Planting the Seed to Sweet Success

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Milk candy, milk jam, dulce de leche, or just plain caramel; comparisons are easily made, but thick and creamy cajeta is truly a step above all the other simple burnt sugar toppings out there.

Rather than just swap out the goat’s milk for a standard non-dairy alternative, I wanted to start from scratch with whole sunflower seeds. Why sunflower, of all things? I’ve found them to be fairly neutral in flavor when raw, and by using the whole seed, the resulting blend would be plenty rich from those natural fats- No need to add any oils to compensate for a leaner dairy-free drink.

Cajeta takes a bit of patience to perfect, but very little actual work. It’s kitchen alchemy at its best, seeing that pale, unexciting liquid transform into a thick, decadent, caramelized topping. In fact, mine became substantial enough to even use as a spread once fully cooled. Although it was highly tempting to use this golden milk jam as an indulgent new peanut butter sandwich filling, I can never resist the promise of a sweet cajeta sundae.

It may be tough to see the pool of cajeta at the bottom of the glass here, but the beauty of this caramel accompaniment is that a little bit really does go a long way! No matter how you drizzle or slather it on, it’s hard to go wrong with such a versatile dessert topping.

Yield: Makes About 1 Cup

Girasol Cajeta (Sunflower Caramel Sauce)

Girasol Cajeta (Sunflower Caramel Sauce)

Homemade sunflower-based cajeta is truly a step above all the other caramel sauces. Rich and creamy without a drop of dairy, the mixture is slowly cooked over low heat to transform into a thick, decadent, caramelized topping

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups Warm Water
  • 1 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  1. Combine the water and sunflower seeds well in advance, and allow the seeds to soak for about 4 hours. This will soften them and allow them to blend much more easily than if they were simply raw. Transfer the mixture to your blender, and thoroughly puree until perfectly smooth. If you’re using a lower-powered machine, pass the resulting sunflower milk through a sieve to catch any remaining grit, discarding the solids.
  2. Pour the fresh sunflower seed milk into a large stock pot and introduce the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Whisk thoroughly to incorporate before setting the pot over medium heat on the stove. Slowly bring the mixture up to a boil, whisking periodically. Keep a close eye on the mixture at this point, because it can go from inactive to an overflowing bubbly mess in two seconds flat!
  3. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking at a gentle simmer, whisking frequently, as the milk cooks down and gradually darkens in color. After about 30 minutes, it will be especially important to keep stirring so the milk doesn’t burn on the bottom. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent anything from sticking. Add in the vanilla extract at this point.
  4. After another 30 – 40 minutes, the mixture should be a deep amber brown and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving, or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
  5. Stored in the fridge, the cajeta will keep for up to 2 weeks.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 94Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 589mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Dips, Dressings, Sauces, Spreads, and Condiments

18 thoughts on “Planting the Seed to Sweet Success”

  14. […] Cajeta is a Mexican confection made from sweetened goat’s milk. Sometimes other liquids, such as juice and/or liquor are used, as well. It’s basically a fancy dulce de leche. This vegan version substitutes the goat’s milk for raw sunflower seeds, which I thought was pretty interesting. It looks fantastic! Get the recipe here. […]

    1. How very strange! I’ve never heard of this happening before, and I’m sorry for your frustration. Is it possible the heat was too high? It needs to cook very low and slow to come to the right consistency.

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