Cajeta recipe | Spoon Fork Bacon

Name: Cajeta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 2 cups goat milk; ½ cup superfine sugar (granulated is fine); ¼ teaspoon salt; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; 2 tablespoons cow milk; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

A spoonful of cajeta on a a surface so you can really see the cajeta texture.

The first time I had Cajeta was in Mexico. It was drizzled over this fluffy vanilla cake and was thick, slightly tangy and delicious! It’s a sweet sauce very similar to dulce de leche or caramel sauce, except its made with goat milk, giving cajeta its distinct tang. When I realized how easy it would be to make at home, I had to give it a go!

Ingredients to make Cajeta on a kitchen counter.

How to make Cajeta

In a small pot, stir together goat milk, sugar and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, 2 to 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour baking soda mixture into the goat milk mixture and stir together.
Continue to simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring frequently. It’s really important that the mixture is stirred throughout the cooking process, so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Once the mixture is thick enough to thoroughly coat the back of a spoon and has turned a caramel color, remove from heat and pour mixture into a sterilized jar. You can sterilize a glass jar by carefully soaking it, open side down in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Tightly seal the jar and can in a water bath, or method of your choice, until the jar is properly canned.
The mixture will thicken as it cools. Spread onto cookies or crackers or gently warm and pour onto ice cream, pies, cakes, etc.

Cajeta in pot finished cooking and ready to be added into a jar. — Cajeta finished in a pot ready to be poured into a jar.

Cajeta in a jar with a spoon next to it with cajeta on it. — Store cajeta in a re-sealable jar.

Cajeta in a cup with a spoon next to it.

FAQs

What exactly is Cajeta?

Caramel is made by melting down sugar until it is an amber color and thick in texture. Cajeta is made by melting goat milk and sugar down until golden brown in color and thick in texture. The flavors are similar but there’s a very subtle tanginess to cajeta from the goats milk.

What does it taste like?

Cajeta tastes very similar to dulce de leche, but because it’s made with primarily goats milk and not cows milk it has a slight tangy taste to the rich sauce.

How long will it keep?

Once the sauce is properly canned, it will keep in a cool, dry place for about months. Once it’s opened it should be refrigerated and will keep for up to a month.

Is this as thick as dulce de leche?

My favorite thing about this homemade version is that you can control the thickness of the sauce when you make it yourself. This version is thinner than the typical dulce de leche you’ll find at the market. I like being able to pour it without having to warm it up, so this recipe makes a slightly thinner sauce. If you’d like a thicker sauce just simmer and stir the mixture for an additional 30 minutes or so.

Cajeta on some butter crackers on a kitchen counter. — Cajeta drizzled onto a butter cracker makes a delicious sweet and salty snack!

I really love this simple cajeta recipe. It’s so creamy, tangy and delicious. It also makes great holiday gifts for family and friends! This sauce is perfect to drizzle over desserts! Here are some ideas for pairing below:

A close up of New York style cheesecake with cajeta drizzled on top. — Drizzle over our NY Style Cheesecake

A close up of creme brûlée ice cream with the top broken open. — Eat with our Crème Brûlée Frozen Custard

Brown Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb muffins on a baking sheet shot from overhead. — Spoon over our Brown Sugar, Strawberry and Rhubarb Muffins for a sweet treat!

Cajeta drizzled over ice cream in a bowl with a spoon in it.

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Cajeta

5 from 13 votes

PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe

Cajeta is a deliciously sweet sauce similar to dulce de leche and caramel, but made with caramelized goat milk to give an extra tang so this gooey sticky sauce. We love it on ice cream!

RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small pot, stir together goat milk, sugar and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, 2 to 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour baking soda mixture into the goat milk mixture and stir together.
Continue to simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the mixture is thick enough to thoroughly coat the back of a spoon and has turned a caramel color, remove from heat and pour mixture into a sterilized jar.
Tightly seal the jar and can in a water bath, or method of your choice, until the jar is properly canned.
The mixture will thicken as it cools. Spread onto cookies or crackers or gently warm and pour onto ice cream, pies, cakes, etc.

NOTES

Makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups
Shelf Life: Once the sauce is properly canned, it will keep in a cool, dry place for about months. Once it’s opened it should be refrigerated and will keep for up to a month.
Is this as thick as dulce de leche? This version is thinner than the typical dulce de leche you’ll find at the market. It’s a pourable sauce, without having to heat it up. If you’d like a thicker sauce just simmer and stir the mixture for about an additional 30 minutes.

Calories: 64kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 2g Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 138mg Potassium: 86mg Sugar: 10g Vitamin A: 81IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 57mg Iron: 1mg

CUISINE: Mexican

KEYWORD: caramel sauce, dulche de leche

COURSE: condiment, Dessert