This vegan crab cake recipe is easy to make, bursting with flavor, and has the perfect crab meat texture and consistency. Dollop with our homemade vegan tartar sauce and fresh dill and enjoy as a delicious vegan seafood appetizer!
Table of Contents
Over the years we’ve gotten very creative when it comes to mimicking the texture of seafood. To date we’ve made Vegan Calamari and Vegan Scallops from oyster mushrooms, Vegan Tuna from chickpeas, and Smoked Salmon from carrots.
Today we’re recreating the flaky texture of crab meat with chickpeas and hearts of palm…say what?! It may sound obscure, but we promise this trio of ingredients works so well to recreate crab cakes you won’t be missing the real thing!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan mayonnaise: Adds richness and creaminess to the overall flavor.
- Lemon juice: Adds acidity and helps to balance the richer flavors in the crab cakes.
- Yellow mustard: Provides a tangy, slightly spice flavor that enhances the overall taste. Dijon mustard is a good substitute.
- Chickpeas: Provides the perfect texture and flavor for authentic looking and tasting crab cakes.
- Hearts of palm: Another ingredient that mimics the texture of crab. Look for this ingredient in the canned vegetable aisle or International foods section in grocery stores.
- Fresh veggies: Fresh celery and red bell pepper adds a crisp freshness that balances the more rich and savory flavors.
- Dulse flakes: A key ingredient that adds a briny, ocean-like flavor to vegan seafood!
- Fresh herbs: Like the fresh celery and bell pepper, fresh parsley and fresh dill adds a bright pop of flavor and color.
- Old Bay seasoning: Essential for its distinct savory, slightly spicy flavor that is perfect for seasoning vegan seafood. We also add garlic powder and black pepper to round out all the flavor.
- Bread crumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are used to coat the crab cakes, creating a crispy, crunchy, golden brown exterior when pan-fried. If you are gluten-free, feel free to opt for gluten-free bread crumbs.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowls
- Small pot
- Food processor
- Large skillet or frying pan
- Spatula
- Paper-towel lined plate
How to Make Vegan Crab Cakes
- Make the vegan crab meat. Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the remainder of the ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup of the breadcrumb mixture for the next step, and mix until well combined.
- Form the crab cakes. Add about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs onto a shallow plate. Place 2 tablespoons of the vegan crab cake mixture into your hands and roll to form a ball. Gently flatten to form a thick patty, about 1/3-1/2″ thick. Press each side of the crab cake in the breadcrumbs and set aside. Continue until all crab cakes are formed and coated in breadcrumbs.
- Pan fry the crab cakes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and warm through. Once hot, add in 3-4 crab cakes and pan fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until light golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked patties to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
- Cool and serve. Let the vegan crab cakes cool until easy enough to handle, then serve while warm or at room temperature with vegan tartar sauce, fresh parsley, green onions, and fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
We serve these crab cakes most often as a delicious vegan appetizer with Vegan Tartar Sauce, or other dipping sauces like Vegan Aioli or Cilantro Dill Cream Sauce.
If you prefer to enjoy them as a main dish, turn them into vegan crab cake sliders or pair them with a simple green salad, pan fried asparagus, and/or roasted vegetables.
Storage Instructions
Vegan crab cakes are best enjoyed fresh while they’re hot and crispy, but leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
MOre Vegan Seafood Recipes YOu MAy Enjoy:
Gluten Free
Loaded Vegan Paella
Breakfast
Carrot Lox (Vegan Smoked Salmon)
Appetizers and Sides
Vegan Calamari with Oyster Mushrooms
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Vegan Crab Cakes Recipe with Tartar Sauce
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Total Time: 20 minutes -
Yield: 8 crab cakes
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This vegan crab cake recipe is easy to make, bursting with flavor and has the perfect crab meat texture and consistency. Dollop with our homemade vegan tartar sauce and fresh dill and enjoy as a delicious vegan seafood appetizer!
Ingredients
- 1 – 15 oz can chickpeas
- 1 – 14 oz can heart of palm, drained
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely minced
- 1/4 cup green onion, finely minced
- 1 celery stalk, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced
- 1 tablespoons fresh dill, finely minced
- 1/2 sheet nori or 1 tablespoon dulse flakes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (+ more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayo
- 1 cup of panko bread crumbs, divided
- Oil to fry
Serve with
- Fresh parsley and/or green onions, to garnish
- Vegan tartar sauce
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add in the chickpeas and mash with a potato masher or fork until a rough mixer is formed.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients but ½ cup of the breadcrumbs to the large bowl with the chickpeas and mix until uniform.
- Pour remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs onto a plate or shallow bowl.
- Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of mixture into your hands to form a ball, and then gently flatten it out to form a thick patty.
- Dip patties into breadcrumbs. Press each side of the patty in the bread crumbs and set it aside. Continue until you have formed and coated patties with all of the dough.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat (about 2-3 minutes) with about 2 tablespoons of oil and line a large plate or pan with paper towels (to absorb the oil). You’ll know the oil and pan are ready when you add the crab cakes and they sizzle (you can test it out with a few breadcrumbs).
- Place about 3-4 patties on your pan, depending on the size. You want to be sure your pan is now overcrowded so you can flip the patties easily. Pan-fry the crab cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until light golden brown. Try to flip them as minimally as possible (only once is ideal) to prevent them from breaking apart. Wipe the pan and add fresh oil when more patties are added.
- Transfer the cooked patties to the lined plate and cool until easy to handle.
- Cool and serve with a dollop of vegan tartar sauce and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
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