whipped cream topping is a drink-dessert-treat made in heaven!
This recipe is advertised as kid-friendly, but we think it is everybody-friendly. Kelly, with Smart School House, has created a winner here. There is possibly no better way to end Valentine’s Day than by enjoying a cup of this deliciousness!
14. Cupid Floats
Another fun drink for Valentine’s Day is Cupid Floats.
Cupid Floats are a Valentine twist on old fashioned Root Beer floats. Mindi with Moms Need to Know uses strawberry soda, vanilla ice cream, and homemade whipped cream, all topped with a Maraschino Cherry to make this Valentine’s Day treat one that will be remembered.
Sometimes the simple things can end up being the best! Treat your sweethearts to this afternoon snack. They will love you for it!
Why Valentine’s Day Treats are a Great Choice
“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” - Alan D. Wolfelt
This Valentine’s Day, instead of worrying over what to get the ones you love, try one, or several, of these treats.
Food, especially homemade, is truly a gift of the heart. If you are lucky enough to share your life with someone you love, make them something special.
If it is just you this Valentine’s Day, treat yourself. Start your day with heart-shaped bacon and eggs. Maybe enjoy a pizza, heart-shaped of course, for lunch, followed by a Cupid Float.
Don’t stop there, go ahead and make that Sweetheart Steak and Potato Pot Pie, or maybe have a steak and heart-shaped roasted potatoes. Then end your day with a Conversation Heart Cocoa.
You might throw in a White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake or some homemade conversation hearts as well. Why not!
Whatever you choose to make this Valentine’s Day, let love be our special ingredient!
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