29 Valentine's Day Treats To Make 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

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.

Butter Cookies

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.

Red Velvet Cookies

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.

Dirt Cake

Contributor Micah Siva says, "Classic gummy worms are the traditional garnish, but any type of gummy candy works. I would recommend sticking to the theme of slimy insects and creatures—gummy frogs, spiders, or alligators. Avoid sour-coated gummies since the flavors clash with the creamy pudding."

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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.

Raspberry Cheesecake in a Mason Jar

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?”

Homemade Cosmic Brownies

Contributor Kayla Hoang says, "When aiming for clean slices, letting your brownies cool completely is crucial. Additionally, if cutting brownies that are topped with ganache (like these), you want to make sure it’s set before cutting."

Best Sugar Cookies

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.

Brown Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies

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!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pop-Tarts

Contributor Micah Siva says, "Don’t feel like making your own dough? No problem! Substitute 3 pieces of pre-made, rolled pie dough to form 9 hand pies. You may have to re-roll some of the pieces to form rectangles."

2-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

Associate Editorial Director Myo Quinn says, "Chocolate chips contain stabilizers like soy or sunflower lecithin to help them hold their shape. This means chocolate chips melt more slowly, not as smoothly, and solidify more quickly. Baking chocolate bars or chunks are better for melting and what you should use for this recipe."

Classic Shortbread Cookies

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.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

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. 

Cocoa Coconut Macaroons

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.

7-Layer Magic Bars

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.

Brookies (Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies)

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.

Blondies

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.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

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!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

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!

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

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.

Easy Chocolate Pudding in the Microwave

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.

Brownie in a Mug

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.

No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

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.

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

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.

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Truffles

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.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

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.

Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Visual Editor Wanda Abraham says, "The best peanut butter for these cookies is regular smooth peanut butter, not the all-natural kind. All-natural peanut butter will cause the cookies to spread too much, resulting in a flat, crunchy cookie."