30 Valentine's Day Treats to Make with Kids

Get your kids in the kitchen to make our easiest, most delicious Valentine's Day treats. They (and their friends) will love these sweet delights!

By
Elana Lepkowski
Elana Lepowski
Elana Lepkowski
Elana Lepkowski has an extensive background in the gourmet and celebrity food industries. She has been writing for for various media outlets since 2006.
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Published January 31, 2022
Elana Lepowski
30 Valentine's Day Treats with Kids

From sprinkling sprinkles and cracking eggs to stirring the cookie batter, kids are curious about what’s cooking in the kitchen. Let’s invite them to the party! The Valentine's Day party!

This is a round up of Valentine's Day-inspired sweets that kids can help make, not just eat. Every recipe is simple, with a step or two easy enough for even our youngest sous chefs to help with. Check out our favorite picks below—we have brownies (many kinds!), truffles, cookies, and much more.

But safety first! Kids should have adult supervision in the kitchen, and even the simplest brownie recipe provides a teachable moment for following rules, listening to instructions, and learning to read through the recipe first (I know I still need reminders).

  • Thin and Crispy Chocolate Cookies

    Best Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
    Cindy Rahe

    Let’s start this round up with the most recognizable treat that kids (and I) gravitate toward: a round cookie. Crispy, chocolatey, and fun to make, these chocolate chip cookies are great for dunking into a tall glass of milk.

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  • Butter Cookies

    Butter Cookies
    Elise Bauer

    These heart-shaped butter cookies come together very easily using not a spoon, not a whisk, but your hands! There will be a lesson in patience: It does require that you wait and chill your dough for up to one day.

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  • Red Velvet Cookies

    Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
    Irvin Lin

    Vibrant red cookies to match those homemade Valentine’s? Yes, please! These sweet and slightly tangy cookies are easy for little hands to make. Dump all the ingredients in the mixer and whip them up in just a few minutes. Add some white chocolate chips on top to make them look extra special.

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  • Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

    A red velvet cupcake set in a cupcake liner with a bite taken out of it.
    Michelle Becker

    What’s better than one red velvet cake? Two dozen red velvet cupcakes! For me, this is the first thing that comes to mind when making red desserts for Valentine’s Day. Just remember, it calls for red food coloring, so be prepared for little red fingers.

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    Continue to 5 of 30 below.

  • Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce

    Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce - close up of pancake stack
    Cindy Rahe

    Breakfast is a great time for treats, right? Show the kids how easy it is to make a batch of chocolate chip homemade pancakes. Pump up the Valentine’s Day excitement with an even easier, sweet-tart raspberry sauce (just heat and stir!) to top off your big stack. Who knows? Maybe they’ll surprise you with breakfast in bed soon after.

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  • Raspberry Cheesecake in a Mason Jar

    Mason Jar Raspberry Cheesecake

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    If you have leftover raspberry sauce from the pancakes above and an adventurous young baker in the house, level up with these individual cheesecakes. Let the kids crush the cookies in a zip top bag with a rolling pin. It doesn't have to be perfect! Then, lend a hand transferring the water bath into the oven. Since they’re much smaller than a traditional cheesecake, they bake faster, and that means less time hearing, “Is it done yet?”

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  • Chocolate Covered Strawberries

    Finished chocolate-covered strawberries on a plate
    Elise Bauer

    Chocolate covered strawberries might seem like an adult treat, but give my kids anything to dip into chocolate and they’re game. Use an easy microwave-version of melting chocolate here, and lay out a few options for decorations. Graham cracker crumbs, sprinkles, and even edible glitter adds a special touch.

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  • Best Sugar Cookies

    Royal icing for sugar cookies piped into a variety of patterns and sent on a cooling rack.
    Irvin Lin

    Cookies are the gateway dessert into baking for kids. And there’s a reason for that: They’re easy to make and super fun to decorate. Sugar cookies are a blank canvas for young bakers, so break out the pink, red, and white sprinkles. These sugar cookies are easy to make and roll out thanks to a secret ingredient: cream cheese.

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    Continue to 9 of 30 below.

  • Brown Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies

    brown sugar snickerdoodles next to a glass of milk

    Snickerdoodles are a fail-proof cookie. Kids will love rolling the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and using their hands to flatten them. Think of it them as Play-Doh you can eat!

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  • Classic Shortbread Cookies

    Shortbread cookies recipe
    Cindy Rahe

    This shortbread cookie dough rolls out beautifully and is easy to cut out into whatever shape your kids are excited about. My kids love to sandwich a dollop of strawberry jam between two cookies. I prefer them simply, straight out of a cookie jar.

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  • Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies

    Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
    Elise Bauer

    A citrusy twist on classic shortbread, this recipe combines rich chocolate with a burst of orange flavor. Grab heart-shaped cookie cutters to make a unique treat that’s great to gift or to gobble up.

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  • Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Easy chocolate chocolate cookies on a white plate.
    Hannah Zimmerman

    When you’re making chocolate chip cookies, more chocolate is always better—just ask your kids. These double chocolate cookies are rich and chewy, which makes for an ideal Valentine’s Day treat. Let your kids pick their own chocolatey add-ins like M&Ms.

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    Continue to 13 of 30 below.

  • Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    Elise Bauer

    All bakers should learn to brown butter, so start 'em young! Help them stir the butter as it browns and decide together when it's brown enough. No need to buy special chocolate. Here is an idea: Break up the leftover Halloween chocolate you stashed in the cupboard. You’ll have gooey chocolate cookies in no time.

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  • Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

    Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms
    Aaron Hutcherson

    This cookie has a highly recognizable candy on top. It was a hit when I was a kid and many decades later, it is a hit with my kids. The dough can be stirred with a wooden spoon, and if you have impatient children (or adults) at home, you can practically eat them straight from the baking sheet. But don’t. Please wait a few minutes for them to cool, and then dig in. 

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  • Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips cooling on a rack.
    Sally Vargas

    These peanut butter cookies are gluten and dairy free. You just need a bowl and a fork to make the dough. This is a great base recipe that allows for teachable moments about adapting and swapping ingredients. You can use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter, or try adding dried fruit instead of chocolate chips.

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  • Cocoa Coconut Macaroons

    Cocoa Coconut Macaroons
    Cindy Rahe

    Coconut Macaroons are my favorite gluten-free treat. Combine them with cocoa powder (and a little applesauce!) for an even more special dessert. For young bakers, skip the food processor and piping bag. Give them a large spoon or cookie scoop to shape the batter. Maybe let them sprinkle on the flaky sea salt too.

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    Continue to 17 of 30 below.

  • 7-Layer Magic Bars

    Overhead shot of magic cookie bars ready to eat
    Irvin Lin

    One of my earliest baking memories was making a batch of these 7-layer bars with my mother. I'm going to pass on the magic to my young baker.

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  • Brookies (Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies)

    Brookie Cookie
    Cindy Rahe

    This is one fun baking project that combines two types of treats: chewy chocolate chip cookies and fudgy brownies! Let the kids help mold the two together.

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  • Blondies

    Overhead view of blonde brownies scattered on a counter with a butter knife next to it

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    Blondies are the perfect alternative to chocolate on Valentine’s Day. You could make these plain, but not in our house. We treat the batter as glue that holds all sorts of ingredients together like crumbled-up pretzels, shredded coconut, dried fruit, and yup, chocolate.

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  • Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

    Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe
    Aaron Hutcherson

    There are plenty of peanut butter and chocolate recipes in this round up, and for good reason. They are the perfect match! If you want to bring these in as a classroom treat but need to keep it peanut-free, try tahini!

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    Continue to 21 of 30 below.

  • Hetty McKinnon’s Flourless Soy Sauce Brownies

    ‘To Asia, With Love’ Flourless Soy Sauce Brownies stacked on a plate.

    Lori Rice

    My kids would drink soy sauce straight from the bottle if I didn't keep an eye on them. So, they were excited to try these soy sauce brownies. It's a fun and genius twist on a classic recipe. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side would be nice.

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  • Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

    Fudgy Brownie Bites
    Emma Christensen

    Need a Valentine’s Day treat to bring to school? These fudgy brownies would be great. They are made in one pan, can be cut in the pan, and hold up for transport. The kids will love them because, well, they’re fudgy brownies!

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  • Double Chocolate Cupcakes

    Chocolate cupcake recipe and frosted with chocolate frosting with a bite taken out.
    Cindy Rahe

    Double Chocolate Cupcakes are another great option for Valentine’s Day treats to share with classmates. Just whisk, bake, and frost (with a spoon!) for moist, chocolate goodness. Sprinkle on a little pink sanding sugar to match the theme.

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  • Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

    Gluten-Free Vegan Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
    Megan Gordon

    Bananas aren’t just for banana bread! They also help keep these gluten-free cupcakes moist. For kids, you can use decaf coffee and don’t forget the sprinkles.

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    Continue to 25 of 30 below.

  • Easy Chocolate Pudding in the Microwave

    Chocolate pudding in microwave
    Sally Vargas

    You don’t need to stand over a hot flame to make this chocolate pudding! Even young hands can whisk the mixture and pop it in the microwave for a few rounds. If bittersweet chocolate is too intense, use semisweet or milk chocolate.

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  • Brownie in a Mug

    Side view of a brownie in a white mug and topped with ice cream and with a stir spoon inside.
    Annika Panikker

    Did you know that you can make brownies in a mug? This impressed my kids! I've tried this recipe with olive oil instead of butter and it was delicious. Yes, add those extra chocolate chips on top.

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  • No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

    Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies drizzled in peanut butter
    Cindy Rahe

    Don't want kids around the hot oven? No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies are made with pantry staples and taste like brownies. For a nut-free option, use sunflower butter with a pinch of salt instead of the peanut butter.

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  • Peanut Butter Buckeyes

    Peanut Butter balls or Buckeye balls
    Irvin Lin

    Buckeyes are another no-bake treat with, again, that all-purpose peanut butter. This recipe is perfect for kids that like making things with clay. The dough is rolled into little balls then dipped into melted chocolate.

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    Continue to 29 of 30 below.

  • How to Make Homemade Chocolate Truffles

    Overhead view of chocolate truffles covered in cocoa and chopped nuts.
    Eliezer Martinez

    I am awestruck with how simple chocolate truffles are to make. Inspire a young baker with this easy, chocolatey recipe that is special enough to gift and share with loved ones.

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  • Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

    Chocolate Covered Pretzels
    Irvin Lin

    Your kids will be wowed by these homemade treats that are often store-bought. You'll be surprised how easy these chocolate-covered pretzels are to make. Don’t stop with chocolate decorations. Let your kids personalize them with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and even crushed candies.

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