This goat milk caramel (Cajeta) is sweet, tangy, and silky smooth. It’s simple to make and requires no special equipment except a pot. Drizzle it over your favorite desserts for an extra special treat!
Goat milk caramel (aka Cajeta) is a Mexican caramel that’s made using goat’s milk and sugar. It has a slightly tangy flavor from the milk and makes a tasty addition to ice cream, cheesecake, and other sweet foods.
It’s way easier to make than classic caramel so you don’t have to worry as much about burning it or crystallizing the sauce. All you need is one pot and a bit of time. It’s made by slowly simmering the milk with sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then once it’s cooked, a splash of vanilla extract is added for extra flavor.
If you’re looking for a simple caramel sauce to add to your favorite desserts, this goat milk caramel (Cajeta) is great for adding a unique and delicious combination of sweet and tangy.
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Ingredients
- Goat Milk: This is the base of our caramel sauce. We use pasteurized goat milk.
- Baking Soda: This reacts with the acid in the milk, causing the mixture to bubble and foam, which helps it to caramelize the sauce and create a softer texture.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll need 1 cup (200 g) of sugar.
- Cinnamon Stick: Don’t skip this! It adds a lot of extra warmth and flavor to the caramel. The sauce wouldn’t be the same without it.
- Salt: This enhances the other flavors.
- Vanilla Extract: We like to use Mexican vanilla, but regular pure vanilla extract works fine too. If you want, you can even use a vanilla bean.
Tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot. These types of pots distribute heat better and prevent any hotspots from forming that could burn your caramel. If you’re using a thin-bottomed pot like enamel, you’ll have to stir and scrape the sides constantly to make sure nothing burns since some spots will heat up faster.
- Keep an eye on it! The milk can quickly go from simmering to boiling so be sure to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t boil over onto the stove. Trust us, it’s happened before!
- Use a slightly larger pot than you think you might need. If the milk is close to the top of the pot when you pour it in, your pot is too small. The baking soda that we add later on will cause it to bubble up and grow, so make sure there’s plenty of room in your pot.
- For thicker cajeta, cook it for at least another 10-15 minutes or until it thickens to your liking. Keep in mind, that it’ll thicken a bit more once you put it in the fridge.
- Add another ¼ tsp salt to make salted cajeta.
- To make the sauce pourable again if it’s too thick, place it in the microwave for about 5-8 seconds or until it’s drizzly.
FAQ
No. Cajeta is made from simmering goat’s milk whereas dulce de leche is made with sweetened condensed milk. They’re both caramels that are made in a similar way, but with a different dairy base and a slightly different flavor.
No. Cajeta is specifically a goat milk caramel which is what makes it unique to other caramels.
If your sauce is grainy, it’s mostly likely due to it being overheated. It’s important to cook it on the proper heat setting and stir often to keep it from getting too hot. When milk overheats/boils, the milk solids separate from the water, causing it curdle. These separated milk solids are what give it that grainy texture, so be sure to stir often and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil.
Place the caramel sauce into an airtight container and cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Variations of Cajeta
- Some recipes use both goat’s milk and cow’s milk. If you want a more mellowed out flavor, you can use half of each. Personally, we prefer to use all goat’s milk because we like the extra bit of tang.
- Try using brown sugar or even piloncillo (a type of Mexican brown sugar). We’ve never tried it with either, but if you do, let us know how it turned out!
- If you’re a big fan of cinnamon, add an extra stick to amp up the spice.
What to Eat with Cajeta
- Crepes: The best way we’ve had cajeta is with crepes topped with slivered almonds and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Ice Cream: We love to drizzle some on top of a scoop of Tillamook French Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Cheesecake: Add it on top of a slice of creamy cheesecake.
- Pie: Drizzle it over a slice of apple or pumpkin pie.
- Coffee: Add 1 tbsp of cajeta to 2 shots of freshly brewed espresso. Stir until the caramel has melted then add ice and top with ¾ cup milk.
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📖 Recipe
Goat Milk Caramel (Cajeta)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: About 1 ½ cups 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This Mexican goat milk caramel (Cajeta) is sweet, tangy, and silky smooth. Drizzle it over your favorite desserts for an extra special treat!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 litre) goat milk, divided
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp goat milk with the baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, stir the remaining goat milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, and salt. Stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved and it reaches a simmer*(see notes). The milk will look foamy at this stage.
- Once simmering, remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda mixture. Be sure to scrape out all the baking soda into the milk.
- Return the pot to the stove and reduce to medium-low heat. Continue to simmer the mixture for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring frequently until it has reduced and thickened. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to prevent the caramel from burning. It will start to brown after about 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the caramel thoroughly coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Remove the cinnamon stick and discard it.
- Place it into an airtight container and cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.
Notes
Simmering the milk: Keep a very close eye on the milk as it reaches a simmer. It doesn’t take long for it to go from simmering to boiling, and when it boils, it could easily spill over onto the stove.
Use a pot that’s big enough to allow the caramel to bubble up when you add the baking soda.
The cajeta will last up to 1 month in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
- Calories: 96
- Sugar: 18.6 g
- Sodium: 88.4 mg
- Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.7 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
Keywords: goat milk caramel, cajeta recipe, Mexican caramel
Tammy says
Had extra goats milk and thought I would give this recipe a try. It turned out perfect exactly as written! Thanks…I can’t wait to try this on dessert this Christmas!
★★★★★
fancifuleats says
So glad it worked for you! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂