How Many Calories in Cempedak Goreng?

Cempedak Goreng is deep-fried battered cempedak fruit, like pisang goreng's richer cousin with a stronger, sweeter flavour and more indulgent bite.

185kcal / 1 piece

One piece of Cempedak Goreng (about 75g) comes in at around 185 calories, with 26g carbs, 8g fat, and basically 2g protein. The fruit itself is only about 52 calories. The batter adds another 55 and the oil absorbed during frying contributes around 78 calories. So yeah, it's the cooking method doing most of the damage, not the fruit.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 piece (75g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	185 kcal	247 kcal
Protein	2 g	3 g
Carbs	26 g	35 g
Fat	8 g	11 g

Where the calories come from

Cempedak fruit pulp (fresh, ~45g)45g

52 kcal

Batter coating (rice flour + plain flour mix, ~15g dry)15g

55 kcal

Oil absorbed during deep frying9g

78 kcal

The real talk

Cempedak is a cousin of jackfruit, sweeter and with a stronger smell, and when you fry it in batter it becomes one of those roadside snacks that's genuinely hard to stop at one. At 185 calories a piece, it's not outrageous on its own, but nobody buys just one. Three pieces and you're at 555 calories for what is essentially a snack. Worth knowing: these numbers are a ballpark estimate because solid nutrition data for cempedak goreng is thin. We've broken it down by components (fruit pulp, batter, absorbed oil) and it lands around 185 per piece, but the real number shifts depending on how thick the batter is and how long it drains after frying.

The biggest calorie driver is the oil absorbed during deep frying, about 78 calories out of 185. Batter thickness matters a lot too. A thin, airy batter absorbs less oil than a thick doughy coat. If you're buying from a stall, pieces vary wildly in size. A small piece might be 60g and around 145 calories. A big fat one could be 100g and closer to 250. If you're tracking, weigh it or just count 185 and move on. There's no lighter version of this dish really, because the whole point is the fry. Pair it with black coffee instead of a sugary drink and at least you're not doubling down on the damage.

How to eat it lighter

Eat one piece and actually stop. One is 185 calories, three is a small meal.
Let it drain on paper towel for a minute before eating. You'd be surprised how much oil comes off.
Buy the smaller pieces at the stall. Size varies a lot and a smaller piece can save you 40 to 60 calories.
Skip the sugary drinks alongside it. Teh tarik adds another 100 plus calories on top.
Eat it as a planned snack, not an impulse add-on to a full meal.

Common questions

How many calories in Cempedak Goreng?

One piece of Cempedak Goreng is about 185 calories (75g serving). The fruit itself is only around 52 calories, but the batter adds 55 and the absorbed frying oil contributes around 78, so the cooking method is really what drives the number.

What is cempedak goreng?

Cempedak is a tropical fruit closely related to jackfruit, but sweeter and with a stronger aroma. Cempedak Goreng is the fruit coated in a rice flour and plain flour batter and deep fried, same concept as pisang goreng. You'll find it at roadside stalls and pasar malam.

Is cempedak goreng healthy?

Not really, but it's not a disaster if you eat it in moderation. The fruit itself has some natural sugars and a bit of fibre. The problem is frying it in batter adds a lot of fat and calories. At 185 calories a piece with only 2g of protein, it's a snack that fills you up on carbs and fat, not much else.

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →