Chocolate perfumes: 16 to try, from dark cocoa to milky and floral

What the chocolate meets decides how a chocolate perfume reads. This guide groups 16 of them by that partner, from coffee and patchouli to rose and milk, and shows how to try each in 3ml.

Chocolate perfumes to try, by what the chocolate meets

Sixteen perfumes in five groups, in the order the guide presents them.

  1. 1
    Best overall

    Chocolate Greedy

    Montale

    Bitter orange and cacao over tonka bean and vanilla, with coffee and dried fruits below.

    from €6.573 ml

    Read the pick
  2. 2

    Dolce Passione

    Pantheon Roma

    Dark chocolate, truffle, vanilla, honey and strawberry over tonka bean, plum, saffron and white musk.

    from €10.263 ml

    Read the pick
  3. 3

    Tobacco Chocolat

    Tom Ford

    Cacao and dark chocolate with tobacco, orange, patchouli and Peru balsam.

    from €18.183 ml

    Read the pick
  4. 4

    Midnight Espresso

    By Kilian

    Coffee and rum over chocolate and toasted hazelnut, with benzoin and vanilla.

    from €21.513 ml

    Read the pick
  5. 5

    Fève Gourmande

    Guerlain

    Cocoa and rum over rose and spices, with patchouli and tea at the base.

    from €17.643 ml

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Show all 16 picks
  1. 6
    Strongest trail

    Angel

    Mugler

    Cotton candy, honey and berries over a base of patchouli, chocolate, caramel and vanilla.

    from €8.373 ml

    Read the pick
  2. 7

    Black Orchid Reserve

    Tom Ford

    Bergamot and truffle over dark chocolate, patchouli, tonka and vanilla.

    from €15.933 ml

    Read the pick
  3. 8

    Attrape-Rêves

    Louis Vuitton

    Peony, Turkish rose and cocoa in the heart, with patchouli beneath.

    from €19.083 ml

    Read the pick
  4. 9
    Best for winter

    Tabac Rose

    BDK Parfums

    Turkish rose, cinnamon and chocolate over tobacco, patchouli and labdanum.

    from €11.343 ml

    Read the pick
  5. 10
    Best for summer

    Tethys

    Giardino Benessere

    Vanilla, chocolate and coffee over Damask rose, amber, musk and cedar.

    from €9.903 ml

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  6. 11
    Best fruity pick

    Cosmos Flower

    Clive Christian

    Rum and mandarin orange over a floral heart, with cacao pod, caramel and leather below.

    from €46.173 ml

    Read the pick
  7. 12

    Velorum

    Tiziana Terenzi

    Mandarin orange, ginger and almond over white chocolate, vanilla, musk and sandalwood.

    from €30.783 ml

    Read the pick
  8. 13

    Blanche Bête

    Liquides Imaginaires

    Milk, ambrette and incense over cacao, musk, tonka bean and vanilla.

    from €17.103 ml

    Read the pick
  9. 14

    Valentino Uomo

    Valentino

    Hazelnut, chocolate and roasted coffee beans over leather and cedar.

    from €7.653 ml

    Read the pick
  10. 15
    Best value

    Gentleman Eau de Parfum Boisée

    Givenchy

    Iris and cacao pod over cedar, patchouli and sandalwood.

    from €7.293 ml

    Read the pick
  11. 16

    Bad Boy

    Carolina Herrera

    Black pepper and sage over amberwood, cacao and tonka bean.

    from €7.833 ml

    Read the pick
In this guide

A good chocolate perfume gives the chocolate a partner, and that partner decides whether it reads dark, milky, floral or woody. Chocolate Greedy by Montale sets cacao beside coffee, tonka bean and vanilla, while Tobacco Chocolat by Tom Ford sets it against tobacco and orange. Below, 16 chocolate perfumes are grouped by what the chocolate meets.

Three 10ML 3ml decants of chocolate perfumes with a split cacao pod, cocoa nibs, coffee beans and vanilla pods

Every perfume below lists chocolate or cacao in some form among its notes, and each comes in 3ml and 10ml. Start with the group that matches your taste, then try two as 3ml decants before you choose a bottle.

Quick comparison

Quick comparison: Community votes
#PerfumeLabelMain notesLastsTrailSeason3 ml10 mlper ml
1Chocolate GreedyMontaleBest overallTonka Bean, VanillaLong lastingStrongWinter€6.57€21.51€2.15
2Dolce PassionePantheon RomaDark Chocolate, Honey, StrawberryLong lastingStrongWinter€10.26€27.18€2.72
3Tobacco ChocolatTom FordCacao, Dark ChocolateLong lastingStrongWinter, Autumn€18.18€50.40€5.04
4Midnight EspressoBy KilianChocolate, Toasted HazelnutLong lastingStrongWinter, Autumn€21.51€56.61€5.66
5Fève GourmandeGuerlainRose, SpicesLong lastingStrongAutumn€17.64€50.31€5.03
6AngelMuglerStrongest trailApricot, Blackberry, CarawayEternalEnormousWinter€8.37€25.74€2.57
7Black Orchid ReserveTom FordBergamot, TruffleLong lastingStrongWinter, Autumn€15.93€50.31€5.03
8Attrape-RêvesLouis VuittonCocoa, Peony, Turkish RoseModerateModerateSpring€19.08€50.31€5.03
9Tabac RoseBDK ParfumsBest for winterChocolate, Cinnamon, Turkish RoseLong lastingStrongWinter€11.34€31.59€3.16
10TethysGiardino BenessereBest for summerAmber, Damask RoseModerateModerateSummer€9.90€24.75€2.48
11Cosmos FlowerClive ChristianBest fruity pickCosmos Flower, Jasmine, OsmanthusLong lastingStrongAutumn, Winter€46.17€124.02€12.40
12VelorumTiziana TerenziAlmond, Cinnamon, ClovesEternalModerateWinter€30.78€89.64€8.96
13Blanche BêteLiquides ImaginairesIncense, Jasmine, MahonialLong lastingModerateAutumn€17.10€45.27€4.53
14Valentino UomoValentinoChocolate, Hazelnut, Roasted Coffee BeansModerateModerateAutumn, Winter€7.65€22.05€2.21
15Gentleman Eau de Parfum BoiséeGivenchyBest valueCacao Pod, Cedar, IrisModerateModerateAutumn€7.29€19.98€2.00
16Bad BoyCarolina HerreraCedarwood, SageLong lastingModerateAutumn, Winter€7.83€22.05€2.21
Show all 16 picks

Community votes

What chocolate smells like in perfume

Chocolate begins with the cocoa bean, the seed of the cacao tree. The tree's Latin name, Theobroma, means "food of the gods" in Greek. Before the beans become chocolate, they are fermented, dried and roasted.

Chocolate was a drink long before it was a bar. In Mesoamerica it was drunk bitter, flavoured with vanilla and chilli, and it reached Europe in the 16th century.

Guerlain describes the cocoa in one of its perfumes as an accord its perfumer composed, with notes that are sweet and bitter at once. Read the perfumes below the same way: the partners around the chocolate decide whether it comes across as dark, milky, floral or woody.

Chocolate is one corner of the wider sweet family. For that bigger picture, from caramel and praline to coffee, read our guide to gourmand perfumes. This page stays with chocolate alone and sorts it by its partner.

Chocolate at the centre

These five build around chocolate or cocoa, with coffee, vanilla, tobacco, rum or tonka bean beside it.

Montale Chocolate Greedy
Best overall

Chocolate Greedy by Montale

Top notes
Bitter Orange, Cacao
Heart notes
Tonka Bean, Vanilla
Base notes
Coffee, Dried Fruits
Time of day
Evening

Chocolate Greedy by Montale is a niche perfume for women, launched in 2007. Bitter orange and cacao open it, tonka bean and vanilla form the heart, and coffee and dried fruits close it. Montale frames it as a search for childhood comfort.

On longevity, community votes lean long lasting, then eternal. Strong, then moderate, is how voters rate its sillage. Voters pick it for winter and autumn, for the evening, the day or the night.

Pantheon Roma Dolce Passione

Dolce Passione by Pantheon Roma

Top notes
Dark Chocolate, Honey, Strawberry, Truffle
Base notes
Plum, Saffron, Tonka Bean, White Musk
Time of day
Night out

Dolce Passione by Pantheon Roma is a niche perfume for women from 2016. Dark chocolate, truffle, vanilla, honey and strawberry open it, over a base of tonka bean, plum, saffron and white musk.

Its longevity votes lean long lasting, then eternal. Votes on its sillage are split between strong and moderate. Winter is the season voters pick, for night or evening wear.

Tom Ford Tobacco Chocolat

Tobacco Chocolat by Tom Ford

Top notes
Orange
Heart notes
Cacao, Dark Chocolate
Base notes
Ambrofix, Patchouli, Peru Balsam, Tobacco
Time of day
Evening

Tobacco Chocolat by Tom Ford is a unisex perfume from 2026. Tom Ford describes a co-distilled accord that joins fine chocolate with smoky tobacco, set against bright orange. Akigalawood and orange open it, cacao and dark chocolate form the heart, and tobacco, patchouli, Peru balsam and ambrofix close it. Our guide to tobacco perfumes explores that side further.

Longevity votes for Tobacco Chocolat lean long lasting, then eternal. Sillage votes lean strong, then enormous. Voters link it with winter and autumn, and with evening and night.

By Kilian Midnight Espresso

Midnight Espresso by By Kilian

Top notes
Coffee, Rum
Heart notes
Chocolate, Toasted Hazelnut
Base notes
Benzoin, Vanilla
Time of day
Evening

Midnight Espresso by By Kilian is a niche, unisex perfume composed by Mathieu Nardin. Coffee and rum open it, chocolate and toasted hazelnut form the heart, and benzoin and vanilla settle at the base.

Voters lean long lasting, then eternal, when they rate its longevity. Their sillage votes favour strong, then moderate. Winter and autumn lead the season votes, with evening and night the occasions.

Guerlain Fève Gourmande

Fève Gourmande by Guerlain

Top notes
Cocoa, Rum
Heart notes
Rose, Spices
Base notes
Patchouli, Tea
Time of day
Evening

Fève Gourmande by Guerlain is an Eau de Parfum for women from 2023, and the perfume whose cocoa accord Guerlain describes as sweet and bitter. The house also says it is the new name for Gourmand Coquin. Cocoa and rum open it, rose and spices follow, and patchouli and tea finish it.

Most community voters call its longevity long lasting. Its sillage draws strong votes first, moderate second. Autumn and winter evenings are when voters pick it.

Chocolate and patchouli

Earthy patchouli meets the chocolate in these three. Two set chocolate and patchouli together in the base; the third keeps cocoa in a floral heart above it.

Mugler Angel
Strongest trail

Angel by Mugler

Top notes
Bergamot, Cassis, Coconut, Cotton Candy
Heart notes
Apricot, Blackberry, Caraway, Honey
Base notes
Amber, Caramel, Chocolate, Musk
Time of day
Night out

Angel by Mugler launched in 1992, and Mugler presents it as the perfume that opened the gourmand genre. Its top is a crowd of cotton candy, bergamot, pineapple, coconut, cassis, melon, jasmine and mandarin orange, with honey, red berries, plum, orchid and rose in the heart. The chocolate waits in the base, beside patchouli, caramel, vanilla and amber.

On Angel, community votes on longevity lean eternal, then long lasting. Votes on its sillage lean enormous, then strong. Voters pick it for winter and autumn, for night wear.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Reserve

Black Orchid Reserve by Tom Ford

Top notes
Bergamot, Truffle
Base notes
Dark Chocolate, Patchouli, Tonka, Vanilla
Time of day
Night out

Black Orchid Reserve by Tom Ford is a unisex perfume from 2025. Bergamot and truffle open it, and dark chocolate, patchouli, tonka and vanilla form the base.

Its longevity votes lean long lasting, then eternal. Most community voters rate its sillage strong. Winter and autumn are the seasons voters pick, for night or evening.

Louis Vuitton Attrape-Rêves

Attrape-Rêves by Louis Vuitton

Top notes
Bergamot, Ginger, Lychee
Heart notes
Cocoa, Peony, Turkish Rose
Base notes
Patchouli
Time of day
Daytime

Attrape-Rêves by Louis Vuitton is a perfume for women from 2020. Bergamot, ginger and lychee open it. Peony, Turkish rose and cocoa form the heart, with patchouli beneath.

Most community voters rate its longevity moderate. Most voters call its sillage moderate too. Voters pick it for spring and autumn, by day or in the evening.

Chocolate with rose and flowers

Rose meets the chocolate in two of these three; the third trades it for a heart of ylang-ylang, osmanthus, jasmine and violet.

BDK Parfums Tabac Rose
Best for winter

Tabac Rose by BDK Parfums

Top notes
Lemon, Pink Pepper, Plum
Heart notes
Chocolate, Cinnamon, Turkish Rose
Base notes
Labdanum, Patchouli, Tobacco
Time of day
Night out

Tabac Rose by BDK Parfums is a niche, unisex perfume from 2021. Pink pepper, plum and lemon open it. Turkish rose, cinnamon and chocolate form the heart, and tobacco, patchouli and labdanum finish it.

Most community voters rate its longevity long lasting. Most voters call its sillage strong. Voters pick it for winter and autumn nights.

Giardino Benessere Tethys
Best for summer

Tethys by Giardino Benessere

Top notes
Chocolate, Coffee, Jasmine, Vanilla
Heart notes
Amber, Damask Rose
Base notes
Cedar, Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla Flower
Time of day
Daytime

Tethys by Giardino Benessere is a niche, unisex perfume from 2018. Vanilla, chocolate, coffee and jasmine open it. Damask rose and amber sit in the heart, with vanilla flower, musk, patchouli and cedar below.

Longevity votes for Tethys lean moderate, then long lasting. Sillage votes lean moderate, then strong. Unusually for this guide, voters pick it for summer and spring, for the day, the office or the evening.

Clive Christian Cosmos Flower
Best fruity pick

Cosmos Flower by Clive Christian

Top notes
Apple, Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper, Rum
Heart notes
Cosmos Flower, Jasmine, Osmanthus, Plum
Base notes
Amber, Benzoin, Cacao Pod, Caramel
Time of day
Evening

Cosmos Flower by Clive Christian is a niche perfume for women from 2016. Rum, mandarin orange, apple and pink pepper open it. A heart of plum, ylang-ylang, osmanthus, jasmine, violet and cosmos flower sits above cacao pod, caramel, benzoin, amber and leather.

Cosmos Flower's longevity votes lean long lasting, then eternal. Sillage votes favour strong, then enormous. Voters pick it for autumn and winter, for evening or night.

Milky and white chocolate

Here the chocolate is white, or it sits beside milk, with vanilla, musk and tonka bean underneath in both.

Tiziana Terenzi Velorum

Velorum by Tiziana Terenzi

Top notes
Black Pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Mandarin Orange
Heart notes
Almond, Cinnamon, Cloves, Lotus
Base notes
Amber, Guaiac Wood, Musk, Sandalwood
Time of day
Night out

Velorum by Tiziana Terenzi is a niche perfume for women from 2017. Mandarin orange, rose, ginger, saffron, black pepper and cardamom open it. Passionfruit, almond, tea, cloves, cinnamon, lotus and nutmeg follow. White chocolate sits in the base with vanilla, musk, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean and guaiac wood.

Velorum's longevity votes lean eternal, then long lasting. Its sillage votes lean moderate, then enormous. Voters link it with winter and autumn, and with night and evening.

Liquides Imaginaires Blanche Bête

Blanche Bête by Liquides Imaginaires

Top notes
Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Milk, Mystikal
Heart notes
Incense, Jasmine, Mahonial, Tuberose
Base notes
Cacao, Musk, Tonka Bean, Vanilla
Time of day
Evening

Blanche Bête by Liquides Imaginaires is a niche, unisex perfume from 2021. Ambrette, milk and a note listed as Mystikal open it. Incense, jasmine, mahonial and tuberose form the heart. Cacao, musk, tonka bean and vanilla close it.

Most community voters rate its longevity long lasting. On sillage, the majority vote is moderate. Autumn and winter are the seasons voters pick, for the evening or the day.

Chocolate perfume for men

We list these three as men's perfumes, and here the chocolate sits beside wood and spice. The unisex picks above, such as Tobacco Chocolat, Black Orchid Reserve and Tabac Rose, are worth a try too.

Valentino Uomo

Valentino Uomo by Valentino

Top notes
Bergamot, Myrtle
Heart notes
Chocolate, Hazelnut, Roasted Coffee Beans
Base notes
Cedar, Leather
Time of day
Night out

Valentino Uomo by Valentino launched in 2014. Myrtle and bergamot open it, hazelnut, chocolate and roasted coffee beans form the heart, and leather and cedar close it.

Longevity votes lean moderate, then long lasting. On sillage, most voters say moderate. Autumn and winter lead the season votes, for night or day.

Givenchy Gentleman Eau de Parfum Boisée
Best value

Gentleman Eau de Parfum Boisée by Givenchy

Top notes
Black Pepper, Coriander, Geranium
Heart notes
Cacao Pod, Cedar, Iris
Base notes
Patchouli, Sandalwood, Woodsy Notes
Time of day
Evening

Gentleman Eau de Parfum Boisée by Givenchy launched in 2020. Geranium, coriander and black pepper open it. Iris, cacao pod and cedar form the heart, and woody notes, patchouli and sandalwood close it.

Most community voters rate its longevity moderate. For sillage, the majority vote is moderate as well. Voters choose it for autumn and winter, for the evening or the office.

Carolina Herrera Bad Boy

Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera

Top notes
Bergamot, Black Pepper, White Pepper
Heart notes
Cedarwood, Sage
Base notes
Amberwood, Cacao, Tonka Bean
Time of day
Night out

Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera is an Eau de Toilette from 2019 by Louise Turner and Quentin Bisch. Bergamot, black pepper and white pepper open it, cedarwood and sage form the heart, and amberwood, cacao and tonka bean finish it. Our guide to tonka perfumes covers that base note in more depth.

Votes on Bad Boy lean long lasting, then moderate, for longevity. Sillage votes lean moderate, then strong. Voters link it with autumn and winter, and with night and evening.

The chocolate map at a glance

The chocolate map, with five groups, the perfumes in each, what the chocolate meets and the seasons voters pick
GroupPerfumesWhat the chocolate meetsSeasons voters pick
Chocolate at the centreChocolate Greedy, Dolce Passione, Tobacco Chocolat, Midnight Espresso, Fève GourmandeCoffee, vanilla, tobacco, rum, tonka beanWinter and autumn
Chocolate and patchouliAngel, Black Orchid Reserve, Attrape-RêvesPatchouli, truffle, caramel, peonyWinter and autumn; spring and autumn for Attrape-Rêves
Chocolate with rose and flowersTabac Rose, Tethys, Cosmos FlowerRose, jasmine, plum, osmanthusWinter and autumn; summer and spring for Tethys
Milky and white chocolateVelorum, Blanche BêteMilk, almond, tuberose, muskWinter and autumn
Chocolate perfume for menValentino Uomo, Gentleman Eau de Parfum Boisée, Bad BoyHazelnut, iris, cedar, pepperAutumn and winter

Try a dark and a milky chocolate in 3ml

Choose one dark chocolate and one milky one, and start with a 3ml decant of each. At around 60 sprays apiece, there is enough for several days of wear with both. If you are unsure how a decant is filled, read what a perfume decant is.

For the dark side, Chocolate Greedy in 3ml is €6.57. For the milky side, Velorum in 3ml is €30.78. When one wins you over, the 10ml size holds around 200 sprays, enough for weeks of wear.

Not sure how to choose without smelling first? Our guide on choosing a perfume without smelling it walks through it, and fragrance families explained shows where the gourmand family sits among the others. Voters pick almost every perfume here for winter or autumn, so our winter perfumes page is a natural next stop.

Frequently asked questions

What does chocolate smell like in perfume?
Sweet and bitter at once, in the way Guerlain describes the cocoa accord its perfumer composed for one of its perfumes. What the chocolate meets, such as coffee, patchouli, rose or milk, then decides whether a perfume reads dark, floral or creamy.
Which perfumes put chocolate at the centre?
Chocolate Greedy by Montale, Dolce Passione by Pantheon Roma, Tobacco Chocolat by Tom Ford, Midnight Espresso by By Kilian and Fève Gourmande by Guerlain. Each one keeps chocolate or cocoa in front and pairs it with coffee, vanilla, tobacco, rum or tonka bean.
Is a chocolate perfume the same as a gourmand perfume?
No. Gourmand is the wider sweet family, which Mugler says Angel opened in 1992. Chocolate is one note within it, and a chocolate perfume can also lean woody, floral or smoky.
Is there a chocolate perfume for men?
Yes. We list Valentino Uomo, Gentleman Eau de Parfum Boisée by Givenchy and Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera as men's perfumes. Tobacco Chocolat, Midnight Espresso, Black Orchid Reserve, Tabac Rose, Tethys and Blanche Bête are unisex.
Can I try a chocolate perfume in a small size?
Yes. A 3ml decant gives around 60 sprays and a 10ml decant around 200. Chocolate Greedy in 3ml is €6.57.

Sources

  1. Fève Gourmande
  2. Chocolate
  3. Cocoa bean
  4. Theobroma cacao
  5. Angel Eau de Parfum
  6. Chocolate Greedy
  7. Tobacco Chocolat

Wear it for a week, not ten seconds.

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