Despite the Sex and the City feature that put Magnolia Bakery's vanilla cupcakes on the map—literally, as the New York City shop became a must-stop for tour buses for the past 25 years (!)—serious fans of the brand know that you can't leave the bakery without a pint (or mixing bowl-sized Party Bowl) of banana pudding. Instagrammers clamor to snap its limited edition banana pudding flavor of the month (which is strawberry shortcake this June, BTW), but the latest iteration of the dessert may be its buzziest—and most surprising—to date: a candle.
As part of a collaboration with Los Angeles-based Boy Smells, the Banana Pudding candle is inspired by the iconic treat, but the scent is far more complex than what you might expect. It's not your typical bakery scent, blasting with banana Runts-esque sweetness.
Instead, the banana and vanilla notes from the layered dessert are mellowed, and that sweetness is balanced with notes of leather, cardamom and cedar—among others—giving it a smoky undertone. Consider it Magnolia's salted caramel banana pudding, given a quiet luxury glow-up.
