Looking for recipes to stay in and cook? These Valentine’s Day dinner ideas make a great date night or romantic dinner!

Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas

What’s better than a night in for Valentine’s Day? We love dinner out, but there’s something cozy about staying in and cooking dinner with the people you love. Whether it’s a romantic dinner for two or a dinner with the whole family, there are so many ideas to make a special meal! Here we’ve compiled all our favorite Valentine’s Day dinner ideas and recipes for cozy night in! Each recipe has a bit of a romantic vibe, but works for the whole family too!

Looking for drinks? Try 15 Fun Valentine’s Day Cocktails!

And now, Valentine’s Day dinner ideas and recipes!

More romantic recipes

Need more romantic recipe inspiration? We’ve got you. Here are a few more ideas that would be perfect as Valentine’s Day recipes:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

30 Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas!


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 15 to 20 strawberries 1x

Description

Here’s how to make chocolate covered strawberries: an easy dessert that’s impressive every time! This recipe makes perfectly dipped berries.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ripe strawberries
  • 5 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips (like Guittard or Ghirardelli)
  • Toppings: sprinkles, crushed pistachios (shown), crushed freeze dried raspberries (shown), crushed nuts, toasted coconut, white chocolate to drizzle (see recipe), and so forth

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry the strawberries: Wash the strawberries and gently pat them as dry as possible.
  2. Line a baking sheet and prep toppings: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Prepare all your toppings in advance and place them in bowls next to the baking sheet.
  3. Melt the chocolate: Place the chocolate chips into a dry glass measuring cup or small glass cup or bowl: the smaller the better. (Make sure it’s completely dry or the chocolate will seize.) Microwave on High power for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, stir, and 30 seconds more and stir. At this point it should be mostly melted with a few chunks: keep stirring until all the chocolate chunks disappear and the chocolate is perfectly smooth. (Keep stirring if it doesn’t fully melt. You can try another 10 second burst and stir again, but you’ll want to avoid getting the chocolate too hot. Read more at How to Microwave Chocolate.)
  4. Dip the strawberries and add toppings: Hold the green portion of a strawberry. Dip the strawberry into the chocolate and then pull it out, twisting it to let the excess drip off. Place the strawberry onto the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle it with toppings, since the chocolate dries quickly.
  5. Refrigerate: Refrigerate the tray of strawberries for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. They’re best the day of making, but they can store for up to 1 day uncovered (don’t place them in a sealed container or they become soggy). 
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: Dessert
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas, valentine’s day recipes

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

5 Comments

  1. Agreed that vegetarian food doesn’t seem very romantic- I’m not sure if it’s because vegetables rarely scream “indulgent” or if we just need better marketing. But this is a solid list of things I want to eat- especially that carbonara. That looks so impossibly good.

    1. Haha I guess that must be it! The carbonara is super delish! The egg yolk makes the best creamy sauce :)

  2. The cherry chocolate tart was probably the best dessert that I have ever had in my life! I will be back for more recipes