Here are some sweet treats to celebrate Valentine’s Day, significant other not required.

By Julia Langer

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and while there are mixed emotions surrounding the holiday, there is one thing we can all agree on: the treats are hard to beat. Whether you’re  cuffed, single and ready to mingle or somewhere in between, we’ve got the perfect combination of goodies for you. 

These treats are perfect for a Galentine’s night with your roommates or you can enjoy them solo. If you do find yourself wanting to share the love, pick up some festive take-away boxes and drop them off at your friends’ doors. There’s no wrong way to celebrate Valentine’s Day when you’re doing it with chocolate!

1.     Rolo pretzel bites

This first treat is a spin-off of turtle pretzel bites, which typically consist of a pretzel and a Rolo topped with a pecan. These salty pretzels combined with sweet chocolate and the unique flavor of conversation hearts make this a very colorful and delicious goody. 

To make them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay pretzels (twists or squares) in a single layer. Place a Rolo on top of each pretzel and bake for 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately after removing them from the oven, gently press a conversation heart into the chocolate and enjoy! 

2.     Marshmallow Krispie Lips    

You can’t go wrong with this timeless treat. 

What you’ll need:

6 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 cups of marshmallows

4 cups of Rice Krispies

1 baking sheet

Cookie cutters

To make, first melt 6 tbsp of butter with 1 tsp of vanilla extract in a saucepan then add 2 cups of marshmallows. If you’re limiting your animal products, you can use gelatin-free marshmallows and dairy-free butter. Once the marshmallows have melted, add 4 cups of Rice Krispies and combine until the mixture is consistent throughout. Pack the mixture into a greased 9×9 pan and pop it in the refrigerator. After chilling for 30 minutes, pull out the pan and flip it over. Then, use a Valentine’s Day-themed cookie cutter —I suggest either lips, heart, and X’s and O’s to separate the treats. Finally, add decorations for a festive take on a classic dessert!

3.     Cupid Popcorn

This sweet and salty snack is impossible to put down. 

What you’ll need:

1 bag of microwave popcorn

¼ cup of pink colored chocolate

¼ cup of red colored chocolate

1 tablespoon of sprinkles

½ cup of Cupid’s Mix M&Ms

1 baking sheet

Parchment paper

To make this crunchy snack, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour out your popcorn. If you want every piece coated, use only a single layer. Next, melt colored chocolate following the directions on the package (I used red, pink and white candy melts). Once melted, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn. When you’re happy with the amount of chocolate, add sprinkles and Cupid’s Mix M&Ms. After, just put the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once cooled, break apart the popcorn and serve.

4.     Chocolate-Dipped Graham Crackers

Chocolate graham crackers are an underrated treat. Think of them as s’mores without the marshmallow! 

What you’ll need:

1 box of graham crackers

1/2 cup of pink colored chocolate

½  cup of red colored chocolate

1 tablespoon of sprinkles

2 bowls

1 baking sheet

Parchment paper

To make them, first melt a few colors of chocolate in separate bowls — following the directions on the package. Then dip half of the cracker in a bowl and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. To decorate, add different colors of chocolate on top in squizzle lines and top with sprinkles. For this treat, if you don’t have colored chocolate available, white chocolate and milk chocolate paired with fun sprinkles still look festive. Chill for 30 minutes to set.

5.     Chocolate-Dipped Oreos

When already the irresistible Oreo meets extra chocolate, the results are next level. This combo is so good that you may never want to go back to regular Oreos again. 

What you’ll need:

10 Oreos

1/2 cup of pink colored chocolate

½  cup of red colored chocolate

1 tablespoon of sprinkles

2 bowls

1 baking sheet

Parchment paper

To make them, first melt a few colors of chocolate in separate bowls — following the directions on the package. Then dip half of the Oreo in a bowl and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. To decorate, add different colors of chocolate on top in fun lines and top with sprinkles. Chill for 30 minutes to set.

6.     Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Rods

This next dessert is chocolate-dipped, salty sweet treat.  What more could you really want?

What you’ll need:

10 pretzel rods

½ cup of melted chocolate

1/2 cup of melted pink colored chocolate

½  cup of melted red colored chocolate

1 tablespoon of sprinkles

2 cups

1 baking sheet

Parchment paper

Sandwich bag or piping bag

To make these chocolate-dipped pretzel rods, first line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Be sure to melt your chocolate in a cup that has a little height to it. The deeper the cup, the more chocolate the pretzel will have, so choose your cup wisely. Dip a rod into the melted chocolate, lay it down on the sheet and repeat. For the drizzle, throw some melted colored chocolate in piping bags and go to town. If you don’t have piping bags, a sandwich bag with a corner cut off works just as well. After you dip, put the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. After they’ve set, take a rod and enjoy!

7.     Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

A Valentine’s Day without chocolate-covered strawberries should be illegal. What’s dinner with your beau (or besties) if it’s not followed by a berry… or twelve? 

What you’ll need:

10 strawberries

½ cup of melted milk chocolate

½ cup of melted dark chocolate

½ cup of melted white chocolate

1/2 cup of melted pink colored chocolate

½  cup of melted red colored chocolate

5 bowls

1 baking sheet

Parchment paper

Sandwich bag or piping bag

To make this iconic dessert, hold the strawberry by the leaves and dip it into a bowl of melted chocolate. Use colored chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate to make a beautiful Valentine’s Day plate. After dipping in chocolate, place the berry on parchment paper and add lines of alternate colored chocolate to decorate. Chill the berries in the fridge for 30 minutes and serve.

8.     Chocolate Filled Raspberries

This last treat is perhaps the easiest treat yet!

What you’ll need:

20 raspberries

10 white chocolate chips

10 milk chocolate chips

All you have to do is place a chocolate chip upside down in a raspberry (they fit perfectly together) and you have a delicious and somewhat healthy V-Day treat! You can add these to cakes, cupcakes or even your morning bowl of oatmeal to make a festive breakfast. While these are great as toppers, they hold up on their own too.