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This easy Cajeta recipe is made with only 5 ingredients and is so simple to make! It makes a perfect topping for any dessert. If you like dulce de leche, you’re going to love cajeta!
What Is Cajeta?
Cajeta is a thick and gooey caramel-like sauce that’s made by boiling and slowly cooking goat’s milk and sugar until it reduces to a beautiful golden brown or amber color. The goat’s milk gives cajeta its rich and complex flavor that is slightly tangy and deliciously sweet.
Cajeta can be found all over Mexico and is often served as candy, as a topping for cakes and ice cream, and as a spread to put on thin cookies or pancakes.
It’s commonly described as Mexican caramel and can easily be cooked to different consistencies, from a thin sauce to a glossy and hard candy.
What’s the Difference between Cajeta and Dulce de Leche?
Cajeta and dulce de leche are similar in that they’re both sweet confections made from milk and sugar, are made in very similar ways, are are used and eaten in similar ways. Where they differ is the type of milk they’re made from.
Cajeta is made from goat’s milk and dulce de leche is made from cow’s milk. While that doesn’t seem like a huge difference, the different milks give each confection a unique and distinct flavor that is undeniable.
How to Make Cajeta
Start by mixing a couple of tablespoons of goat’s milk with baking soda in a small bowl and setting it aside for later use.
The baking soda in cajeta helps to reduce the temperature at which it browns and caramelizes, allowing it to develop its beautiful color slowly and without burning.
Add sugar, a cinnamon stick, and goat milk to a large pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium to medium-high heat. Bring it to a simmer, stirring frequently to fully dissolve the sugar.
Remove it from the heat and add the baking soda mixture. This will cause the cajeta to bubble and foam up. Keep stirring. Once the bubbling is finished, return the pot to the heat and bring it back to a simmer.
Cook the mixture uncovered until it reduces and thickens, 45-60 minutes.
Stir the mixture frequently so that the bottom doesn’t burn. You’ll know the cajeta is done when it’s a rich medium to dark brown color and coats the back of the spoon, almost like the consistency of thick honey.
Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. The cajeta will continue to thicken as it cools.
Getting the Right Consistency and Thickness
The great thing about making cajeta at home is that you can cook it to your preferred thickness.
- For a thinner consistency, stop cooking the cajeta when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and only momentarily leaves an empty trail whenever you scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula.
- For a thicker consistency, stop cooking the cajeta when you can scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula and it easily leaves an empty trail for a few seconds. You’ll know when it reaches this point because the cajeta will be undeniably thick!
Ways to Use Cajeta
This dessert sauce is so versatile you can use it in many different ways. These are a few of my favorites:
- Dipping sauce: Dip anything from fresh fruit, churros, or pan dulce.
- Topping: Use it to make chocoflan, drizzle it on ice cream, sopapillas, apple empanadas, pumpkin empanadas, or swirl on top of my Mexican brownies.
- By itself! This sauce is so addicting and perfectly sweet and decadent, you’ll find yourself dipping a spoon inside the jar and eating it solo.
How to Store Cajeta
To store, transfer the cajeta to a glass jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Cajeta will thicken and harden as it cools. To soften it, you can heat it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or run it under hot water until it reaches your desired consistency.
More Mexican Desserts
Cajeta
Ingredients
- 4 cups goats milk, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of goats milk with the baking soda. Set aside.
- Place the remaining goats milk, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium to medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add in the baking soda mixture. The milk will begin to bubble and froth up quickly. Continue stirring. Once the mixture stops bubbling, return the pot to the heat and bring it back to a low simmer.
- Cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened (about 45-60 minutes). Be sure to stir frequently, especially towards the end of the cooking time, scraping the bottom of the pot so it doesn't burn. The cajeta is done when you can scrape the mixture aside and see the bottom of the pot.* It should be thick like honey.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Notes
- For a thinner consistency, stop cooking the cajeta when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and only momentarily leaves an empty trail whenever you scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula.
- For a thicker consistency, stop cooking the cajeta when you can scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula and it easily leaves an empty trail for a few seconds. You’ll know when it reaches this point because the cajeta will be undeniably thick!
- Cajeta will thicken once it cools. To soften it, heat it up in the microwave a few seconds at a time or run it under hot water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally posted in July 2016. It has been updated with new photos, more helpful tips, and a better overall recipe.
My first attempt and I LOVE it!!!! Used raw goats milk. Do you keep the cinnamon stick in for the entire time? I took it out before it got thick.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Meg, what you did is totally okay. By that point, it should have infused lots of the cinnamony goodness. 🙂 I think I left it in the entire time, but it doesn’t really matter.
I’ve been trying to find an easy stovetop cajeta recipe for my Nigerian dwarf goat milk. This was perfect – so good w apple slices!
Oh my goodness, you’re so welcome! Nigerian dwarf goat milk sounds so fancy! hahaha
Only fancy because it has the highest percentage of butterfat of any dairy goat. We now make this recipe every week! Yum!!
Yay! I’m so glad you like it! It’s sooo addictive, haha.
Straight from the goat to the stove. WOWzers is this good!
Thanks, Loree!
At what point do you remove the cinnamon stick?
I left the cinnamon stick in the entire time and just removed it at the very end, but you can remove it once it starts to really thicken up.
Can you use raw milk in this?
I think you can, but I’m not sure. I’ve only used pasteurized.
I just made this and it is absolutely wonderful! Now I have something to do with all my goat milk.
Woo! Isn’t it addicting? You’re making me want to make another batch right now, haha.
Is it raw goat milk or pasteurized? I’m trying to find in my area and the a couple places say I have a choice between raw or pasteurized.
I used pasteurized.
Wow looks great, thanks for posting. Those pics seem edible 🙂
Thanks, Patrick! Just so you know, I’m in love with your site! So many great recipes that really remind me of home. 🙂
Ty ty Isabel, that means a lot to me 🙂
Woah. I want to go swimming in a giant swimming pool (hot tub?) full of this stuff! Looks so good and would take any dessert to the next level! Yum!
YES! Let’s do it, haha! 🙂
Absolutely perfect. I included this in my Friday links roundup!
Woo! Thanks for sharing! The cajeta is SOOO GOOD. I’m sure your readers will love it 🙂
Oh my heavens! This looks divine!!!
Thank you! If you can believe it, it tastes EVEN BETTER!