Learn how to make sugar plum essential oil. Sugary and fruity, this festive blend is made with a unique combination of essential oils for a magical holiday fragrance. Also includes free printable labels!
Gingerbread, candy canes, eggnog and sugar cookies – these are just a few of the classic holiday scents we associate with the festive season. But what about the elusive sugar plum?
I wanted to share a Christmas essential oil blend that’s a little more imaginative, and this whimsical holiday treat was at the top of my list.
Sweet, fruity, and gourmand, this sugar plum essential oil blend evokes the delicious aromas of candied plums, gumdrops, and holiday baking.
But despite sugar plum’s association with the holidays, you can enjoy its sugary fragrance any time of the year!
This unique blend is sure to make your home smell like sugarplums – but if you want to smell like the Sugar Plum Fairy herself, check out my sugar plum perfume recipe!
What is a sugar plum?
What comes to mind when you imagine a sugar plum?
Did you know that a sugar plum is not, in fact, a sugared plum? And it’s not some sort of sugary plum-flavoured jelly candy, either. (Luckily, it appears I wasn’t the only one who took the name literally.)
Traditional sugar plums are actually sugar-covered balls of dried fruits, nuts, and honey, with aromatic spices like cardamom and anise. But a sugar plum can also be a candy or confectionary with a shell made of hardened sugar.
The “plum” in sugar plum refers to the treats’ shape and small size, and doesn’t actually have any connection to the plum fruit itself.
Admittedly, I was disappointed. This kind of threw a wrench into my idea of how a sugar plum should smell.
But some candy manufacturers took the name as literally as I did, and made bright purple sugarplum candy in line with what I envisioned. So I based my essential oil blend on this fantasy version of “sugarplum.”
What does a sugar plum smell like?
A sugar plum could conceivably smell like fruit, nuts, candy, or spices, depending on your preference and imagination. Such a broad definition leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
There are a variety of sugarplum fragrances already. For instance, Saje’s Sugar Plum Fairy essential oil blend combines mandarin, cinnamon, and Peru balsam for a sweet and spicy scent.
Then there’s this homemade sugar plum essential oil from Etsy, which blends allspice, bay, nutmeg and orange for an even spicier take on the holiday fragrance.
Finally, Plant Therapy combines notes of orange, lemon, green mandarin, copaiba and vanilla for their sugar plum blend. I imagine this version smells sweet, tart, and citrusy.
Each of these adaptations sound lovely in their own way. But none were exactly what I imagined, so I came up with my own version of this magical Christmas fragrance.
What does sugar plum essential oil smell like?
When I think of sugar plums, I imagine the aromas of marzipan, plum candy, sweet fruit, gumdrops, and holiday baking – and that’s pretty close to what this sugar plum essential oil blend smells like.
I know complex scents like these are typically achieved with fragrance oils, not natural essential oils. But something magical happens when you mix certain essential oils together. Sometimes, combining aroma compounds can create entirely new fragrances.
Is there a plum essential oil?
There is no plum essential oil, but there is plum blossom essential oil, which is distilled from plum flowers. However, its floral scent isn’t conducive to the sweet sugar plum candy fragrance I intended.
So, I had to get creative with finding a combination of oils that suggested a sweet, “plum” like scent.
After lots of experimenting, I settled on juicy citrus, bubbly benzoin, and the sugary sweetness of 2 specialty oils for my sugar plum blends. You’ll find two versions of the recipe below, and an alternate diffuser blend that’s safe for diffusing.
Whichever blend you choose, each one is fruity, gourmand, and sugary sweet, with a touch of festive magic – just like the Sugar Plum Fairy. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Note: If you’re wondering if you can substitute plum kernel or kakadu plum oils, unfortunately you cannot. These are carrier oils for skincare, not fragrant essential oils, so you can’t use them in a plum essential oil blend.
Sugar plum essential oil ingredients
If you’re interested, here’s a little more information on each oil and why they make this blend smell like a sugar plum. But if not, feel free to skip straight to the recipes.
Bitter almond essential oil
This lesser-known oil takes centre stage in this holiday essential oil blend. It’s one of our favorite essential oils and has been our go-to for the past few years when experimenting with festive blends.
With notes of sweet cherries, marzipan, and almond candy, bitter almond adds a delightfully sugary aroma unlike any other oil.
Don’t be fooled by its name, because bitter almond oil is not the least bit bitter! The irony is that it’s one of the sweetest-smelling essential oils there is. In fact, my first impression was that it’s the essential oil that smells like sugar.
Because it’s so sweet and sugary, I knew it would be perfect for putting the “sugar” in sugar plum. This is why it’s also the star ingredient in our sugar cookie essential oil blend.
I’ve also used it in a candy cane blend and gumdrop blend to add that candy sweetness.
You can find bitter almond oil online or at cosmetic supply stores. Look for rectified bitter almond oil or pure benzaldehyde (the natural aromatic compound that gives bitter almond its aroma). For more information on bitter almond essential oil, check out our sugar cookie body butter.
Benzoin resinoid
Benzoin resinoid smells sweet and bubbly, with a smooth vanilla undertone. But it also has a neat effervescent quality that’s reminiscent of cream soda, sherbet, or fizzy fruit punch. Overall, I think benzoin smells a lot like soda.
There’s also something a little bit like grape candy or grape flavoring. It all works in perfect balance with the other oils to create a sweet and fruity sugarplum aroma.
Tip: Benzoin resinoid is a solid, so look for a diluted bottled oil. You can also replace benzoin essential oil with Simply Earth’s Vanilla Woods blend, which contains benzoin.
Sweet orange essential oil
Believe it or not, sweet orange helps puts the “plum” in sugar plum.
I don’t imagine sugar plums smell anything like citrus. But when paired with the rest of the oils, the citrus notes fade into the background. So, your nose detects only sweet fruit, or “plums.”
In terms of oils, I always recommend this 100% pure sweet orange essential oil from Simply Earth. While you’re at it, they also have inexpensive dropper bottles for your holiday essential oil blends! For more information, see our Simply Earth review.
Tonka bean essential oil
Last but not least is one of my favourite perfumery ingredients, the ineffable tonka bean absolute.
Tonka bean adds the magic to this sugarplum scented blend. It imparts a rich, warm, caramel-like sweetness with a faint hint of spice.
I think of it as vanilla’s more interesting cousin. Tonka bean essential oil is sweet yet complex, with notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon rolls, cherries, and something a little bit nutty. Put simply, I think tonka bean smells a lot like cookies.
Note: tonka bean absolute is actually a solid. It has to be diluted with ethanol or a carrier oil before use. Sometimes I buy the solid absolute and dilute it myself, but it’s easier to use a pre-diluted blend.
I frequently use this bottled tonka bean essential oil, though it’s not always in stock, and sells out quickly. You can also find tonka bean oil on Etsy.
You’ll also find tonka bean in my cookie essential oil blends and DIY holiday room sprays.
Essential oil blends
Like I mentioned, I created 2 sugar plum fragrance blends to choose from. Both contain the same 4 essential oils, just in different ratios for a unique aroma.
The first sugar plum blend is heavier on the benzoin and sweet orange, so it’s intensely fruity and sweet. It smells predominantly like candy, cherries, marzipan and fruit punch, with a hint of Christmas cookies. Interestingly, there’s also something that smells a lot like red Twizzlers.
But my personal favourite is the sugar plum fairy essential oil blend. It has a tonka bean base, so the aroma of holiday baking takes the spotlight.
To me, sugar plum fairy smells like holiday fruitcake blended with marzipan, sugared plums, cherries, and gumdrops. (At least, that’s what I imagine the sugar plum fairy would smell like.) There’s also a hint of something sweet and nutty, like toasted coconut.
Sugar Plum Essential Oil Blend
- 30 drops benzoin resinoid
- 28 drops bitter almond essential oil
- 22 drops tonka bean absolute
- 20 drops sweet orange essential oil
Sugar Plum Fairy Essential Oil Blend
- 32 drops tonka bean essential oil
- 28 drops benzoin resinoid
- 26 drops bitter almond essential oil
- 14 drops sweet orange essential oil
Sugarplum Fairy Diffuser Blend
- 10 drops Vanilla Woods essential oil blend
- 3 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 1 drop cassia essential oil
Diffuser blend notes
Bitter almond oil is frequently used in air freshener products. However, it’s not recommended for aromatherapy purposes, as benzaldehyde is a respiratory irritant1.
To be on the safe side, I can’t recommend using bitter almond in a continuously running essential oil diffuser, as a diffuser releases a lot more essential oils into the air than a few spritzes of a room spray.
So I made an alternative sugarplum fairy diffuser blend without bitter almond, using only essential oils recommended for aromatherapy.
However, you can use the other blends with bitter almond in a passive diffuser or any other passive diffusion method that doesn’t nebulize the essential oils directly into the air.
Tip: you can also replace the Vanilla Woods in the diffuser blend with 5 drops each benzoin and Peru balsam.
How to make sugar plum essential oil
- To make sugar plum oil, first remove the dropper cap from your clean essential oil bottle.
Tip: some droppers are difficult to remove, so an essential oil bottle opener tool comes in handy. - Using a small funnel, carefully add bitter almond, benzoin, tonka bean, and sweet orange essential oils to your bottle.
- Replace the cap and swirl or shake gently to combine the oils in your sugar plum blend.
- Your sugar plum essential oil is finished. It’s ready to use or gift right away, but its fragrance will develop over the coming weeks as the aroma compounds mingle with one another.
- Don’t forget to apply your printable essential oil label, if desired.
- Use your homemade essential oil blend in DIY skincare recipes such as body butter, bath bombs, melt and pour soap, or perfume. Or, use as a natural sugar plum fragrance oil for aromatherapy products such as candles or room spray.
Tips and tricks
- This sugar plum essential oil recipe makes 100 drops, or enough to fill a 5ml dropper bottle. However, larger bottles will give you more space for your printable label.
- You can use your sugar plum oil in DIY bath and body recipes as a natural fragrance oil. But be sure not to exceed 2% fragrance concentration for skin safety.
- To protect the fragile oils from light, always choose a dark amber glass bottle for your essential oil blends.
- Please keep your sugar plum essential oil in the refrigerator for freshness, as benzaldehyde and bitter almond oil are prone to oxidizing.
More essential oils that smell like sugar plum
If you wanted to come up with your own unique interpretation, you might also enjoy playing with these essential oils to create a sugar plum scent.
- Pink grapefruit – Bright, classically fruity and very sweet.
- Lime – Sharp, intensely citrusy and sweet, like lime gumdrops.
- Blood orange – Similar to sweet orange, but brighter and more tart.
- Peru balsam – Rich, balsamic, and vanilla-like, for a rich and creamy note.
- Kunzea – Rare oil that’s tart, fruity, and slightly floral.
- Green cognac – Boozy, wine-like fragrance like sugar plum wine.
- Petitgrain – Floral yet fruity, would be well suited for a sugarplum perfume.
- Fenugreek – Sweet and reminiscent of fennel, with notes of sweet vanilla and maple syrup.
- Cassia – Sweeter than cinnamon, for a spicier sugar plum scent.
- Nutmeg – Rich and spicy for a festive quality, like eggnog.
- Copaiba – Spicy and earthy, with an undertone of sweetness.
Printable essential oil labels
A cute label can help make your homemade essential oil blend look more like a store-bought sugar plum fragrance oil.
Simply sign up using the form below to get your free printable labels delivered directly to your email inbox!
I used these square labels and their brand’s online label making tool. However, the correct label size will depend on the size of your essential oil bottle.
Sugar Plum Essential Oil Blend (3 Recipes)
Learn how to make sugar plum essential oil. Sugary sweet and fruity, this holiday essential oil blend evokes the festive aromas of sugared plums, marzipan, gumdrops, and holiday baking. A magical Christmas fragrance that's fit for the sugar plum fairy!
Ingredients
Sugar Plum Essential Oil Blend
- 30 drops benzoin resinoid
- 28 drops bitter almond essential oil
- 22 drops tonka bean absolute
- 20 drops sweet orange essential oil
Sugar Plum Fairy Essential Oil Blend
- 32 drops tonka bean essential oil
- 28 drops benzoin resinoid
- 26 drops bitter almond essential oi
- 14 drops sweet orange essential oil
Sugar Plum Diffuser Blend
- 10 drops Vanilla Woods essential oil
- 5 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 1 drop cassia essential oil
Tools
- 5ml amber glass essential oil bottle
- Essential oil bottle opener tool
- Tiny funnel
Instructions
- To make a DIY sugar plum blend, first remove the dropper cap from your clean essential oil bottle.
Tip: some droppers are difficult to remove, so an essential oil bottle opener tool comes in handy. - Using a small funnel, carefully add bitter almond, benzoin, tonka bean, and sweet orange essential oils to your bottle.
- Replace the cap and swirl or shake gently to combine the oils in your sugarplum blend.
- Your sugar plum essential oil is finished. It's ready to use or gift right away, but its fragrance will develop even more over the coming weeks as the aroma compounds mingle with one another.
- Don't forget to apply your free printable essential oil label, if desired.
- Use your homemade essential oil blend in DIY skincare recipes such as body butter, bath bombs, melt and pour soap, or perfume. Or, use as a natural sugar plum fragrance oil for aromatherapy products such as candles or room spray.
Notes
- This essential oil recipe makes 100 drops, or enough to fill a 5ml dropper bottle. However, larger bottles will give you more space for your printable label.
- If adding your natural sugar plum fragrance oil to any DIY bath and body recipes, be sure to not exceed 2% fragrance concentration for skin safety.
- To protect the fragile oils from light, always choose a dark amber glass bottle for your Christmas essential oil recipes.
- Please keep your sugar plum essential oil in the refrigerator for freshness, as benzaldehyde and bitter almond oil are prone to oxidizing.
- Bitter almond oil is not recommended for aromatherapy purposes, so I made an alternative sugarplum fairy diffuser blend using only essential oils recommended for aromatherapy.
- If you don't have Vanilla Woods, you can replace it with 5 drops each benzoin and Peru balsam.
Recommended Products
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More holiday essential oil recipes
- Sugar Plum Fairy Perfume
- Sugar Cookie Essential Oil Blend
- DIY Christmas Sugar Scrubs
- 3 Christmas Melt and Pour Soap Recipes
- DIY Sugar Cookie Body Butter
- Holiday Lip Scrub Recipes
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