As department stores fill aisles with shades of red and pink for the upcoming Valentine’s holiday, there are more than enough options to choose from if you’re thinking of buying a sweet for someone special in your life, or for yourself. To save you the money and calories of trying to find the ultimate sweet, we’ve compiled a list of the best Valentine’s Day treats to satisfy your heart and stomach.
Valentine’s LoftHouse Cookies
Although it’s quite a turn from the chocolate boxes one may be used to on Valentine’s Day, LoftHouse brand cookies satisfy every sugar craving. Soft, buttery, fluffy and topped with a delicious buttercream frosting, you can easily find these cookies in any grocery store. While the baked treat usually comes with frosting in a rainbow of colors, this month, pink, red and white frosting with heart shaped sprinkles have been put on shelves. Priced around $4 for a pack of 10, these melt-in-your-mouth treats will be a favorite at a Valentine’s Day celebration with loved ones.
From heart shapes to pink icing, try these Valentine’s Day treats to satisfy you sweet tooth (The Emory Wheel/Kaitlin Mottley)
Hershey’s Kisses
An obvious fan favorite, Hershey’s Kisses are the quintessential Valentine’s Day treat. This year, there are a number of unique flavors to choose from outside the original milk chocolate. Still bite-sized and delectable, Hershey’s has four additional flavors to add to your shopping basket. The Hershey’s Kisses Rose Foil Milk Chocolate Meltaway has a gooey center with an elegant red foil outlined with a rose petal print. If you like dark chocolate, give Dark Chocolate Lava Cake Kisses a try. The center of these candies ooze out rich dark chocolate, just like the titular dessert cake. Other options feature alternating white and milk chocolate filled with a milk chocolate center, elegantly wrapped with a striped pink wrapper and a “hugs” and “kisses” Valentine’s message. With so many to choose from, be careful not to eat too many!
Sour Patch Kids Hearts
If you’re looking for something with more of a kick, try Sour Patch Kids Hearts. Similar to the original sweet and sour chews, this Valentine’s edition of the candy features heart shapes instead of the usual child-shaped gummy. The flavors are a bit more limited as well, featuring only the Pink Strawberry and Redberry flavor. Still, the taste doesn’t disappoint, leaving you craving more after every bite. Despite its shareable size, you may find yourself hiding this from your significant other. If you’re looking for something a bit different from your typical smooth-tasting chocolate treats, these treats might be the way to go.
Conversation Hearts
Have a special someone or just enjoy fruity flavors? Conversation hearts are a classic option. They’re the recognizable dainty candy hearts featuring charming messages on them that will impress even an unrequited love. For each message there’s a different color and taste. White is wintergreen, purple is grape, green is lime, pink is cherry and yellow is banana. While you may not want to throw a handful of them in your mouth at once, these candies are great for a lasting sweetness.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts
For any peanut butter lover, Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts are a must. The peanut butter and chocolate combination will always be elite, but the Valentine’s Day version is even cuter than your basic peanut butter cup. If you’re looking to surprise a special someone who has a sweet tooth for peanut butter and chocolate, Reese’s hearts are bound to please. With a rich and thick peanut butter filling and a gooey milk chocolate layer, you can’t go wrong. If they don’t cure your sugar craving by themselves, chop them into pieces and mix them into your favorite cookie batter or ice cream.
If you’re on a limited budget and looking for the sweetest choice for a Valentine’s Day treat, we recommend the Hershey’s Kisses above all else, but each candy is palatable in its own way. No matter which candy you buy for yourself, your significant other or your friend, we hope you have a sweet Valentine’s Day.
Kaitlin Mottley (she/her) (23C) is from Memphis, Tennessee, majoring in English. Outside of the Wheel, Kaitlin has interned as a Content Designer at Meta and enjoys copyediting for other Emory organizations. She also enjoys reading, writing and watching classic films.
