From Thierry Mugler’s Angel to Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540, the fragrance girlies—and guys—have always wanted to smell delectable. Whether it’s attributed to the desire to indulge in a sweet treat sans calories or simply wanting to subliminally signal to others that you’re good enough to eat, the best gourmand fragrances are designed to do just that.
What is a gourmand fragrance?
The term ‘gourmand fragrance’ refers to fragrances that smell edible — either in a hyperrealistic or conceptual way.
While the gourmand fragrance category was originally dominated by dessert-like notes—think vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, rum, toffee, berries, and honey—it has now expanded to encompass atypical gourmet notes. The new breed of gourmand fragrances (or ‘nouveau gourmands’, as we like to call them) includes vegetal notes like cauliflower, tomato, cucumber, and beetroot, as well as stone fruits and even rice.
It’s important to note that just because a fragrance contains sweet or edible notes doesn’t mean it’s a gourmand fragrance. Many fragrances use notes such as citrus, vanilla, caramel, tea, coffee, and fruit to add nuance and depth to a scent rather than cultivate an edible quality. Vanilla is a good example here — its nuance means it can be interpreted in gourmand or non-gourmand ways. D.S. & Durga Deep Dark Vanilla showcases the earthy, heady qualities of vanilla, while Kayali Vanilla 28 is undeniably a gourmand and good enough to eat. In the same vein, the coffee note in Jo Malone London Taif Rose combines with amber to add sweetness, but it’s not quite a gourmand like Maison Margiela Replica Coffee Break is.
As a general litmus test, a gourmand perfume should make you want to eat it — it should be capturing the scent of something edible, not just using edible notes.
The best gourmand fragrances to try in 2025
As a roundup of the best gourmand fragrances spanning all manner of culinary notes could very easily descend into a veritable encyclopedia of food, we’re focusing on classic gourmand perfumes here. Sweet without being saccharine, even the dessert course is all grown up. Veering away from the syrupy scents of one’s youth (we’ll always love you Angel! And you too, Fantasy!), the slightly grown up—but still sweet—gourmands of today see trendy edible notes like cherry, pistachio, mango, milk, and matcha enter the fray, while classic notes like vanilla and chocolate are paired with unexpected ouds and incense notes, resulting in gourmand perfumes that are more akin to a Michelin-starred mille-feuille than a bag of Maltesers.
Herewith, the best classic gourmand fragrances to satisfy your sweet tooth and have you smelling good enough to eat.
1. Lush Sticky Dates
Price: $55AUD
Although it’s technically a body spray, there’s no way we could write about the best gourmand perfumes without including Lush Sticky Dates. A true gourmand lover’s gourmand, Sticky Dates delivers what it says on the label — photorealistic dates with undertones of caramel.
What we think: While some reviewers have called out the strong caramel latte notes in this scent, Sticky Dates is quite literally a realistic date scent — not those dried packaged pitted supermarket dates, but the gooey, sticky, caramelly medjool dates you find in Turkish or Iranian bazaars.
Brand: Lush
Scent notes: caramel, benzoin, sandalwood
2. By Rosie Jane Dulce
Price: $164AUD
Vanilla bean and flower meet brown sugar and hinoki wood to create a fragrance inspired by the sweeter side of life. Like with most of By Rosie Jane’s oeuvre, Dulce is more of a skin scent.
What we think: Sweet without being cloying, Dulce has a certain clean, coolness about it that belies the warm, brown sugar description on the website. We found it more like a vanilla bean gelato from a high-end cafe than like vanilla cupcakes — the hinoki wood further contributes to this by lending it a slightly cool, clean quality. A gourmand fragrance for proponents of the clean girl aesthetic.
Brand: By Rosie Jane
Scent notes: vanilla bean, brown sugar, vanilla flower, dulche de leche, sugar cane, amber, tonka bean, hinoki wood
3. Akro Crush
Price: €190
If you haven’t already heard of niche perfume house Akro, allow us to initiate you. Inspired by everyday pleasures and addictions, Akro’s scents aim to bottle up indulgence; whether it’s the wholesome pleasure of sipping on a cup or oolong in the morning courtesy of Infuse or a cheeky cig with the heady, tobacco-laden Smoke. The brand has several gourmands, but our pick is Crush, which recalls the taste of rose macarons with notes of roasted almonds, lychee, rose, praline, and vanilla.
What we think: So. Damn. Addictive. As someone who actually is addicted to rose macarons, Akro Crush manages to nail the delicate, crisp almond exterior and sweet, slightly chewy centre of the French treat. Almost good enough to satisfy even the most insatiable sweet tooth.
Brand: Akro
Scent notes: roasted almonds, lychee, rose, praline (hazelnut), vanilla
4. Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato 33
Price: $172AUD
Not to be dismissed as a FragTok or Gen Z brand, niche perfume house Kayali has been consistently nailing sweet gourmands for a few years now. Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato 33 sees a positively cavity-inducing lineup of sweet edible notes—from the eponymous pistachio gelato and hazelnut to whipped cream and Turkish delight)—combine to recreate a decadent bite of pistachio ice cream.
What we think: There’s an interesting middle eastern dessert vibe to Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato 33; it’s less pistachio gelato and more nutty baklava and Turkish delight. Lovely either way.
Brand: Kayali
Scent notes: bergamot, pistachio gelato, hazelnut, sweet rum, cardamom, geranium, white peony, muguet, jasmine, raspberry, white peach, pear, whipped cream, marshmallows, cotton candy, Turkish delight accord, cocoa, cedarwood, sandalwood, tonka
5. Maison Margiela Replica Coffee Break
Price: $245AUD
Designed to evoke winters in Sweden spent ensconced within the walls of a cosy cafe, Maison Margiela Replica Coffee Break sees notes of coffee, lavender, and orange flower underscored by creamy sandalwood and cedarwood.
What we think: Despite the mention of lemon and spearmint in the olfactory notes, Coffee Break reads like a milky coffee with a hint of lavender; a dirty lavender fog, perhaps. A cosy, beautifully blended scent.
Brand: Maison Margiela
Scent notes: coffee, red apple, lemon, lavender, spearmint, orange flower, milk mousse accord, sandalwood, cedarwood
6. By Killian Angel’s Share
Price: $385AUD
A nod to By Killian founder Killian Hennessy’s roots as heir to the French cognac house, By Killian Angel’s Share references the ‘lost’ alcohol that evaporates during the ageing process, acting as a silent gift to the gods (or angels). Blending cognac essential oil with oak, cinnamon, tonka bean, vanilla, and praline, Angel’s Share is a sweet, boozy scent that would appeal to both your wayward cousin who claims he’s only a ‘weekend alcoholic’ and your grandmother.
What we think: A heavy hitting gourmand that smells like spiked apple pie (despite apple not being mentioned in the olfactory notes), Killian Angel’s Share is a warm fragrance worth getting drunk on.
Brand: By Killian
Scent notes: cognac, cinnamon, tonka bean, oak, hedione, vanilla, praline, candied almonds
7. Vilhelm Parfumerie Mango Skin
Price: $282AUD
Not all gourmands have to be of the high calorie variety. Vilhelm Parfumerie serves up a healthy fruit salad courtesy of Mango Skin, which opens with beautifully ripe mangoes and a touch of blackberries, layered with jasmine, pink sugar, and vanilla.
What we think: Like using your front teeth to suck every last morsel of mango off the skin, Vilhelm Parfumerie Mango Skin is a transportive tropical fragrance. The only drawback is that it’s quick to dry down into a sugary, slightly artificial affair.
Brand: Vilhelm Parfumerie
Scent notes: blackberries, mango, black pepper, orris, black lotus, jasmine, patchouli, vanilla, pink sugar
8. Commodity Milk Expressive
Price: $250AUD
Tapping into the inherent nostalgia of most people’s first food, Commodity Milk Expressive is a sweet, lactonic scent that blends marshmallow and a milk accord with woods and tonka bean.
What we think: The marshmallow here is distinct; more gooey, melted in the microwave marshmallow than a toasted on the fire marshmallow. It meets sweetened milk (not condensed, more like when your parents would add a spoon of sugar to your pre-bedtime mug to convince you to drink it) and cosy tonka bean, resulting in a scent that has a hazy, buzzy comforting quality while retaining a sense of coolness.
Brand: Commodity
Scent notes: warm marshmallow, toasted sesame, mahogany wood, tonka bean, milk accord, benzoin
9. Eight & Bob Belvedere
Price: $330AUD
Previously the niche fragrance house’s Annicke 5 fragrance, Eight & Bob Belvedere is a nuanced woody gourmand that sees boozy rum meet delectable notes of vanilla, honey, and caramel.
What we think: Sweet, boozy rum balls! An addictive gourmand fragrance that seduces the nose with notes of honey, rum, and stone fruit, with amber, vanilla, and caramel keeping you smelling your own wrist for hours after first spray.
Brand: Eight & Bob
Scent notes: bergamot, lily of the valley, rum, honey, plum, amber, patchouli, caramel, vanilla
10. Jousset Parfums Le Gourmand
Price: $260AUD
An independent, artisanal fragrance house by self-taught perfumer Jimmy Bodin, Jousset Parfums is dedicated to crafting delectable gourmand fragrances that beg to be eaten (or at least smelt). Le Gourmand is a hyperrealistic chocolate spread scent, with bready, buttery notes similar to a thickly cut brioche or flaky croissant.
What we think: Smells exactly like Nutella. Or a chocolate spread from one of those expensive Italian brands, that comes in a glass jar. Either way, it’s delicious.
Brand: Jousset Parfums
Scent notes: grilled toast, salted butter, cookie dough, chocolate spread, chopped hazelnut
Enjoyed this article? Why not head to our fragrance section for more content or check out our other fragrance guides here:
- The Best Summer Fragrances
- Our Favourite Winter Perfumes For Women
- Timeless Colognes For Men
- Smell Like A Gentleman With These Forgotten Fragrances Of Yesteryear
- Best Nuanced Woody Floral Fragrances For Complicated Sensorialists
- Real Men Smell Like Flowers; These Are The Best Floral Scents For Men
Words by Arabella Johnson and T. Angel
