Learn how to make the traditional Mexican cajeta recipe. This slow-cooked recipe is worth every minute, you love drizzling it over all your favorite desserts.
What is Cajeta
Cajeta is one of my favorite things in the world! Cajeta, also known as dulce de leche, is a Hispanic sweet thick milk caramel sauce or syrup. In Mexico, this sweet confection is known as cajeta and in other Spanish speaking countries, it is called dulce de leche. I grew up calling it cajeta so that’s the name I prefer, but I do realize that in some other Spanish speaking Latin American countries the word cajeta is considered to be a not so nice word.
Who Invented Cajeta
The word cajeta can also mean little wood boxes, and traditionally the cajeta was packaged and stored in wood boxes. So as you can see it has many different meanings and uses depending on the region or dialect of Spanish. There are several areas in Mexico that claim they invented or that cajeta originated there. But since the indigenous people did not really consume dairy products, most likely the sweet originated in Spain and brought to Mexico or introduced by the conquistadores.
Different Types of Cajeta
My family’s hometown in Mexico is known for its cajeta, there it’s sold throughout the town’s many confectionery shops. The shops there all compete with each other by offering different varieties and flavors of cajeta. Some shops even carry cajeta boracha or drunk cajeta, which can be prepared with a number of different alcohols. The shops set up extensions of their stores on the sidewalks, where they have their employees offering small taste samples of their cajetas to passers-by. When I was a little girl, and living in or visiting my town, my sisters, cousins and I (shamelessly) took advantage of the shop’s offerings. We would keep walking up and down the street or switching to other streets just to get a free sample. It was a silly thing to do but we were silly kids. I have great memories of eating cajeta in Mexico while visiting our family during our summer holidays.
Ways to Use Cajeta
My family uses cajeta as a topping on almost anything we want, there are even popsicles made with it. My personal favorite is to eat it right off the spoon like peanut butter or Nutella. One of the most popular ways of eating cajeta, in Mexico, is by spreading it on a piece of bolillo, a Mexican bread, just like you would spread jelly on a piece of toast. Another of my favorite ways of eating it is on “hot cakes” or pancakes, it’s like an American-Mexican fusion treat. In my family, it was a special treat and the kids went crazy for it. We were lucky too because, after we moved to the States, my mother would buy and bring back plastic tubs from her trips to our hometown.
Some other ways to use cajeta
• cajeta on crepes (or crepas) is another favorite of mine, though I didn’t discover it until I was older, it’s such a great dessert.
• You can drizzle cajeta over ice cream
• you can make a milkshake with it
• use it as a cookie or empanada filling
• use it on tamales, • add a tablespoon to your coffee
• drizzle over waffles and pancakes
• stir into rice pudding or even oatmeal
• dip your favorite fruits into
There are many different uses for cajeta and it’s pretty much something to use as you’d like.
How to Make Cajeta
The traditional Mexican recipe for cajeta uses a mix of goat milk and cow milk. And while you may be put off by the goat milk, don’t be. Really don’t be. It’s very similar to cow milk and actually just has a slightly more savory, bit saltier, taste to it than “regular” milk. You won’t be able to differentiate between the two kinds of milk once the cajeta is prepared — but if you skip it and only use regular milk then it becomes dulce de leche and tastes different than the traditional Mexican cajeta recipe.
Below is my recipe, I make the small portion for the two of us but if you have a larger family you could try the larger version. Either way, these are standard recipes that are used by many people.
How To Make Authentic Mexican Cajeta (milk caramel sauce)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups or 16 oz. or 500 ml goat milk*
- ⅓ cup or up to ½ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract or ¼ tsp bourbon vanilla powder
- one cinnamon stick
- pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 2 tbsp whole fat cow milk
Equipment Needed
- 1 large heavy pot
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 8 oz clean jar
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour the goat milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon (if using) into a large heavy pot and bring to a light boil over medium heat. Stir to make sure all of the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl mix the cow milk and baking soda until the baking soda has dissolved. Remove pot from burner, pour baking soda mixture into the goat milk, stirring fast, be careful because the liquid will quickly froth and overflow. Stir until the bubbles have subsided then turn the heat to medium and bring the pot back to the heat.
- Continue to cook the goat milk mixture, stirring very frequently because the mixture may bubble and pour over the pot. After another 20-30 minutes the mixture should begin to a darken and start thickening into a thick sauce consistency. Continue simmering and stirring frequently until the mixture turns a dark caramel color and coats the wood spoon, this may take another 20-40 minutes depending on liquid left in the pot. The cajeta should the same consistency as maple syrup.
- Pour into a jar and allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. The cajeta will keep fresh in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
- The cajeta taste best if warmed up a little bit before using as desired.
Video
Notes
Large Portion Ingredients:
2 quarts or 1.90-liter goat milk
2 cups white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract or ¾ tsp bourbon vanilla powder
one Mexican cinnamon stick (ceylon cinnamon)
pinch salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp whole fat cow milk ***The process is the same whether making the small or large version. The only difference is that it may take a bit longer for the larger version. (P.S. I forgot to include the cinnamon stick in the ingredients photo. Oops!)
As you can see, though it will give your arms a workout and you must be patient, making cajeta at home really isn’t complicated at all. It’s so worth the effort and way better than the stuff available at the grocery store. Now if you live in a place where you can get it locally made, then maybe just make cajeta once so you say you’ve done it, then support the local artisans.
Lovely clicks! I am a big fan of this paste. Addictive!
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa and yes it is very addictive.
I missed you! 🙂 A perfect recipe to share with us – I *love* dulce de leche. I’ll be dreaming of this tonight!
Thanks Laura, I missed you too:) Sweet dreams, hehe.
This looks and sounds absolutely delectable–street food cultures are the best! Unfortunately, every time I go abroad (usually with my family), everyone gets paranoid about our stomachs not being able to handle the street food quality and sanitation, so I seem to miss out on a lot…but it’s nice to know I can make this in the comfort of my kitchen. I’ve linked up on YBR too, thank you for hosting!
Too bad, because experiencing street food is experiencing a bit of the culture you visit. It does pay to be cautious, but I also think that something are exaggerated.
Great, welcome to the YBR:)
Welcome back 🙂 dulce de leche is called cajeta in mexico….i like tat….vigorously reading about mexican cuisine since couple of week….its been fascinating me….thanks for sharing!
Thank you MJ! Yeppers. Glad to hear you’ve been learning and finding Mexican cuisine fascinating.
Eating this off the spoon sounds like a plan to me!
A favorite activity, naughty too:)
wow Cajeta made from the scratch…you are SUPER! Thank you for sharing it. Gotta get some goat milk!
Thanks Angie. I hope you do try it soon.
OH I imagine walking down the road of your town in Mexico and try out different cajetas. hehe. that would be fun. I am not sure if I overlooked it in the post, but can the cajeta be made with cow milk entirely. I dont really enjoy goat milk. Why do you use goat milk in the recipe? something to do with the thickness or fat amount?
Hi Helene,
Oops, I forgot to include the text about milk substitutions. Thanks for catching that:)
Yes, you may substitute the goat milk for cow milk. Try to use whole fat cow milk, as it will have the best consistency-not to mention taste better.
The goat milk does impart a distint taste but I know it will taste just as good with cow milk. Enjoy!
Nancy
I love both your darker “moody” photos style as well as this lighter style. You make both look so easy and do it so well. 🙂 I wish I had your eye for styling. Now onto the recipe… I would love to just stick my finger into that dulce de leche and eat it all up. YUM!!! I signed up for your YBR this month…. I don’t won’t to miss that out again. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend my friend! ~ Ramona
Cant wait for your book. I was just thinking yesterday that id like to find a recipe for dulce de leche and here it is. I was surprised by the light style, very nice
Thanks for posting this recipe. Nearby Celaya in the state of Guanajuato claims to be the home of cajeta in my part of Mexico. I adore it and use it all the time–and I always take some to the states as gifts when I visit there. My favorite brand is Coronado, the Quemada type (we have several “flavored” versions available), but now I may have to make my own! Also, here (and perhaps only here in SMA) we differentiate between Dulce de Leche and Cajeta, with the latter using only goat’s milk. I enjoyed the history as well.
Street food represent always authentic food…it’s a must to try when I travel.
Your pics are so appealing!!Meriem
Looks gorgeous Nancy! I might give the goats’ milk a a try next time I make dulce de leche – I’ll definitely try adding in cinnamon. I notice you have a link to the WFP – love that! Also it seems we both found our way to the same configuration of nRelate’s link widget. Great minds! I’m finding it to be so much better than linkwithin, but have yet to test it on different browsers. My site’s not back up yet, but the pieces are falling into place – I’m just tweaking back posts to fit the new layout and I’ll unveil October 1st (if not sooner…). Looking forward to your ebook! 🙂
Dear Nancy, I will have to show this post to my daughter..she’ll love it! Your dolce de leche looks wonderful. All I need is that and I’m in heaven. Blessings, Catherine xo
What do I think of the lighter style in these picture? I love everything you shoot! These are beautiful! Thanks for sharing this authentic recipe! I had the privileged of tasting real cajeta once and there is nothing else like it! Yes, the preferred method would be to eat it right off the spoon, but I would also love to pour it over some sweet tamales I make. YUM! Good luck on the final review of your book! Can’t wait for it to come out!
Dulce de leche is one of my absolute favorite things, I could just eat it with a spoon and I do!
Welcome back, Nancy! We missed you…
You know, to be honest, I’m not much on cajeta (or sweets in general) but this looks so good I want to give it another try…
Thanks for teaching me a new word! I never knew Dulce de Leche was also called cajeta – very cool to know. I love this dish too. Nice post, and welcome back!
oh my goodness, my mouth is WATERING! it looks so light and creamy, and so rich at the same time. this on pancakes sounds like a dream.
The photos are lovely as always, but I did notice the different background. 🙂
Thanks for sharing a bit of the history surrounding Cajeta – I love learning about these types of things. I really want to try to make this sometime soon, the idea of putting it on pancakes sounds so yummy. Or maybe a plain vanilla cake…
I too loooooove cajeta and love it the most right out of the jar, onto a spoon and into my mouth…..thanks for sharing your lovely recipe…gorgeous pix too.
Welcome back! Glad to hear you’re almost done with the ebook. I can’t imagine how much work you have to put into! Nice Mexican dulce de leche recipe! I’d love to taste it. 🙂
Nancy, this is a great recipe for one of the best sweets that exists! Cajeta is a welcome addition to nearly any pastry. Your food photography is gorgeous and I love the anonymous quote too!
I tried this today – with cows milk. It turned out so wonderfully. Thanks a lot for the recipe 🙂
Hi Priya! That’s great, and so glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know:)
I’m wondering if cajeta can be successfully canned using a water bath. Anyone know?
Hi Tammy, I’ve never done it myself but hopefully someone can chime in with advice for you.
I tried this for a family mexican-themed lunch at the weekend and it did not disappoint! It was also my first ever excuse to buy goats milk (have been a goat cheese fan for a long time and certainly recognised the distinctive taste). The photos were very helpful in determining how long i needed to keep cooking and stirring for – I probably would have gotten nervous and underdone it otherwise. I don’t know about the authenticity of such things but I wanted to serve it with apple enchiladas and wasn’t sure how to best go about it. I ended up spooning a generous amount on top of the apples before I rolled each enchilada up, baking the lot (which resulted in some escaping cajeta) then using what was left served on top with condensed milk ice cream. Mmmmm, just delicious!
Hi J! Thanks for letting me know and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Wow, your apple enchiladas sound fantastic! Now I want to give them a try.;)
Just found your site while looking for a recipe for dulce de leche…the long version (i.e. not using a can of sweetened condensed milk…)
Thank you for posting this one and, I love your photos.
Here are my questions. What is the shelf life of dulce de leche before it goes bad ?
Which part of Mexico did you come from? I would love to visit that town if they have a dulce de leche festival as in Papantla, Veracruz at vanilla harvesting time.
And, third, what kinds of alcohol where people putting in to their dulce de leche? I never thought of doing that but I imagine rum or cognac would be great.
Hi Cheryl,
Glad you found my recipe and I hope you give it a try soon. I never keep mine longer than a couple of weeks — we usually eat it before then. Well, I am not from there but I know Celaya in the state of Guanajuato is the most famous place for cajeta. I’m sure they have many festivities around cajeta. As for the alcohol I’ve seen red wine but I think rum and cognac would work fantastically. Enjoy your cajeta!
Hi! Thanks for the detailed recipe. I think I may’ve cooked it too long though. It’s still cooling and is very stringy. Is there something I can do to bring it back to a more syrupy consistency? I browsed the comments, and didn’t see anyone with this issue, so I apologize if this is a repeat question! Thanks again for the awesome recipe! I’m planning to drizzle it over my husband’s tres leches birthday cake 🙂
You could try adding some more milk and see if that thins it down. Yum, the cake sounds like it will be wonderful.
Absolutely amazing, made a large batch just yesterday using this recipe and it filled the house with the most wonderfully spiced aroma. Thank you ever so much for sharing this family gem.
My pleasure Olive, glad to hear you enjoyed both making it and, I’m sure, eating it too.
Just made this recipe with my cousin, The Freckled Foodie….our lives are forever changed. I can honestly say there will never be a time when there isn’t a jar of this amazing stuff in my fridge.
Hi Germaine! Hehe, I know exactly how you both feel. Thank you and enjoy putting cajeta on just about everything.:)
I meant to ask, mine actually turned out a bit gelatinous; is that normal or did I do something wrong!
Hi Germaine,
I’m sorry to hear that your cajeta turn gelatinous. That has never happened to me and I don’t really know how that could have happened.
Did you add extra ingredients or used different ones than called for in my recipes? Did the gelatinous texture happened after cooking or when did it happen? Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of it so that it doesn’t happen again.:)
~Nancy
So happy I found your page. Beautiful!
I love this recipe & have made the large portion version many times now. I’m curious why we put the baking soda in it. Do you know why it is needed? Also, I’ve substituted Fireball bourbon & Captain Morgan Black rum for the vanilla a few times & they are both really fun! Thanks for a great recipe & easy instructions!
Hi Angie,
I’m thrilled that you enjoy my recipe and that you make the large portions. I love your addition of bourbon and rum, and can only imagine how fantastic it tastes — yum!:) I did a little checking on the baking soda, and this Mexican Chef says it is added to help prevent lumps and to enhance the brown colour.
Thanks for the recipe!
I just wish TV chefs would stop calling it “dolche de leche” as it if were an Italian thing! (Folks, it’s pronounced “dulsay”!)
Haha 🙂 Thanks, Gina!
I just finished doing this and is so good! I’m really trying to not eat everything right away!
Hi Ioana,
Thank you and am glad that you enjoyed it — I agree not eating it all straightaway is difficult! 🙂
i just did this tongue and my husband (btw, he’s mexican) liked this a lot and he said that this is the taste of Mexico. It’s my first time to try cajeta. I love it too. I think it’s better than salted caramel. I put more salt on mine because I want it like salted caramel. It’s just a lot of work stirring for an hour and half lol… can I just crock pot condensed milk instead? but how would I blend the cinnamon and salt in condensed milk while it’s on simmer?
Hi I’m glad to hear it and it’s always nice to get a taste of Mexico when you live away from it. Stirring is tiresome but I think worth the effort — at least once it’s done and I’m not doing it anymore. Lol!
If you do it with the crockpot and condensed milk it will taste good but it won’t be cajeta anymore. Cajeta needs the mixture of cow and goat milk to achieve that unique taste. The condensed milk would turn into a very similar consistency but then it is called dulce de leche and it is quite common in South American countries like Argentina.
Either way enjoy both and thank you! 🙂