Did somebody say Vegan Crab Cakes? You bet I did. This recipe is going to blow your mind, so much so that if you’re used to eat the seafood version of crab cakes, you may never go back.
These plant-based crab cakes are loaded with flavour, deliver that texture you love in a crab cake, and are easy to whip together for a meal, side dish, or great appetizer.
Why you’ll love these Vegan Crab Cakes:
They are made from simple ingredients
They are plant-based/vegan friendly
They can be made in under 20-minutes
Even the seafood/meat eaters in your house will love them
How do you make Vegan Crab Cakes?
Anything that has meat or seafood right in the name, is usually something you’d think can’t easily be turned vegan. However, this recipe is easy, quick, and still delivers incredible flavour. All you have to do to make these Vegan Crab Cakes is put all the ingredients into a food processor, and process until well incorporated. Once all the ingredients are mixed, shape those babies into 1/2 cup balls.
For this recipe, I made it not include any breading as it just makes it even easier for you to whip up, and there are fewer steps you need to follow.
How do you make vegan tartar sauce?
This creamy dill tartar sauce I used in this recipe adds a punch of fresh flavour and is also simple to pull together. All you’ll need is the key ingredients listed below. Toss them in a jar or small bowl and mix well. Yep, it’s that easy!
What are hearts of palm?
One of the ingredients you may be a little less familiar with on the list below is hearts of palm. These can easily be found in a can in your local grocery store. This vegetable is harvested from the centre of the cabbage palm tree. They have a similar resemblance to white asparagus, but the flavour is much more delicate, making them extremely versatile. You can add them into salads, dips, and since when they are chopped they break down into shreds, they make the perfect crab meat substitute.
What health benefits do hearts of palm have?
On top of being a great crab substitute, hearts of palm also don’t fall short in health benefits. They are naturally very low in fat, high protein, and are a good source of:
Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B2
Iron
Potassium
Copper
Phosphorus
Zinc
They can promote heart health, help keep your blood sugar in control, and the list seriously goes on and on. They are such an underrated canned veggie that we should be consuming more of and they add so much to these yummy Vegan Crab Cakes!
1 398 mL can of hearts of palm, removed from the liquid
1 398 mL can of artichoke hearts, removed from the liquid
1 398 mL can of chickpea, strained, washed and dried
1 garlic clove, whole or pressed
1/4 cup sweet white onion
a handful of fresh dill
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp celery seasoning
pinch of red chili flakes
Dill Tartar Sauce:
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 1/2 tbsp. relish
2 tbsp. fresh dill
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. capers, chopped
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
dash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
pinch of salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
To a food processor, add the hearts of palm, chickpeas and artichokes. Pulse till mixture is chopped but still holds a chunky-like consistency.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula combine well and begin forming your patties with a 1/3 cup as a measuring tool. This will yield around 12-13 1 inch thick patties.
For cooking, heat a pan of oil to 350˚F or 180˚C and fry each patty for 3-6 minutes per side, until golden brown. Watch carefully, do not turn. You will likely need to repeat this step 3 times to cook all the patties. See notes.
Once cooked, transfer the patties to a paper-towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil.
To make the tartar sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir till combined.
Serve the hot crab cakes with fresh dill, lemon and tartar!
Notes
If you do not plan on cooking all the patties at once that is completely fine. You can mould them, freeze them and cook them later. Allow for an extra 1-2 minutes on each side is cooking from frozen.
So easy and flavourful! I loved the way these crab cakes turned out and I’m already looking forward to making them again 💕 plus the vegan tartar sauce is BOMB and would go well with any vegan fish dish.
Another winner! The flavor was so complex and delicious. I’ve never had actual crab cakes before but I feel like these would be a worthy competitor! I actually made them oil free by baking them on parchment and they stayed together!
Hi Maria! This recipe is awesome and I tried to make the crab cakes, followed the recipe exactly, but mine kept falling apart. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your help.
Hey Anna! Sorry to hear you are having issues. We haven’t had anyone say that they are falling apart. Can you please confirm you followed the recipe exactly as it’s written?
Hi Maria – yes I followed the recipe exactly. I’m thinking that maybe I’m not frying them in enough oil? I’m only putting about a tablespoon of oil into a non-stick pan. Could that be it? Otherwise I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong??
That might be it but I don’t think that would explain why it’s falling apart.. the balls should really hold their shape. Maybe try baking them! They are still wondering like that!
ok, these were insane! thank you so much for this recipe, Maria!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Jessica!
I didn’t think they could taste like crab but oh my god they do!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for your love, Jacqueline!
these we’re amazing. So easy to make and so easy to follow!
★★★★★
Aren’t they just the best!
such an amazing recipe!!! Thanks Maria
★★★★★
thank you so much for the love, Justine!
These look so flavourful & healthy. Can’t wait to make them!
★★★★★
Thanks so much lauren, they’re really good!
So easy and flavourful! I loved the way these crab cakes turned out and I’m already looking forward to making them again 💕 plus the vegan tartar sauce is BOMB and would go well with any vegan fish dish.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Jackie!!!!!
Another winner! The flavor was so complex and delicious. I’ve never had actual crab cakes before but I feel like these would be a worthy competitor! I actually made them oil free by baking them on parchment and they stayed together!
★★★★★
HOW DO YOU BAKE SOMETHING ON PARCHMENT!!! WHAT IS THIS WIZARDRY. How cool is that? So glad you liked this recipe!
Outstanding! Taste is so close to the real thing I didn’t miss the crab meat at all! Thank you!
Tiffany
Phlanx’s Marketing Specialist
★★★★★
You’re so welcome hun!
Have made this recipe twice
Delicious!!! Love it!
Thanks so much for the love, Sandy!
Have made this recipe a couple of times, so good!!
Delicious!!
Hi Maria! This recipe is awesome and I tried to make the crab cakes, followed the recipe exactly, but mine kept falling apart. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your help.
Hey Anna! Sorry to hear you are having issues. We haven’t had anyone say that they are falling apart. Can you please confirm you followed the recipe exactly as it’s written?
Hi Maria – yes I followed the recipe exactly. I’m thinking that maybe I’m not frying them in enough oil? I’m only putting about a tablespoon of oil into a non-stick pan. Could that be it? Otherwise I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong??
★★★★★
That might be it but I don’t think that would explain why it’s falling apart.. the balls should really hold their shape. Maybe try baking them! They are still wondering like that!
yes that’s what I’m going to do, bake them. I don’t want to use too much oil so I think that will be the good solution for me. Thanks Maria!
You’re very welcome!!!!!