Valentine’s Day Treats for Kids

Although Valentine’s Day is traditionally an adult-orientated occasion, it is essentially a day to celebrate love and affection. So why not spread some delicious love this February 14th and bake, cook or prep a range of Valentine-themed treats your little ones can enjoy too. Although these ideas are yummy, they also work well to keep the kids busy during half-term.

1. Queen Of Hearts Jam Tarts

You’re wrong if you think fruity flavoured tarts aren’t the perfect treat to celebrate love, after all, they’re the Queen of Hearts’ favourite treat. Our chosen recipe is one from BBC Good Food which takes less than half an hour to make (if you cut corners with some ready-made pastry), the heart shape pastry topping makes for the perfect love-themed flourish. Why not choose a strawberry jam for a more traditional tart?

2. Red Velvet Mug Cake

A little short for time but still after something sweet that your kids will love… a quick and easy microwave mug cake is the perfect solution. Red velvet flavouring is our choice this year – just make sure you have some red food colouring to hand. Most mug cake methods take 5-10 minutes, check out our 8 Easy Mug Cake Recipes for a step-by-step guide and even more ideas. We’re also a fan of the minimal washing up with this dessert!

3. Love Potion Mocktail

If your children are witch and wizard obsessed, helping them to make a mocktail is a great way to keep them busy and to make a delicious hydrating drink. Grab their favourite cordial or juice (we recommend something red or pink), some fizzy water and some berries for a refreshing way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Our favourite combination is cranberry juice, some heart-shaped chopped strawberries topped off with sparkling water. Get them to think up a fun name for their ‘Love Potion’ and write the recipe in a makeshift spellbook for the full magical experience.

4. February 14th Fruit Skewers

For this treat, you’re going to need ALL the red and pink toned fruits, some heart-shaped cookie cutters and a handful of child-friendly skewers (reusable straws will work too). It’s then as simple as cutting up your fruit, shaping them into a heart and stacking them on the skewer. If you have plastic cutters, you can even have the kids help make them. We recommend watermelon, strawberries, red grapes, plums, and even cherries and raspberries too. Delicious, colourful and a great way for the little one’s to get some of their five-a-day.

5. Easy Valentine Rice cakes

Rice crispy cakes are arguably the ultimate no-bake sweet treat for kids and are also a nostalgic dessert for parents too! We love this recipe from Plowing Through Life it includes coloured M&Ms in the cakes to add a bit of Valentine’s excitement to the snack. A great one for the children to get involved in, just make sure you have marshmallows, cereal, butter or margarine and some chocolate to hand. If you’re feeling extra fancy, why not decorate the treats with some pink icing and sprinkles?

6. Heart-Shaped Lunch

If your children are more on the savoury side, why not rustle up a picnic lunch and take them on a date? A reoccurring theme for Valentine’s Day treats is making food in the shape of a love heart, it may be a little too easy, but it works! So, make their favourite sandwich with the filling and simply press your heart-shaped cutter down for an instant Valentine’s lunch. We also love the idea of making it a cheese toastie because Valentine’s Day should be cheesy right?

7. Love Bug Biscuits

This recipe from BBC Good food incorporates a simple biscuit base decorated with coloured fondant for a sweet that resembles an adorable love bug. We think the biscuits will go down a treat with any insect loving little one. If you or your children are not fondant fans, you can definitely use icing pens or tubes to create a similar effect. Not using fondant to decorate also allows for the kids to help more with the decorating.

Fingers crossed you’ve found a yummy treat your kids will love to sample and help create. If all else fails, a heart-shaped cutter and red food colouring are super handy to have in the house for any love-themed baking. We hope you and your families enjoy and have a wonderful day celebrating love.

Take a quick browse through our Valentine’s Day cards for kids and find a cute greeting to make their day even more special!