Homemade Cajeta and Baked Churros
Homemade cajeta is so addictive, and so easy to make! Serve with a big basket of baked churros for dipping. If you like dulce de leche, you’ll adore this Mexican caramel sauce, made with goat’s milk!
I have a few important questions for you: Do you like donuts? With cinnamon sugar? How about caramel?
Pretty much a no-brainer, right? Like, duh. You’re reading Baking a Moment, after all, so it kinda goes without saying I guess.
Now tell me, what are your feelings about goat’s cheese? That creamy, soft mouthfeel? That hint of tanginess? That almost chalky, clean quality it has, that you just can’t quite put your finger on?
I absolutely adore it, and I can’t ever get enough. So, naturally cajeta needed to happen in my kitchen, ASAP!
Have you ever had cajeta? Have you ever heard of cajeta? It’s Mexican caramel, like dulce de leche, only it’s made with goat’s milk! Omg, you guys. It’s like heaven in your mouth.
Can we all agree that caramel, in general, is like, the best taste in all the land? Ok now imagine a caramel that’s just got the subtlest little difference. It’s just enough to make you go “Wow, that is really fabulous… and gee what is that I’m tasting…?”
It’s goat’s milk. It’s milk, but from a goat instead of cow. <– I probably didn’t need to explain that just now. But it’s true! It tastes like the milk you are used to, but with the teensiest little difference. Creamy, a little tangy, really clean tasting. If that makes sense. And simmered down for hours in a big pot with lots of brown sugar, it’s positively transcendent.
And that’s really all there is to it. It takes longer to make than my Simply Perfect Salted Caramel, but on the other hand, it’s almost entirely down time. Just let it simmer away and do it’s own thing.
The hardest thing is probably finding the goat’s milk, but I didn’t really even have too much trouble with that. They had it at Whole Foods, but I actually found an even better selection at good ol’ Shop Rite. If you have a store near you that has a decent selection of “ethnic” foods, in particular Hispanic, go there. Or a higher-end grocery store with a lot of products for people with food allergies/sensitivities would be another safe bet. Because goat’s milk is often a lot gentler on the tummy than cow’s milk.
A lot of times you’ll see crepas de cajeta on the dessert menu at a Mexican restaurant (which are crepes with cajeta drizzled on top- ORDER THEM!!!), but I decided to go a different route and pair my cajeta with a big platter of baked churros. It’s as simple as piping a batch of my Simply Perfect Pate a Choux into 4-inch logs, baking them up, brushing them lightly with melted butter, and tossing them in cinnamon sugar. I really like using this kind of tip, it gives them the crunchiest grooves for the cinnamon sugar to get caught in 😉
Just be sure to bake them until they’re nice and brown, so you get a nice texture. If you pull them from the oven too soon, they get wet inside and deflate. Whomp, whomp. Make sure they’re dry, and really light and hollow.
So addictive!!! Just. Can’t. STOP!
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Homemade Cajeta and Baked Churros
Ingredients
- 4 cups (0.95 l) fresh goat's milk, (1 quart)
- 1 1/4 cup (275 g) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 batch Simply Perfect Pate a Choux
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter,, melted
Instructions
To Make the Cajeta:
- Place the goat's milk, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat until simmering.
- Keep the mixture at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until it's reduced down to about 1½ cups (about 2 hours). It will be very thick and toasty brown.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, and immediately pour the hot caramel into a heat-safe vessel to cool. (Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
To Make the Baked Churros:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Place the pate a choux dough in a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe 4-inch long lines onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the churros are evenly browned, dry, hollow, and light.
- Brush lightly with melted butter and coat with cinnamon sugar.
This homemade cajeta and baked churros is the food of champions! Dying to eat this! Thanks for posting it Allie!
My pleasure Kara! Hope you enjoy!
This homemade cajeta and baked churros are so Instagrammable and adorable! Can I post it on my blog?
These homemade cajeta and baked churros look absolutely fantastic. Beautiful photos, too. I look forward to trying this. Happy Independence Day!
Thanks Bella! So happy you like this! Hope you had a great holiday!
Amazing homemade cajeta and baked churros! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thx for sharing Allie!
My pleasure, and thanks for pinning!
I found your cajeta recipe! Looks amazing and perfect with churros. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Eek I hope it meets your approval Veronica! I know you are the dulce de leche queen!
I’ve never tried these recipes but they look yummy will have to give them a try thanks for sharing visiting from the best of the week have a great weekend.
Thanks for stopping by, Lorraine! Hope to see you here again 😉
This looks amazing! I love goat cheese, but don’t have any experience working with goat milk. Curious to give that a try. Baking churros is a great idea, saves so much time and mess over frying.
Oh, totally Sherri. I can’t be bothered with all that hot oil. This is way easier!
Oh my word Allie, where do I even begin??? I love everything about this post! These baked churros are amazing on their own already but then dipping them into the goat’s milk cajeta? Pure genius my dear! And I can’t stop drooling over these gorgeous photos too – especially the dunking gif! Pinned 🙂
Wow, I love baked Churros! The Cajeta sounds amazing! Definitely need to try the recipe! 🙂
Thanks Jessica! The baked churros are great, but the cajeta makes the dish! Take good care, sweetie!
Oh my gosh I was craving this the other day. The cajeta sounds so delicious!!!! I was on a total goat cheese kick that it was crazy…okay everything about this post is just perfect!
I get on those kicks too, Jessica! Oh my gosh I just love anything goat, lol! Thanks dearie!
OH. MY. HEEEAVENS!!!!!
Completely amazed. The goat’s milk caramel “cajeta” sounds faaaabulous and obviously baked churros are DELICIOUSNESS personified! eeeeee!
Lol thank you Kayle! I am in love with that goat’s milk caramel, I’m telling ya! The baked churros are just the vehicle for getting more cajeta into my mouth 😉
OH MY GOD
I need to try this cajeta stuff because both goat cheese and caramel are legit my favorites! And then you pair them with those aweaome churros??? This might just be the best dessert EVER.
I’m seriously so dying over these! They look & sound fabulous!
Hope you have a lovely weekend Allie dear! xx
You too Consuelo! And thanks so much for the sweet comment, dear! <3
1. I absolutely LOVE caramel. And dulce de leche. So I’m just gonna go ahead and make the assumption that I will also love cajeta. I have heard of it, but never tried it. 2. I feel the exact same way about goat cheese. I knew we were kindred spirits! 😉 3. YOU ARE BRILLIANT for baking these! I never make churros because, you know, deep fried guilt. But I can definitely talk myself into making these. 🙂 Fabulous!
Oh ya, these are so much less guilt-inducing, Dianna! And easier to make too! Ain’t nobody got time for frying in hot oil ;P Thanks so much for the sweet comment, my dear! <3