Cajeta (Mexican Milk Caramel)
A traditional Mexican milk caramel slowly cooked with sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda until thick, glossy, and spreadable. Delicious on bread, biscuits, cakes, or ice cream.
This recipe is Mexican style, desserts, scaled for 20 servings, with 10 min prep and 95 min cook.
Prep: 10 min · Cook: 95 min · Total: 105 min · Serves: 20
Quick cooking notes
- Core ingredients include milk, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon stick.
- Follow all 6 steps in order for the intended texture and doneness.
- Ingredient quantities listed below are for 20 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts milk
- 3 cups sugar
- 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small cinnamon stick
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine 1 quart of the milk with the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns golden.
- In a second saucepan, combine the remaining 1 quart of milk with the baking soda.
- Add the cinnamon stick and bring the milk mixture to a boil.
- Discard the cinnamon stick, then add the hot milk mixture very gradually to the caramel mixture, stirring constantly.
- Cook very slowly over low heat until the mixture is thick and glossy, like melted caramel.
- Cool slightly, pour into a glass container, and chill until set.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 176
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 42 mg
Nutrition values are estimates based on stored ingredient totals and serving size.