This cempedak pie recipe is a unique use of the exotic tropical fruit, cempedak! Made with real cempedak fruit as well as few other natural ingredients. This is a simple, healthy, dairy free and egg free dessert pie recipe.

If you love healthier dessert recipes that use tropical fruits and asian ingredients, then make sure to check out some of my other recipes such as my asian pumpkin pie recipe!
My Most Viral Recipes With Cempedak And Cempedak Seeds
You may have stumbled upon my blog via one of my social media channels where I'm popular for creating unique recipes with this tropical fruit. I like to create recipes with the seeds as well as the juicy flesh. Some of my most viral recipes with the seeds include:
- Dairy Free Chocolate Spread Recipe With Cempedak Seeds. My IG community really loved this one! With over 2.4 million views and more than 4500 saves! That's a lot of people making chocolate spread!
- Cempedak Seed Ice-Cream. Thats right. I made vanilla ice-cream with the cempedak seeds! It turned out really good too!
Some other popular recipesI I've made with the cempedak flesh include:
- Cempedak Ice-Cream. A simple recipe that can be made with or without an ice-cream maker.
- Cempedak Spice Latte. A twist on the traditional pumpkin spice lattes! I also make a delicious pumpkin spice latte with an asian pumpkin!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you're a fan of tropical fruits, cempedak is one fruit you definitely want to try in a pie. Similar to its cousin, jackfruit, cempedak has a rich, sweet, and almost custard-like flavor when cooked, which makes it perfect for a dessert recipe, especially a pie! I especially love this recipe because it makes use of an abundant tropical fruit in South East Asia.
Ingredients Needed For Cempedak Pie
The beauty of this recipe is how it combines simple ingredients with the unique and exotic tropical fruit, cempedak! Here's what you'll need for the pie crust and filling.
Ingredients for the pie crust
- ½ cup all purpose flour: essential ingredient for a pie crust. I like to use all purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flour but I would suspect that it works.
- Pinch of salt: to enhance the flavour
- 1 tablespoon cold butter: (can be substituted for vegan butter): for a flaky tender pie crust
- 1 tablespoon shortening: helps make the dough easier to work with as well as creating a flaky tender pie crust
- 1-3 tablespoon ice-cold water: to help make the dough easy to form and roll / work with.
Ingredients for pie filling
- 210 grams of fresh cempedak flesh (seeds removed): for a creamy and sweet pie filling. This is what makes this recipe so unique!
- ⅓ cup coconut cream: for a creamy pie as well as a hint of coconut flavour that pairs perfectly with the tropical cempedak fruit.
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch: to thicken the pie and create structure. Otherwise the pie will be a bit jelly like (which is also okay if you don't want to add cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar: to sweeten the pie as well as add a caramel like flavour
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger: for flavour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon: for flavour
- ½ teaspoon salt: to enhance the flavour
Tips and Tricks for Perfecting Your Cempedak Pie
- Cold Ingredients for the Crust: Keeping your butter and shortening cold is crucial for achieving that flaky pie crust as well as making sure the dough is easy to work with. Pop them in the fridge or freezer for a bit before use to make sure they don’t soften too quickly.
- Use Fresh Cempedak: Cempedak is best used when fresh, as its natural sweetness and creaminess really shine in the filling. Ensure you remove the seeds completely for a smooth texture.
- Blend the Filling: For the perfect silky-smooth filling, blend all the ingredients thoroughly. This ensures that there are no chunky pieces in the pie, creating a silku smooth and creamy texture.
- Cover While Baking: Covering the pie with aluminium foil while baking helps to prevent the top from browning too quickly, ensuring the filling sets perfectly. I always cover my pie to prevent the top from burning or forming a hard layer. My oven doesn't have a fan setting either so this is a crucial step for me!
How to Make Cempedak Pie
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- ½ cup flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon cold butter (vegan butter can be used too)
- 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1-3 tablespoon ice-cold water


For the pie filling:
- 210 grams fresh cempedak flesh (seeds removed)
- ⅓ cup coconut cream
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt


Instructions
Making the pie crust:
- Chill the Ingredients: Ensure the butter and shortening are cold before using.
- Process the Dough: Add the flour and salt into a food processor and pulse. Add the cold butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Form the Dough: Add 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. You may need to add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, but don't overdo it. It might be still crumbly but forms a ball easily with your hands.
- Roll Out the Dough: Dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough into a ball. Use a rolling pin (also dusted) to roll the dough into a round shape that fits your pie dish.
- Prepare the Pie Dish: Grease the pie dish thoroughly with oil or butter. Transfer the dough to the dish, trimming the edges as needed. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Making the pie filling:
- Prepare the Cempedak: Ensure you’ve removed the seeds from the cempedak flesh.
- Blend the Filling: In a blender, combine the cempedak flesh, coconut cream, cornstarch, coconut sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Assembling and baking:
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Fill the Pie Crust: Pour the blended cempedak filling into the prepared pie crust. Use a spoon or spatula to spread it evenly.
- Bake: Cover the pie with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool the Pie: Let the pie cool completely before cutting. Refrigerate for a couple of hours for best results.
Serving:
Serve the cempedak pie chilled, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon for extra flavor!

Frequently Asked Questions About Cempedak Pie
Can I freeze the pie?
Yes, you can freeze the baked pie for up to 1 month. Make sure to store in an airtight container to stop ice crystals forming. Leave on the kitchen top or in the fridge to slowly defrost.
What can I substitute for coconut cream?
If you don’t have coconut cream, you can use regular heavy cream or a non-dairy alternative like oat cream.
Let's Make A Cempedak Pie!
Discover your new favourite pie recipe with this cempedak pie! If you liked this recipe, make sure to leave me a comment and review below. I love hearing from you!
For more easy and healthy recipes like this one you can follow me on YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST.

Cempedak Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter (cold) vegan butter can be used
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon shortening (cold)
- 1-3 tablespoon ice cold water
Pie filling
- 210 grams cempedak flesh seeds removed
- ⅓ cup coconut cream
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Making the pie crust
- Chill the Ingredients: Ensure the butter and shortening are cold before using.
- Process the Dough: Add the flour and salt into a food processor and pulse. Add the cold butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Form the Dough: Add 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. You may need to add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, but don't overdo it. It might be still crumbly but forms a ball easily with your hands.
- Roll Out the Dough: Dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough into a ball. Use a rolling pin (also dusted) to roll the dough into a round shape that fits your pie dish.
- Prepare the Pie Dish: Grease the pie dish thoroughly with oil or butter. Transfer the dough to the dish, trimming the edges as needed. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Making the pie filling:
- Prepare the Cempedak: Ensure you’ve removed the seeds from the cempedak flesh.
- Blend the Filling: In a blender, combine the cempedak flesh, coconut cream, cornstarch, coconut sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Assembling and baking:
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Fill the Pie Crust: Pour the blended cempedak filling into the prepared pie crust. Use a spoon or spatula to spread it evenly.
- Bake: Cover the pie with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool the Pie: Let the pie cool completely before cutting. Refrigerate for a couple of hours for best results.
Serving:
- Serve the cempedak pie chilled, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon for extra flavor!
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