Atole de cajeta: what it is and how to make it

What is it?

Atole de cajeta is a creamy hot Mexican drink made from cajeta, the famous goat's-milk dulce de leche of Celaya, Guanajuato. It is combined with whole milk, a cinnamon stick and a cornflour thickener to create a dense, deeply sweet and aromatic drink, with notes of caramel and caramelised milk. It is one of the emblematic atoles of the Mexican Bajío, especially in Guanajuato, Querétaro and Aguascalientes, where cajeta has an artisanal designation of origin. It is served during the end-of-year festivities, at the December posadas, at regional fairs and as a comforting drink on cold mornings. Its indulgent character makes it a favourite of children and of dulce de leche lovers.

Origin and history

Cajeta from Celaya is a colonial product documented since the seventeenth century in the city's Franciscan convents. It is made by cooking goat's milk with sugar and bicarbonate until it caramelises, a technique inherited from Spanish confectioneries and adapted with the local abundance of goats in the Guanajuato highlands. The atole, for its part, is a pre-Hispanic drink recorded by Sahagún in the sixteenth century. Their union, atole de cajeta, arose as a Bajío variant in the nineteenth century, when cajeta was industrialised and became a mass-consumption product thanks to Cajetas Coronado, founded in 1890 in Celaya, and to the traditional factories that still operate in the historic centre. Larousse Cocina documents this atole as representative of Bajío-Creole confectionery. The 'Cajeta de Celaya' designation of origin was recognised by the Mexican Secretariat of the Economy in 2007, protecting the artisanal production techniques.

Characteristic ingredients

Cajeta is the star ingredient and comes in three main varieties: quemada (darker and more caramelised), envinada (with wine or brandy) and vainilla (milder). For the atole, the quemada is preferred for its intensity. Whole milk is the liquid base; some recipes partly replace it with evaporated milk for greater creaminess. Cornflour, dissolved in cold milk, is the usual thickener (two tablespoons per litre). The cinnamon stick is infused throughout cooking, balancing the sweetness with a warm touch. The typical proportion is one hundred and fifty grams of cajeta per litre of milk. Some Bajío families add a pinch of bicarbonate to enhance the caramel colour. It is cooked over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent the cajeta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The ideal texture coats the back of the spoon. Contemporary variants incorporate chopped pecan or crushed Marie biscuits as a garnish.

Cultural significance

Atole de cajeta is a symbol of the Mexican Bajío and of the goat-herding culture of Celaya. The city holds the Cajeta Fair each year, where the atole is a star alongside lollipops, sweets and crepes with cajeta. Cajeta has held a Mexican designation of origin since 2007, which protects it as a regional identity product. The cajeta industry of Guanajuato sustains more than five hundred families among goat herders, artisan confectioners and traders, with an estimated annual production of four thousand tonnes according to SADER data. Atole de cajeta also features at posadas, pastorelas and Christmas breakfasts throughout the region. Traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010, recognises cajeta and its derivatives as part of the national gastronomic heritage. Generations of Guanajuato families have passed down the recipe for atole de cajeta orally as part of their cultural identity.

Frequently asked questions