Snacks & Kuih

How Many Calories in Keropok Keping?

Keropok keping are flat, crispy fish crackers, sliced thin from a log of fish paste and tapioca, sun-dried, then deep fried to a satisfying snap and served with sweet chili sauce.

260kcal / 1 small bag / hawker plate (~50g crackers + sweet chili dip)
A small bag or hawker plate of keropok keping, around 50g of crackers with the sweet chili dip, comes to about 260 calories. That breaks down as 5g protein, 34g carbs, and 10g fat. Each individual piece is light as air, but the tapioca base and the oil it absorbs during frying add up quickly once you get through a whole bag.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 small bag / hawker plate (~50g crackers + sweet chili dip) (65g)AmountPer 100g
Calories260 kcal400 kcal
Protein5 g8 g
Carbs34 g52 g
Fat10 g15 g

Where the calories come from

Tapioca-fish cracker base (starch + fish paste, 50g fried)40g
145 kcal
Absorbed frying oil (in cracker, estimated 10g)10g
85 kcal
Sweet chili dipping sauce (15g)15g
30 kcal

The real talk

Keropok keping are the flat, shatteringly crispy cousin of keropok lekor. If you haven't had them, picture thin wafers made from fish paste and tapioca starch, sliced from a log shape, dried in the sun, then deep fried until they puff up and go translucent. Popular all along the Terengganu and Kelantan coast but honestly sold everywhere in Malaysia now. At 260 calories for a small bag with dip, they're not a disaster, but almost all of those calories come from starch and frying oil, not from anything useful. The fish content is real but modest, so you get 5g of protein and that's about it. Fair warning: these numbers are a ballpark estimate. Hard nutritional data for keropok keping specifically is thin, and oil absorption varies a lot depending on frying temperature and how thick the keping are cut.

What really shifts the maths is portion size and how much you dip. The sweet chili sauce on its own is only about 30 calories for 15g, which is fine, but people don't stop at 15g. Double the dip and you're adding another 30 calories easily. The bigger issue is the crackers themselves: 40g of fried cracker base brings 145 calories, plus another 85 calories estimated just from absorbed oil. If you buy the 100g bag instead of the 50g bag you're already past 500 calories before you notice. Eating them alongside a meal rather than as the whole meal helps keep things in check, and sharing a bag at the table is the sensible play.

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Keropok Keping?
A small bag or hawker serving of keropok keping, around 50g of crackers with sweet chili dip, is approximately 260 calories. That's 5g protein, 34g carbs, and 10g fat. Note that this is an estimate as hard data for this specific snack is limited.
What exactly is keropok keping?
Keropok keping are flat fish crackers made from a mixture of fish paste and tapioca starch. The dough is formed into a log, sliced thin, sun-dried, and then deep fried until crispy and puffy. They're a Terengganu staple but you'll find them all over Malaysia served with sweet chili sauce.
Is keropok keping healthy?
It's a deep fried tapioca snack, so no, it's not a health food. The protein is low at 5g and most of the calories come from starch and frying oil. That said, a small serving at 260 calories is manageable if you're not eating it on top of a full meal. The issue is portion control since the light, airy texture makes it very easy to eat way more than you planned.

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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.

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