It never fails that I remember I need to take treats to the party in my kids’ classes at the very last minute. Or that, after a week of procrastinating, I remember, oh yeah, Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and I should probably make a little something special for my kids. If you’re anything like that too, I’m here to help you turn the easiest dessert ever—a simple pan of brownies—into one of these 5 extra special Valentine’s Day dessert ideas.
With these clever ideas for how to use a basic brownie batter to make a festive holiday treat, the pressure is officially off. You can make the whole family (or class!) happy without exhausting yourself in the process. Plus, chocolate—yay!
Top: X & O Brownies | Camille Styles
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Related: 8 of the best brownie recipes ever. Just because.
Brownies + icing + sprinkles = happy, and these cute Valentine’s Day Brownies at Pink Piccadilly Pastries are perfect. A treat this fun shouldn’t be so easy.
Holy moly, these Fudgy Brownie Hearts with Raspberry Buttercream at A Farm Girl Dabbles look delicious. Although if I’m making these for kids, I think I’ll leave out the espresso powder, because, no, caffeine does not cook out when baking. Your kids’ teachers—and their parents—will thank you. Oh, and by the way, if you’re worried about the time it’ll take to make the buttercream icing, use fresh raspberries to naturally color store-bought icing.
For a really simple but unexpected twist on Valentine’s Day brownies, I love these X & O Brownies at Camille Styles (also photo at top). They’re sophisticated enough for a party with your friends, but fun enough to take to school, too. I love her smart idea of cutting the center of the O’s using heart cookie cutters, because I imagine you’ll waste a lot of brownie cutting out the X’s. Then again, waste just means more for you to snack on while decorating.
Related: Make it with candy! 5 super cute and very easy edible Valentine’s Day projects for kids.
For a healthier option—as if that really matters on Valentine’s Day—try this paleo recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies at Bakerita. The fresh strawberries and gooey chocolate icing make these so yummy that you won’t even know they’re paleo. I mean, the kids won’t know. Because these are totally meant for the kids, of course.
To really wow a crowd, make these Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies at Tablespoon. Whoa. Be prepared, though: You need some special equipment for these, so they aren’t necessarily last-minute treats. I think the look in my kid’s eye when she brings these to school might be worth the cost of two heart-shaped muffin pans.
Edited to add: So, it turns out that these Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies are harder to make than I thought they would be. They tasted delicious—there’s that!—but lets just say that, despite our efforts, the kids and I couldn’t get them to look (nearly) as good as the picture on Tablespoon. If you see that as challenge, go for it and let us know how it turns out. Otherwise, maybe just a heart-shaped cookie cutter and some pink icing are in order.
