These Homemade Chocolate Treats Are Guaranteed to Make Your Valentine Swoon

Buying a box of chocolates for your significant other is nice, but we think you can do better. How about making your sweetheart their very own box of chocolate treats this Valentine's Day? In our opinion, that's something truly special. It might surprise you, but making a bite-sized chocolate dessert that you can package up and give as a gift doesn't have to be a giant effort—though it certainly can be, if you're up for the challenge.

This collection of recipes for homemade chocolate treats begins with ultra-easy mendiants, which sound fancy thanks to the French name but are really just chocolate disks spiked with both dried and candied fruits and a smattering of nuts. Other treats that qualify as intro-level: a crunch bar that gets its bite from toasted Israeli couscous and puppy chow (alternately known as reindeer food or muddy buddies) gussied up with hazelnut spread and cocoa powder. There are even some simple truffles, such as ones infused with EarlGrey tea, that are sure to wow.

More involved recipes aren't necessarily hard to make; they just take a bit more time. Consider a chocolate walnut date bar (bonus: it's vegan!) that combines dark chocolate layered with a crunchy-chewy mixture of walnuts, dates, and peanut butter. You make it in a loaf pan, then it into slices to serve.

Ready to tackle a project? Maybe White Chocolate Raspberry Clusters, pictured here, will speak to you. They're made with chocolate, almond, and coconut. The nuts get coated in a sand-like sugar coating before being added to melted chocolate and formed into clusters. Or try date truffles: a finishing roll in pistachios, sesame seeds, and toasted coconut takes them over the top.

Mendiants

These French-style chocolate disks are as pretty as can be and a cinch to make. Use whatever dried and candied fruits you like, such as apricots, mango, papaya, orange peel or ginger. For nuts, pistachios and roasted almonds work nicely.

Earl-Grey Truffles

Take a classic chocolate bon bon, give it a tea time spin, and you've got this lovely and easy to make Earl Grey-infused bite. The tea's distinctive and citrusy bergamot flavor is a surprisingly excellent complement to the creamy, fudgy chocolate.

Couscous Crunch Bar

Who'd have thought pearl-like Israeli couscous could be such a great match for chocolate? To make these simple treats, you toast the grains in a skillet with butter and sprinkle with salt; then stir them into melted chocolate. Cookie cutters are the perfect molds for these crunchy, sweet bites.

Hazelnut Puppy Chow

This childhood favorite, also known as reindeer food or muddy buddies, gets the grown-up treatment and big chocolate flavor with the addition of hazelnut spread and cocoa powder.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles

These dark chocolate truffles just so happen to vegan, as they call for coconut oil in lieu of heavy cream. Roll the cocoa-dusted bites in more cocoa powder, or try finely chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts), or toasted unsweetened shredded coconut.

Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar

Here's another terrific vegan option, combining dark chocolate layered with a crunchy-chewy mixture of walnuts, dates, and peanut butter. You make this decadent dessert in a loaf pan, then finish it with more nuts and flaky salt, and cut it into slices to serve.

Chocolate Hazelnut Snowballs

To make these straightforward (and tasty) snowballs, simply melt chocolate in microwave; add condensed milk, vanilla, nuts, and salt; and, once cool, roll the mixture into one-inch balls and coat with coconut.

Marshmallow Fudge

The secret to smooth and creamy fudge? Here's one trick: Melt mini marshmallows into dark chocolate fudge. It works like a (very delicious) charm.

Spiced Pear Truffles

For these sophisticated truffles, you'll need pear liqueur, five-spice powder, and chocolate. The finished treats can be rolled in additional cocoa powder before serving, or gild the lily and brush them with pearl dust.

Chocolate-Dipped Luxardo Cherries

These exquisite chocolates are gorgeous and indulgent, calling for Luxardo cherries, which are simply candied cherries soaked in Luxardo marasca cherry syrup. To make them, you can use faux-tempered chocolate (which means you'll have to refrigerate the candies) or tempered chocolate; go the extra mile by fashioning stems from floral wire.

Chocolate, Almond, and Coconut Clusters

Toasted almonds and coconut go so nicely together. This recipe steps the combo up a notch, having you coat them in a sand-like sugar coating; then, once cool, you add them to melted chocolate and form them into clusters.

Chocolate-Caramel Truffles

These truffles are inspired by brigadeiros, a confection popular throughout Brazil. Although they're a bit time-consuming to make, the rewards are rich.

Date Truffles

Here's a twist on the traditional Gulf confections known as tamrieh, where you coat spiced date rounds with chocolate rather than serving them with the usual chocolate dipping sauce. Rolling the truffles in pistachios, sesame seeds, and toasted coconut takes them over the top.

No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup Bars

These homemade bars taste just like the beloved classic confection. Be sure to use creamy peanut butter for the best results.