Cajeta is a beloved traditional Mexican sweet that deserves to be on more supermarket shelves across the entire United States. Essentially, it’s a caramel sauce made from sweetened goat's milk that has been cooked down until thick, gooey, darkened, and delicious. But that basic description doesn’t exactly do it justice.
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Weeknight cooking inspiration, curated and written by longtime ATK author and editor (and avid home cook) Jack Bishop.
If you’re familiar with dulce de leche, the cow’s-milk version, then you have a strong basis for comparison. In terms of flavor, however, cajeta brings more to the table. Due to the different character of its main ingredient (goat’s milk), cajeta has a more complex and nuanced flavor than dulce de leche, with a subtle brightness that lifts you off your feet, lightening the rich caramel and balancing its sweetness. And it ratchets up the flavor profile of any recipe it’s added to.
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. Historically, the method of making sweets from milk has its origins in Spain, but the region famous for producing cajeta is where the method was first applied to goat’s milk.
Traditionally, There Are Three Varieties of Cajeta
- Vainilla: a light golden cajeta flavored with vanilla
- Quemada: literally translated as “burnt” cajeta; further reduced and caramelized for a darker, more intense end product
- Envinada: a cajeta flavored with spirits, such as rum, sherry, or tequila
Four Ways to Enjoy Cajeta
- Use it as the caramel layer in our Mini Chocoflanes.
- Warm it gently to drizzle over ice cream.
- Stir it into your coffee as an especially delightful sweetener.
- Swirl it into the top of brownie batter before baking.
If you can't find cajeta or would prefer to make it yourself, try our recipe.
Desserts Illustrated
Part cookbook, part handbook, Desserts Illustrated is the last word on the last (but definitely not the least) course. We far exceed previous explorations of the world of sweets, teaching all types of candies, custards, frozen treats, and fruit desserts in addition to a bounty of baked goods.
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