Valentine's Day is here. Even a quick jaunt to the grocery store is a reminder that cupid's arrow has us all in his sights. Whether you're a fan of the holiday and can't wait to spend it with the one you love, or you're perpetually single and are planning to welcome in yet another Singles Awareness Day, one thing we can always agree on is how much chocolate we're about to eat. 

Without any further ado, here are our favorite chocolate recipes to get you through yet another Valentine's Day. 

Chocolate Fudge Little Layer Cake
There is something about layered cake that screams "fancy time." While this dessert does take quite a long time to make, it is totally worth it. This recipe calls for a Southern yellow butter cake batter made with with White Lily flour — naturally. The thick, fudgy frosting gets its color from a touch of cocoa powder. And the result? A light, chocolate-filled dessert that will have you singing "La la la means I love you" in no time. 
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Or try this chocolate chess pie — it's equally impressive

Bourbon Chocolate Pots de Crème
Chances are that if you don't frequent fancy French restaurants, you don't often have the opportunity to have many pots de crème. This decadent dessert is made with high quality chocolate and has the consistency of mousse, and we've Southern-ed it up with a few splashes of bourbon. If you're not a fan of bourbon or just want to keep it out of the recipe, you'll still end up with a killer dessert made for the someone special in your life. Don't forget the gold leaf if you really want to show off.
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Rocky Road Ice Cream
Yes, you can totally go to the grocery store and buy perfectly decent ready-to-eat chocolate ice cream, but this is Valentine's Day and this chocolate cream dream is worth every ounce of extra work. Made with half and half, heavy cream, semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla , cocoa powder, almonds and marshmallows, this is the ice cream you'll want to whip up whether you're celebrating or commiserating this year. 
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Rather have your ice cream in shake form? Try this recipe

Decadent Chocolate Brownies
I don't know if its childhood nostalgia or if brownies really are that good. Either way, no matter how old I get I cannot seem to pass on a warm gooey chocolate-filled brownie. Brownies usually fall into one of two camps — cakey or fudgy. Luckily this recipe happens to have a bit of both, resulting in the perfect brownie. An ice-cold glass of milk is, of course, completely optional but highly recommended. 
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Or try these brownies with peppermint bark

Moon Pie Cake 
The all-American Moon Pie is almost synonymous with Mardi Gras, which is also coming up. Turn it into a decadent layer cake this year using graham crackers, homemade marshmallows and a silky chocolate ganache. 
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Or get a similarly dramatic look with this black bottom pie

Kentucky Bourbon Balls
A staple of distillery tours throughout Kentucky, these bourbon balls are easy to prepare and do not require much time to set up once formed. Since they're being mixed with sugar, pecans and cookie crumbs, don’t waste your best bourbon in this recipe, where its nuances will be masked; this is an instance where budget-friendly bourbons are welcome.
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Prefer peanuts? Try these chocolate-peanut butter cookies

Dark Chocolate Hello Dolly Bars 
If you're in charge of providing the kids in your life with V-day treats for class, maybe consider these decadent Hello Dolly bars. In addition to getting extra brownie points for actually making something, you'll be the talk of the classroom for giving the kiddos these bars of love. This recipe does call for pecans, so if anyone in class is allergic, feel free to leave them out. 
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Or bake these pinwheel cookies for the kiddos

Annie Lou's Chocolate Meringue Tarts
This recipe is fantastic because while the presentation will make you look like a pastry chef, it's incredibly easy to pull off. (Hint: we use pre-made pie shells.) The hardest part of assembling these tarts is making sure you don't over whip the eggs in eth meringues. If you can do that you'll have a thoughtful chocolate dessert that's worth an Instagram brag or two. 
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Rather make one big pie? Try this chocolate mousse number

Chocolate-Covered Bacon
You didn't think we were going to leave you hanging here did you? With all of the glorious things you can do with chocolate, why wouldn't you use it to cover crisp slices of bacon? If you decide to make this sweet and savory recipe for Valentine's Day, splurge and get thick-cut bacon — you won't regret it. 
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Or put your chocolate and bacon in a cookie, in this recipe

Anne Byrn's Devil's Food Cake 
Because chocolate cake can be deeply personal, you may have your favorite garnish and frosting, and Anne Byrn has her's. But on the off chance that you have similar tastes to us — I'm guessing you do — here's her go-to recipe, a Southern Kitchen favorite.
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Cast Iron Skillet S'mores 
Think of this as more of a communal dessert. Here instead of having everyone make individual s'mores, build the entire dessert in a cast iron skillet and cook in the oven. Hosting a Galentine's day celebration? This might just be the no-fuss dessert you need. 
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Want a different, but still easy recipe? Try this chocolate cobbler

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Baklava
Inspired by the pie named after that famous horse race at Churchill Downs, this dessert takes all the elements of a chocolate pecan pie, but reimagines them in the form of Greek baklava. Not just a fun gimmick, this preparation allows you to turn pecan pie into a handheld dessert. When hosting a crowd, you can even serve the individual baklava squares on cupcake wrappers.
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Or try a different layered dessert: Butterfinger Lush

Campfire Banana "Samoas"
This recipe has it all. It combines bananas, chocolate and coconut to mimic the uber-popular Samoa Girl Scout cookies. It's also as easy as throwing a few bananas into the camp fire or on a grill, and — voilà — you've got a healthy-ish dessert. 
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Chocolate gravy is another unconventional Valentine's recipe

Anne Byrn's German Chocolate Cake 
One of the secrets to this German chocolate cake is canned evaporated milk, which helps give both the cake and frosting a velvety texture. The cake itself is made by adding eggs, butter and sugar, along with the chopped pecans and coconut. The filling is cooked slowly over low heat until it thickens into an almost pudding like consistency. This unapologetically rich cake is the stuff of sweet dreams.
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Chocolate peanut butter pie is equally as nutty, and slightly quicker

Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie
A massive warm chocolate chip cookie that can be your own personal joy pizza? What else is there really to say?
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Prefer white chocolate? Try these blondies instead

Coca-Cola Cake 
For a Coca-Cola cake that truly tastes like the soda, we've cut back (just a bit) on the sugar by eliminating the traditional marshmallows. We also toast the pecans for the top, and instead of stirring them into the frosting, as is traditional, we sprinkle them on top. Leaving a good quarter cup of the nuts barely chopped also gives the cake a bit of texture, counteracts some of the sweetness, and helps to bring out the inherent bitterness of the soda. Finally, pour in just a touch more Coke into the frosting than is typical, giving it a drizzleable consistency and bold cola flavor. Poking holes in the top of the cake, a reader suggestion, helps the frosting soak into the cake, further upping flavor and moisture.
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Or try a different Coca-Cola cake, Mississippi mud-style

Photos (pots de creme, ice cream, Moon Pie cake, bourbon balls, bacon, s'mores, baklava, banana samoas, ): Ramona King  
Photos (Anne Byrn's Devil's Food Cake, Annie Lou's chocolate meringue) : Danielle Atkins
Photo (German chocolate cake): Mitch Mandell
Photo (cast iron cookie): Derick Jaros
Photo (Coca-Cola cake): Kate Williams