23 Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes That Anyone Can Make

Shrimp scampi, flourless chocolate cake and more special dishes everyone will love.

Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Published Feb. 10, 2021Updated Feb. 13, 2026

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with your partner, with your friends or by yourself, these easy recipes will help make the occasion special without a full day spent in the kitchen. These dishes don’t require tons of ingredients, and most come together in under an hour.

1. Flourless Chocolate Cake

A fudgy slice of chocolate cake sits on a peach-colored plate, with a dollop of cream on top and a fork covered in crumbs to the side. — Credit...Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Genevieve Ko takes the standard flourless chocolate cake and makes it all the easier with the inclusion of chocolate chips instead of chocolate bars. That will save you messy chopping, so you can spend the time enjoying this sweet with your sweetie.

Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

2. Banana Pancakes

Two golden pancakes stacked onto a white plate, with pats of butter and syrup drizzled over. A fork sits to the right. — Credit...Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.

Breakfast in bed, anyone? This 20-minute recipe from Samantha Seneviratne yields nice, crisp edges and soft, tender interiors. For the fluffiest results, be sure to mix the batter as little as possible. “My wife said these were the best pancakes I’ve ever made,” one commenter wrote. Only the best for wives this Valentine’s Day (and every day).

Recipe: Banana Pancakes

3. French Onion Grilled Cheese

Two halves of a grilled cheese sandwich, seen from the side. The cheese is melting out slightly, as are some caramelized onions. — Credit...Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.

Nothing says “I love you” like a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with melty Gruyère and caramelized onions. This recipe from Ali Slagle has more than 2,000 five-star reviews, so it’s a guaranteed home run. (Tip: Have breath mints handy.)

Recipe: French Onion Grilled Cheese

4. Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

A saucepan holding a rich, red tomato sauce with soft onion halves and a wooden spoon. — Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

It’s a classic for a reason. Marcella Hazan’s four-ingredient tomato sauce is possibly her most famous recipe — and also her easiest. All you need is a can of tomatoes, an onion, butter and salt. But don’t take our word for it. The recipe has five stars and more than 15,000 ratings.

Recipe: Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

5. Strawberry Spoon Cake

A baking dish filled with strawberry-topped cake is photographed from overhead. To the edge of the bowl there’s a missing serving, which sits in a small bowl at bottom left. — Credit...Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.

This easy no-mixer cake from Jerrelle Guy can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries (or any berry, really). Just be sure to defrost frozen berries in the microwave first. Serve it with whipped cream or the best vanilla ice cream you can get your hands on — or both.

Recipe: Strawberry Spoon Cake

6. Citrus, Beet and Avocado Salad

Colorful layers of sliced beets, citrus and avocado are arranged on a white plate, with serving utensils. — Credit...Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Ali Slagle calls this winter’s caprese, and she’s got a point: Overlapping slices of the season’s peak produce (citrus, beet and avocado) are dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s bright and beautiful. You can add protein (fresh or tinned fish, grains, legumes), dairy (burrata, stracciatella, yogurt, feta), more vegetables (lettuce, chicories, radishes), and flavor boosters (toasted nuts, crushed red pepper, herbs, shallots or olives) as you see fit.

Recipe: Citrus, Beet and Avocado Salad

7. Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta

Two blue bowls of pasta topped with walnuts and tossed with pieces of caramelized cabbage, as seen from overhead. — Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

The unassuming cabbage gets the star treatment in this hearty vegetarian pasta from Hetty Lui McKinnon. Cabbage and leeks are cooked until jammy, sweet and silky, and then tossed with crunchy toasted walnuts. Finish the dish with fresh chives or scallions for a contrasting brightness.

Recipe: Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta

8. Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs

Three deeply browned chicken thighs sit atop a silver platter, with a knife perched next to them. — Credit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Hear us out. The air fryer can be very romantic. Take, for instance, how well it cooks small servings, making it a perfect vessel for creating a dinner for two. This recipe from Eleanore Park quickly turns out succulent chicken thighs, marinated simply with a mix of vinegar and sour cream. Pair it with whatever you’re in the mood for: roasted vegetables, a simple salad or creamy mashed potatoes.

Recipe: Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs

9. Classic Cheese Fondue

A small saucepan filled with melty cheese fondue sits on a cutting board next to fruit, vegetables and bread for dipping. — Credit...Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Perfect for celebrating with your Galentines or your family, this velvety fondue from Melissa Clark is a welcome excuse to pull out that 1970s fondue set you inherited from your Aunt Charlene. It’s endlessly adaptable, too: Sub in Cheddar, raclette or Monterey Jack for the Gruyère and Emmenthaler.

Recipe: Classic Cheese Fondue

10. Cast-Iron Steak

A sliced steak with a bright pink center. Just above the steak is a serving fork. — Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Forget everything you’ve learned about cooking steak. In this recipe, Julia Moskin calls for buying boneless, not-too-thick cuts, drying them well, and searing them in an “insanely hot” cast-iron pan. Then, you salt the pan, not the meat, and instead of leaving the steak alone, as is traditionally suggested, you flip it often.

Recipe: Cast-Iron Steak

11. Chocolate Shortbread Hearts

A number of chocolate shortbread cookies, half-dipped in chocolate and dusted with raspberry powder. — Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

This Valentine’s Day, your loved ones truly can hold your heart in their hands — your chocolate shortbread heart, that is. This recipe from Melissa Clark is so simple and buttery. You don’t have to dunk the cookies into melted chocolate, but it adds something truly special, as does a dusting of freeze-dried raspberry powder.

Recipe: Chocolate Shortbread Hearts

12. Gochugaru Salmon With Crispy Rice

A black bowl filled with crispy rice, a crimson-glazed piece of salmon and curly slivers of cucumber, as seen overhead. Just above is a bowl with a spoon holding more of the crimson-colored glaze. — Credit...Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne

“Holy moly, this is literally one of the top 10 best things I have ever cooked!” wrote one reader about this 20-minute dish from Eric Kim. Pan-seared salmon is slicked with a garnet-colored glaze made with gochugaru (Korean red-pepper powder), maple syrup, vinegar and butter, and served alongside crispy rice that’s made in the same pan. You get bonus points for the cucumber curls, but cucumbers sliced simply would be great, too.

Recipe: Gochugaru Salmon With Crispy Rice

13. Classic Shrimp Scampi

An overhead image of a plate of shrimp in a pool of herbed butter. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

With more than 17,000 ratings, Melissa Clark’s classic shrimp scampi is an easy fan favorite, and for good reason: The garlicky, buttery white wine sauce is delicious over a bowl of pasta or soaked into crusty bread. And, as a bonus, you and your loved one can enjoy the wine while cooking, too, or on the side as you dig in.

Recipe: Classic Shrimp Scampi

14. Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding

An overhead shot of a mug of sticky toffee pudding, its sugary sauce swirled with a dollop of cream. A spoon is nestled in. — Credit...Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Nothing says self-love more than making yourself a sweet treat in 10 minutes. Ali Slagle’s sticky toffee pudding comes together in a small bowl or mug with a zap in the microwave. You don’t have to top the soft, date-flecked cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream … but you should.

Recipe: Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding

15. Honey-Glazed Chicken and Shallots

Two skin-on chicken thighs, seen from overhead, nestled on a plate amid shallots and herbs on a bed of sauce. — Credit...Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Maeve Sheridan.

If you’re a romantic with a penchant for puns, you might get a kick out of making this honey-glazed chicken from Yewande Komolafe for your honey this Valentine’s Day. It is, all at once, sweet and slightly spicy. Serve it over grains or alongside a tangle of greens.

Recipe: Honey-Glazed Chicken and Shallots

16. Crispy Tofu With Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas

Two plates of tofu squares doused in sauce, and bright-green snap peas, sitting on beds of rice. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This one-pan meal from Yewande Komolafe manages to do the impossible: make tofu feel elegant and date-night worthy, all in half an hour. Firm tofu slices are pan-seared and then cloaked in a ginger and coconut milk pan sauce. Whole cashews offer a buttery crunch. Snap peas — or snow peas, green beans, broccoli or asparagus — bring a fresh, green element to the plate. Serve with rice.

Recipe: Crispy Tofu With Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas

17. Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sundaes

Two ice cream sundaes in glass cups, with hot fudge, vanilla ice cream, chopped nuts and a bright red stemmed maraschino cherry on top, sit on a marble surface with a white background. — This peanut butter hot fudge can be made a few days in advance and warmed in the microwave just before serving.Credit...Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.

Is there anything more romantic (or simpler) than an ice cream sundae for two? This one, from Yossy Arefi, is made all the better with a peanut butter fudge sauce that comes together quickly on the stovetop. It makes enough for eight sundaes, which means you can have a little bit of Valentine’s Day excitement for days and weeks into the future.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sundaes

18. Creamy Pan-Roasted Scallops With Fresh Tomatoes

A white bowl of scallops topped with herbs in an orange sauce. To the left of the bowl are two pieces of bread and a glass with clear liquid. To the right are a plate with some bread and a fork. — Credit...Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This Melissa Clark recipe was inspired by a classic dish at Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York, an old-school place with spectacular tiled archways, excellent seafood and great martinis. Tender scallops are poached in a creamy tomato sauce that’s seasoned with Worcestershire and celery seed. Serve it over buttery rice and with good bread.

Recipe: Creamy Pan-Roasted Scallops With Fresh Tomatoes

19. Pork Chops With Jammy-Mustard Glaze

Four pork chops on a white platter with a black rim, photographed from overhead. To the right is a crumpled cloth napkin. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Ali Slagle gives the weekday pork chop a makeover with a simple, though kind of fancy, sauce made with just two ingredients: good jam and Dijon mustard. Do as Ali says and serve it with potatoes and a green salad.

Recipe: Pork Chops With Jammy-Mustard Glaze

20. Red Velvet Cupcakes

Five red cupcakes topped with white frosting sit against a light gray background. — Millie Peartree’s red velvet cupcakes.Credit...Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)

You don’t need a mixer for Millie Peartree’s brilliant red cupcakes, just some arm strength. Vegetable oil keeps them lighter than their buttery counterparts, while cocoa powder adds a rich depth. Then, they’re finished with a lightly tangy cream-cheese buttercream so that they’re sweet — but never too sweet.

Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes

21. Classic Champagne Cocktail

A full, fizzy champagne flute garnished with some lemon peel. Surrounding the flute are a freshly peeled lemon, some sugar cubes on a plate and the muselet, foil and cork from a bottle of champagne. — Credit...Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

This sparkling cocktail has been around since at least 1862, when Jerry Thomas mentioned it in his book “How to Mix Drinks.” This is the gist: Drizzle some bitters on a sugar cube at the bottom of a Champagne glass, and then top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon curl. Rebekah Peppler recommends experimenting with bitters: Try grapefruit, celery, orange or persimmon.

Recipe: Classic Champagne Cocktail

22. Roasted Dill Salmon

A fillet of salmon topped with dill, sitting on a piece of parchment paper tucked into a rimmed baking pan. Juices flow from the salmon, which has been beautifully roasted. — Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

This recipe, originally published in Naz Deravian’s cookbook, “Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories,” came from her stepmother. It pairs lime, maple syrup and soy sauce with turmeric and saffron for a deeply flavored but extremely easy dish that feels luxurious. Pair it with some sheveed polo (Iranian dill rice), or simple white rice, for a meal that’s good for a special occasion or a weeknight.

Recipe: Roasted Dill Salmon

23. Vegan Cacio e Pepe

A brown plate holds a swirled serving of glossy noodles topped with crushed black pepper. To the left of the plate is a crumpled napkin, and above is a glass of wine. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

“BIG WIN,” wrote one reader about Alexa Weibel’s vegan version of the classic Italian dish. Pasta cooking water, store-bought cashew butter, nutritional yeast, white miso paste and toasted, crushed peppercorns come together to make a creamy, dairy-free sauce that doesn’t feel like a compromise.

Recipe: Vegan Cacio e Pepe

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