{Cajeta Recipe} How to Make Goat Milk Caramel Sauce! (2024)

by Sarah Toney | Recipes | 5 comments

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In this article: Learn how to make goat milk caramel sauce with this easy cajeta recipe!

Do you have extra milk hanging around the house? Why not try making this delicious goat milk caramel sauce called cajeta?

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Cajeta is a traditional Mexican sauce made with goat milk. It is very similar to dulce de leche, which is traditionally made with cow’s milk. This cajeta recipe takes all day to cook down, but it is so, so good!

{Cajeta Recipe} How to Make Goat Milk Caramel Sauce! (1)

Make a Delicious Goat Milk Caramel Sauce with this Cajeta Recipe!

To make this cajeta recipe you will need the following:

1/2 gallon goat milk
2 cups sugar
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
dash of cinnamon/ 1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 T water

You can make this on the stove top (quicker, but more hands-on) or in the crock pot (much longer, but does not require constant attention).

{Cajeta Recipe} How to Make Goat Milk Caramel Sauce! (2)

Crockpot Cajeta Recipe Directions:

Place the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in the crock pot and turn on to high. Stir every so often until the milk is hot and sugar is dissolved. Stir in the baking soda water.

Continue cooking on high stirring every so often. I just stirred as I came into the kitchen, maybe once an hour or so. Keep the lid off since the goal is for the milk to reduce and caramelize.

It took about 12 hours to thicken up to the consistency I wanted (like a sauce/topping) if you want it thicker just cook a little longer.

If you like this recipe, check out it and 24 other fabulous goat milk recipes in my Goat Milk Recipe e-Book! With recipes for cheeses, yogurt, kefir and treats like ice cream and fudge!

{Cajeta Recipe} How to Make Goat Milk Caramel Sauce! (3)

Stovetop Cajeta Directions:

Place the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a large pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming on top.

Once the mixture begins to boil stir in the baking soda water. Remove from heat and stir until it no longer threatens to bubble over the top of the pot.

Return to heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken and turn golden. This should take about 1- 1 1/2 hours.

At this point start stirring more frequently so the bottom doesn’t stick or burn. Remove from heat when it has reached your desired consistency.

Remember it will also thicken up as it cools. Pour into a jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. Makes a great apple dip or ice cream topping- here’s my favorite homemade soft serve recipe which is goes great with this cajeta recipe!

Related Goat Milk Recipes:

How to Make Goat Milk Mozzarella- Successfully!

How to Make Goat Milk Yogurt (with 3 incubation options!)

{Cajeta Recipe} How to Make Goat Milk Caramel Sauce! (4)

Cajeta- Goat Milk Caramel Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

A sweet, caramel sauce made from goat milk- similar to dulce de leche

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon goat milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
  • dash of cinnamon/ 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 T water

Instructions

Crockpot Cajeta Directions:

  1. Place the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in the crock pot and turn on to high. Stir every so often until the milk is hot and sugar is dissolved. Stir in the baking soda water.
  2. Continue cooking on high stirring occasionally. Keep the lid off so the milk can reduce and caramelize.
  3. Cook until thick and at the desired consistency (up to 12 hours)

Cajeta Stovetop Directions:

  1. Place the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in a large pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming on top.
  2. Once the mixture begins to boil stir in the baking soda water. Remove from heat and stir until it no longer threatens to bubble over the top of the pot.
  3. Return to heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to thicken and turn golden. This should take about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
  4. At this point start stirring more frequently so the bottom doesn’t stick or burn. Remove from heat when it has reached your desired consistency.
  1. Alannaon March 8, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    Hope much caramel sauce does this recipe yield?

    Reply

    • Alannaon March 9, 2018 at 4:58 pm

      *How

      Reply

  2. Leslie Holdenon July 9, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    Mine keeps forming a skin that later develops into a strange texture! What am I doing wrong?!

    Reply

    • KimQon September 30, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      I would say, like with pudding, when you take it off the heat lay a piece of saran wrap touching it, over it. When it is all cooled and you pull it off, any skin will come away with it.

      Reply

  3. Dessire FOWLERon April 17, 2021 at 10:06 am

    How would you be about canning this?

    Reply

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{Cajeta Recipe} How to Make Goat Milk Caramel Sauce! (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between cajeta and caramel? ›

What is the difference between cajeta, caramel, and dulce de leche? The difference between cajeta and other caramel sauces such as caramel and dulce de leche is that cajeta is made out of goat's milk whereas most others are usually made out of cow's milk.

Why add baking soda to cajeta? ›

The baking soda neutralizes the milk's pH levels and makes cajeta smooth. It also assists with the Maillard reaction, the browning of amino acids with sugars to create caramel.

Is all cajeta made of goat milk? ›

What Is Cajeta? Just like dulce de leche, cajeta is a thick, sweet confection made from boiled milk—goat's milk in the case of cajeta, and cow's milk in the case of dulce. And, just like its cousin, cajeta is almost universally described as "Mexican caramel." On the surface, that makes sense.

Does goat milk caramel go bad? ›

We recommend this because we like to enjoy them fresh, but the ingredients in the caramels are not going to go bad or spoil. The sugar may start to crystallize after a few weeks, giving it more of a grainy texture, but it should still taste delicious.

Can I use dulce de leche instead of cajeta? ›

Cajeta is a Mexican version of “dulce de leche”. The only real difference between the two is that cajeta is made from goat's milk rather than cow's milk. Since goat's milk has a tangier flavor than cow's milk, I find that the cooked down sugary version is less cloyingly sweet and has a more interesting aftertaste.

Is caramel sauce the same as melted caramels? ›

Caramel sauce results either from cooking sugar until it browns or by thinning melted caramel candies. When a recipe calls for melting caramel candies, you can use a homemade caramel sauce to replace the melted caramels.

Why do you put vinegar in caramel? ›

This wee amount of acid prevents any crystallization—from subtle graininess to total disasters. In other words, it leads you toward the smoothest, shiniest, silkiest caramel sauce.

What happens when you add baking powder to caramel? ›

The purpose of baking soda in the caramel is to react with the acidic ingredients (brown sugar, cream of tartar, and corn syrup), which creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles. You'll notice the caramel froths up when you add it.

Why is my cajeta grainy? ›

You may want to warm it up slightly before serving, as cajeta tends to get a bit grainy as it sits.

Should cajeta be refrigerated? ›

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.

What can I substitute for cajeta? ›

If unable to locate cajeta, substitute 3/4 cup dulce de leche spread from a 13.4-oz can.

What is the difference between caramel and cajeta? ›

The standard, sweet caramel sauce we often top our ice cream with is typically made with butter and cream. Cajeta, on the other hand, is made from goat's milk. The flavor of the goat milk is pretty similar to cow milk, but it can have a higher butterfat content, making it a little extra creamy.

Why does my goat milk taste weird? ›

They could be consuming plants that are giving your goat's milk that off-flavor. Carefully check your pasture and any area where they might be eating to see if that is the case. Common causes are wild garlic and onions, but other plants that can leave undesirable flavors in your milk include: Elderflower.

How can you tell if homemade caramel is bad? ›

In terms of appearance, spoiled caramel will appear lumpy or hard. The liquids and solids may have separated, creating a watery film. A significant color change is also a good indicator that your sauce has gone bad. If the sight test checks out, give your caramel sauce a sniff.

What does cajeta taste like? ›

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! The first time I had Cajeta was in Mexico.

What is a substitute for cajeta? ›

If unable to locate cajeta, substitute 3/4 cup dulce de leche spread from a 13.4-oz can.

What's the difference between caramel and dulce? ›

Caramel and dulce de leche might look and taste somewhat similar, but they are actually pretty different. While caramel is made from slowly simmering water and sugar until it caramelizes, dulce de leche is made from simmering milk and sugar super slowly until it turns into a creamy, caramelized substance.

Why is cajeta called cajeta? ›

Cajeta's Origin Story

Hailing from Celaya, Mexico, in the present day state of Guanajuato, cajeta is named after the small wooden boxes (cajetas) it was originally sold in.

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