Valentine’s Day always creeps up on me, and since I’m not the type of mom who keeps a supply of red fondant and edible glitter stocked in my pantry, I’m looking for easy last-minute treats that don’t require a ton of forethought.
Enter these adorable, low-maintenance treats that make the perfect Valentine’s Day lunch box surprise. These are perfect for kids who want to celebrate and for parents who don’t want to get up at 5:30 a.m. to bake. Because isn’t that all of us?
Top: Valentine’s Day Fairy Bread | Five Minutes for Mom
Related: Even more last-minute Valentine’s Day treats. Yay!
Cupid’s Arrow Pretzels | One Little Project
Yay for two-ingredient treats! The Valentine’s Cupid’s Arrow at One Little Project that Jane found for her post on 3 shortcuts to no-fuss Valentine’s Day treats for the classroom require some careful knife work, but the result is so cute and clever. I’m guessing that no one else in the cafeteria will these.
If you love the idea of a cupid’s arrow, but would rather skip the sugar — and are willing to use just a few more than two ingredients — try the Edible Cupid’s Arrows at Fork and Beans. These are ridiculously cute and, actually, perfectly well rounded for lunch with crackers, cream cheese, veggie and pretzel. Yum!
I love how this Valentine’s Day Fairy Bread at Five Minutes for Mom looks like such a complete project, i.e., like it took a lot of time, yet is so easy. But if you don’t have parchment paper and stamps to spell out “LOVE,” don’t worry. These will still look fantastic with a handwritten note on plain white paper.
Related: 6 ideas for a really fun Valentine’s Day lunch for the kids.
It honestly doesn’t get much easier than these Heart Crispy Treats at Weelicious. If you want to make them even more delicious, try our trick for brown butter Rice Krispies treats. And if these become a really last-minute project (been there!) and you don’t have red fruit, just throw in red food coloring. Or rely on the heart shape to get your point across. It works.
Our own Jane sculpted this gorgeous Strawberry Rose with a little help from the tutorial at One Little Project. I think it would make the perfect addition to any Valentine’s Day lunchbox if you’re trying to stave off sugar crashes, or just counterbalance all the other the candy they’ll be eating.
This Valentine’s Chocolate Strawberry Popcorn at Posh Little Designs seems like the perfect anytime snack, but if you want to make it extra festive, add a fun Valentine’s printable too. Yum and cute, all at once.
Related: A 3-ingredient Valentine’s Day treat the whole family will love. (Hint: Nutella is involved.)
Valentine Tic Tac Toe Snack | Sippy Cup Mom
How fun is the Valentine Tic Tac Toe Snack at Sippy Cup Mom that Kate found while rounding up Valentine’s Day classroom treats last year? (So very!) It’s a great way to help your kid strike up a conversation — and a game! — at the lunch table.
If you usually steer away from processed sugar, or just want to pack something more nutrition in your kid’s lunch box, try these Valentine Fruit Kabobs, which still feel celebratory and fun. Serve them alone (if you’re avoiding sugar) or with the yummy cream cheese dip that Jessica at Young at Heart Mommy dreamed up for a slightly more indulgent treat.
These are such cute ideas! I’ll pass this on to my sis for her kids.