Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these 22 chocolate dessert recipes

Based on the German dessert known as “Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte,” Black Forest cake is actually called “Black Forest cherry torte,” according to the direct translation. It’s made of multiple layers of chocolate sponge cake, and as the name suggests, it has a cherry filling. The cherry flavor actually comes from a cherry liqueur, as indicated in .

If you’re the kind of person who had a cookie cake for their birthday as a kid (or last year—no judgments), then welcome to the grown-up version: the chocolate chip skillet cookie. Not only is both chewy and gooey, but it’s super fun to make in your cast iron pan.

To make chocolate-covered strawberries, you really only need two ingredients: strawberries and high-quality chocolate. and provide some creative suggestions for more elaborate versions. If you’re in the mood for a romantic cliche, resist the urge to lovingly feed the strawberries to each other—it’s always more messy and awkward than anticipated.

 comes complete with three layers: whipped cream on top, chocolate pudding in the middle, and an Oreo crust underneath. It may sound complicated, but the crust can be made in advance and the pudding needs several hours to set, so the prep is broken up nicely.

Chocolate cake is delicious, and chocolate frosting is delicious, which would mean that chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, like , are twice as good. Except due to a synergy-like situation, the result is actually better than the sum of its two parts—especially if you add chocolate sprinkles.

For some reason, chocolate fondue gives off romantic vibes—and we’re fine with that because it’s easy to make and delicious to eat. calls for just six ingredients, and two of them are chocolate! All you need to do is decide what to dip in it. (We suggest fruit like strawberries and pineapple, or cakes like angel food and pound cake.)

A classic dessert for two, chocolate lava cake isn’t as tricky as it looks. In fact, will show you how to make them in ramekins or muffin pans. And yes, the chocolate will ooze out like a miniature choco-cano. 

Just five simple ingredients are needed for : chocolate, butter, cream, eggs, and caster sugar. You can use it atop cakes or brownies, or just eat it with a spoon…and whipped cream and chocolate shavings, of course.

There’s a lot of satisfaction that comes with baking a rich, fluffy souffle, but it’s a delicate process. Keep Valentine’s Day shenanigans out of the kitchen while is prepped and baked, as it could fall faster than a fool in love.

If a chocolate cream pie is too much like pudding for your liking, try a chocolate tart instead. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated or fancy as it sounds—in fact, it’s actually pretty simple, especially with . 

One of the richest desserts around is chocolate truffles, and that’s a dangerous thing for our diet. But sometimes it’s fun to live dangerously on Valentine’s Day, so why not make some truffles with ?

Brownies are already a chocolate dessert thanks to the cocoa powder (get out of here with that blondie talk.) But call for a heaping half-cup of chocolate chips, which makes them even more chocolatey, and oh so fudgy.

When regular chocolate chip cookies aren’t enough, you call in double chocolate chip cookies. And while some people like their cookies crispy and others like them soft, we prefer ours to be like Han Solo’s best friend: chewy. fit the bill.

Desserts don’t get much richer than flourless chocolate cake—and we’re not talking about the money. In fact, you can make with just three ingredients: eggs, butter, and a whole lot of chocolate. But if you want to impress your date, dress this dessert up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar (and maybe some raspberries, too).

A layered chocolate cake with a coconut-pecan frosting makes up . If you’re wondering what is German about coconuts and pecans, the answer is nothing. Unlike Black Forest cake, German chocolate cake isn’t related to Germany at all—it was invented by an American baker named Samuel German.

Have an ice cream maker that needs a little love & attention? Break it out for Valentine’s Day! Making ice cream can even be a date-night activity, whether it’s your first date or you’ve been married for years. .

If you think brownies are a bit basic—especially for a special Valentine’s Day dessert—class ‘em up by making marble brownies instead. actually comes from the Philadelphia brand, because, as you may guess, it involves cream cheese. Aside from the cream cheese and brownie mix, all you need are sugar, vanilla, and eggs!

Peanut butter and chocolate are soulmates, and the simplest combination of the two is a peanut butter cup. Not a store-bought one with a long list of ingredients, but a simple version like , which only uses peanut butter, powdered sugar, and chocolate.