This cempedak ice-cream recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients: cempedak, banana, whipping cream, and maple syrup. It is the perfect healthier dessert option when you feel like a tropical fruit treat!
It is currently cempedak season here in Malaysia and I am going cempedak mad! I bought a whole cempedak for only RM 10 today, which is about $2.50 USD. An absolute bargain!
Some other great cempedak recipes that I have been making with this delicious fruit include dairy free chocolate cempedak spread and deep fried cempedak fritters. I plan to also make more recipes with this wonderful fruit too! A super cool thing about the chocolate spread recipe is that it actually uses the cempedak seeds as the base!
What is Cempedak?
Cempedak is a South East Asian tropical fruit that grows abundantly in Southeast Asia, particularly in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. It is the cousin of the more well known fruit, jackfruit. Cempedak looks like jackfruit but it's smaller and has a more pungent flavour and is a much creamier texture than jackfruit. It's super hard to find cempedak outside of South East Asia. If you are reading from outside of South East Asia, all of my cempedak recipes can actually be substituted using jackfruit instead. Such as this chocolate cempedak seed recipe (chocolate spread), or you can make jackfruit sorbet or jackfruit ice-cream instead of this cempedak ice-cream recipe!
Why I always encourage my friends and family to try Cempedak
If you don't know already, I'm obsessed with durian! And I always encourage my friends and family to try durian when they visit me in Malaysia. Usually the reaction is not good. But I have recently just mastered the art of helping foreigners actually like durian! It goes like this:
- Step 1: Try jackfruit. If this is successful, proceed to step 2.
- Step 2: Try Cempedak. If this is successful, proceed to step 3
- Step 3: Try durian!! Make sure it is a more mild type of durian. I could write forever about durian and what does durian taste like and what type of durian beginners should try!
- Step 4: Learn to cook with durian! I make a delicious coconut and durian ice-cream as well as a scrumptious durian sticky rice with coconut sugar. I'm drooling just at the thought of them!
Ingredients Needed for Cempedak Ice Cream
- Cempedak flesh (245 grams): This is the star of the dish and gives the ice-cream it's unique flavour. Make sure to remove the seeds and use only the soft flesh.
- 1 Banana (125 grams): Adds creaminess and helps sweeten the ice cream naturally.
- Maple syrup (¼ cup): For sweetness. You can substitute it with honey or another liquid sweetener if you prefer.
- Whipping cream (400 ml): Use oat or coconut cream to make it dairy-free. The cream adds richness and the smooth texture we all love in ice cream!
How to Make Cempedak Ice Cream
Making cempedak ice cream is surprisingly simple. All you need to do is blend all of the ingredients and either pour into your ice-cream maker or ninja cream, or follow my simple no churn method, which uses ice-cube trays for freezing and a food processor for blending.
Ingredients:
- 245 grams cempedak flesh (seeds removed)
- 1 banana (125 grams)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 400 ml whipping cream (oat or coconut cream for dairy-free option)
Instructions:
- Prep your ingredients: Remove the seeds from the cempedak and peel the banana
- Blend: Add the cempedak flesh, banana, maple syrup, and cream into a blender. Blend until smooth, ensuring no chunks remain.
Ice-Cream Maker / Ninja Creami Method
- Ice-cream maker: Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and churn until ready.
- Ninja Creami: Freeze overnight, then spin using the "light ice-cream" setting. If the first spin results in a powdery texture, re-spin to achieve a creamier consistency.
No Churn / No Ice-Cream Maker Method
- Pour the blended mixture into an ice-cube tray and freeze overnight.
- Once frozen, pop the cubes into a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions About Cempedak Ice Cream
What does cempedak taste like?
Cempedak has a custard-like texture with a flavor that’s a blend of sweet banana, durian, and jackfruit. Its strong aroma is tropical and slightly musky, which some people describe as being similar to durian but less intense.
Can I make this recipe without an ice-cream maker?
Yes! You can easily use the no-churn method, freezing the mixture in ice cube trays and then blending it in a food processor for a smooth, creamy finish.
What can I substitute for cempedak?
If you can’t find cempedak, you can substitute with jackfruit. However, keep in mind that the flavor won’t be quite the same. You can try my jackfruit sorbet or jackfruit ice-cream recipes instead.
Is this recipe vegan-friendly?
Yes, if you use coconut cream or oat cream (like I do) in place of dairy-based whipping cream, this recipe is 100% vegan-friendly.
Dairy Free Cempedak Ice-Cream
Ingredients
- 245 grams cempedak flesh seeds removed
- 1 banana
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 400 ml whipping cream use oat whipping cream or coconut whipping cream for a dairy free ice-cream
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients: Remove the seeds from the cempedak and peel the banana
- Blend: Add the cempedak flesh, banana, maple syrup, and cream into a blender. Blend until smooth, ensuring no chunks remain.
Ice-Cream Maker / Ninja Creami Method
- Ice-cream maker: Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and churn until ready.
- Ninja Creami: Freeze overnight, then spin using the "light ice-cream" setting. If the first spin results in a powdery texture, re-spin to achieve a creamier consistency.
No Churn / No Ice-Cream Maker Method
- Pour the blended mixture into an ice-cube tray and freeze overnight.
- Once frozen, pop the cubes into a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Serve and enjoy!
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