Nothing says I love you like homemade treats, but most mothers don't have time to make decadent desserts. Save yourself an expensive trip to the bakery or hours spent in front of the oven by dressing up simple kid favorites — brownie bites and pudding. These simple no-bake (unless you want to) and no fuss Valentine's Day desserts are perfect for school parties, playdates or a family Valentine's Day fete and offer an inexpensive, semi-homemade alternative to candies or store-bought goodies.
Looking to dress up your simple kid-friendly Valentine's Day dessert? Much to my children's pleasure I've been testing out a variety of tiny brownie bite "cupcakes" and pudding treats for a preschool party and our family celebration of love.
While most of the treats air on the simple side, I decided to dress up the beautiful, but plain Pretty-in-Pink cupcakes with tiny macaroons from the French bakery around the corner from our house. Not only does the dessert look more polished, but the mini macaroon on the top adds an extra nibble of sweetness for your little sweets.
Need more ideas for creating tiny delicious treats for your tots this Valentine's Day? Check out our Bite of Love series for inspiration.
If you don't have time to make almond butter and brownie cupcakes or fancy brownie cupcakes sprinkled with frosting, serve up a routine treat in an unusual presentation for your family's Valentine's Day fete.
I dished up chocolate pudding into mini cups and decorated the top with mini marshmallows for a festive, but portioned controlled dessert. Your child's mouth will water at the thought of a cup of sweet goodness, but the reality is you're only serving them four spoonfuls of pudding.
For tips on how to make these little bites of love, read more
Every mom has been in this predicament: You have no time to cruise through cookbooks or run to the bakery, but you need to whip up a delicious sweet treat for impromptu party guests. If you are planning a simple Valentine's Day celebration with your family or your children's friends, or your child's Valentine drops by with his or her parents, consider these hassle free "cuppycakes."
I used items I had in the fridge to make these sweet pudding sliders — all you need is the mini cups, pudding and whipped cream. I garnished with sprinkles of hot chocolate for a polished look that hides the fact that these treats only took me five minutes to prepare!
To check out my guide to making these yourself, read more
If you want to treat your family to a special treat on Valentine's Day, but hope to keep their sugar consumption reserved to Conversation Hearts, forgo fancy icing and add a pretty protein boost to a brownie bite. Almond butter is a delicious and nutritious paste that can be substituted for traditional peanut butter on sandwiches, waffles, pancakes, and used as a healthy decoration on desserts.
To check out my guide to making these yourself, read more
On a recent grocery store run, I discovered something that is bound to revolutionize my baking — cupcake frosting in a can. I normally only make my own icing, but have been on a kick of dressing up tiny brownie bites so I was up for the challenge of turning bites into mini cupcakes. And this way is just too easy for moms pinched for time. I was thrilled by how easy it was to spread, the fact that it wasn't shockingly sweet, and the cuteness of the final product.
After I made Pretty-In-Pink cupcakes with the frosting I used colorful sprinkles I had left over from the holidays to polish off the look and reaped compliments from my hard-to-please family. If you have the kitchen time to start your frosting from scratch try a simple ganache or cream cheese frosting. Want extra brownie points? Make the adults Gin and Tonic cupcakes and put a little sprinkle twist on them.
To check out my guide to making these yourself, read more
Sometimes it's the simplest things that bring our children the most delight. When planning your impressive Valentine's Day dessert menu opt for the easiest, quickest sweet treat that will deliver a smile and small sugar rush in one beautiful and loving bite. I dressed up a regular brownie bite with cupcake frosting I found at the grocery store for an inexpensive, but dare I say, impressive dessert worthy of the lil (and big!) loves in my life.
To check out my guide to making these yourself, read more
If your tots are wild about chocolate make them a simple sweet treat for Valentine's Day that's heavy on the cute, but lighter on the serving size and sugar. You can dress up everyday snacks like brownie bites with small decorations like a dab of icing and three M&M's to transform them into festive bites of love.
Not only will you avoid bakery lines and baking time, but brownie bites are much smaller than full-sized cupcakes or the giant sugar cookies so your tots won't be prompted to jump off the walls.
To check out my guide to making these yourself, read more
Nothing says I love you like homemade treats, but many mothers don't have time to make decadent desserts. Save yourself an expensive trip to the bakery or hours spent in front of the oven by dressing up a simple kid favorite — the brownie bite. Show your kids how much you love them with this simple Valentine's treat. I added a little festive conversation heart and frosting to a package of brownies we had around the house.
To check out my guide to making these yourself, read more
