Valentine's Day

20 Desserts for People Who Really Don’t Like Chocolate

Kristin Appenbrink

updated Dec 1, 2023

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Credit: Faith Durand

What do you do if your Valentine is someone who just doesn’t like chocolate? What if a fancy box of chocolates or a flourless chocolate cake doesn’t make your heart skip a beat?

Not to worry — there are plenty desserts out there that don’t rely on chocolate for their deliciousness. Pick any one of these recipes for a sweet dessert that your special someone will enjoy … even if that someone special is you!

Desserts without Chocolate

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Apple Fritter Cake

Apple fritter cake takes everything you love about the classic donut and turns it into a decadent dessert.

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Caramel Banana Cake

The key to this rich, moist banana cake is the homemade caramel sauce that is swirled throughout.

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Pumpkin Icebox Cake Recipe

Layered with graham crackers and pumpkin whipped cream, this no-bake dessert will impress everyone this fall.

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Perfect Cheesecake

Here's a step-by-step recipe for creamy, no-fail cheesecake. We explain water baths, best ingredients, and all the smartest tips for perfect cheesecake.

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Apple Delight Recipe

Packed with five creamy layers of spiced apples, cream cheese, fluffy whipped cream and sweet caramel, this no-bake dessert will make everyone forget all about pie.

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Pear Gingerbread

This warm, spicy cake with a pinwheel of pear slices on top is the perfect comfort-food dessert. It’s not too sweet, and just right for afternoon coffee or when served à la mode.

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Rustic Pear and Apple Galette

The secret of the rustic galette is that while it looks fancy and impressive, it is incredibly easy to make and very forgiving if you aren’t a master at working with pie crust. Add a dollop of whipped cream to serve, and you have the perfect dessert.

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No-Bake Banana Pudding Pie Recipe

With a buttery Nilla wafer crust, a whipped mousse-like filling, pecan caramel, and fluffy whipped cream, this sky-high pie is a major upgrade to classic banana pudding.

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Cranberry-Apple Dump Cake Recipe

For the easiest Thanksgiving dessert, just dump apple pie filling, cranberry sauce, cake mix, and butter into a dish and bake!

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No-Bake Pumpkin Delight Recipe

Packed with four dreamy layers of pumpkin mousse, creamy cheese, fluffy whipped cream, and toasted pecans, this no-bake dessert will be the hit of Thanksgiving.

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Crème Brûlée

Ready to really step up your dessert game? Make crème brûlée. It’s surprisingly easy to make — even though it does require some special equipment to get that perfectly crackable sugar topping. Master this recipe, and your Valentine will thank you.

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One of our favorite parts about this cake is that the hands-on time is only about 10 minutes. It does take a while to bake, but the results — tart, juicy cranberries encased in a buttery cake — are completely worth it.

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Strawberry Shortcake for a Party

Hosting a Valentine’s Day party for all your friends? You’ll need to make a batch of these individual strawberry shortcakes. It’s the perfect sweet treat for any pink-and-red-themed party.

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Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

Sandwiched between layers of buttery crescent rolls and topped with cinnamon sugar, these cheesecake bars are the make-ahead dessert of our dreams.

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Lemon Marshmallow Cake

This layered lemon cake is a great way to make use of the citrus that’s still in season. You could also experiment with using less acidic Meyer lemons in the recipe.

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Ginger Peach Cobbler Bars

Peaches might not be in season right now, but if you can get your hands on some (or substitute in frozen slices), these bars are a sure thing. You can also swap in another fruit if you prefer.

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Classic Sour Cream Pound Cake

While you can serve this classic cake with a drizzling of chocolate sauce, there are about a million other ways to serve it as well. From fresh fruit to whipped cream to citrus curd, this cake (and all its topping variations) is a good one to have in your repertoire.

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Honey Custards with Caramelized Apples

This recipe might be more traditional for another holiday, but we think it works just as well for Valentine’s Day. After all, what better way to show your honey you’re sweet on them than with a honey custard?

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

We’ll never get tired of pumpkin-flavored treats, and thanks to canned pumpkin purée, you can make these cinnamon-spiced cookies year-round.

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Coconut Snowballs

No-bake, gluten-free, vegan coconut snowball cookies that are quick to assemble.

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