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.

[2] It is a white solid with a sweet smell that can be described as caramelized sugar or as caramelized fruit.

The conjugate base derived from ethylmaltol, again like maltol, has a high affinity for iron, forming a red coordination complex[citation needed].

In such compounds, the heterocycle is a bidentate ligand.