Ethyl maltol is an organic compound that is a common flavourant in some confectioneries. It is related to the more common flavorant maltol by replacement of the methyl group by an ethyl group. It is a white solid with a sweet smell that can be described as caramelized sugar or as caramelized fruit. Ethyl maltol is often used in perfumery to create gourmand scents. Its aroma is described as "sweet, caramellic, jammy, strawberry, cotton candy, berry, sugar". Ethyl maltol was first used in Mugler's Angel perfume in 1992.
The conjugate base derived from ethylmaltol, again like maltol, has a high affinity for iron, forming a red coordination complex. In such compounds, the heterocycle is a bidentate ligand.
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