Perfectly golden Vegan Crab Cakes! Tender, moist, full of "meaty, flaky crab-like" texture and packed with lots of deliciously spiced flavour-givers!
FEATURED COMMENT:
"Just made this and it was an absolute winner! Loved the flavours and when pan frying they held their shape perfectly. Thanks so much for an awesome recipe, I will definitely make again!" - Lucie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
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I'm in the mood for crab cakes. But not just any crab cakes. These are vegan crab cakes made using artichokes and hearts of palm to give the texture of "crab" without the actual crab. Because crab harvesting and preparation is inherently cruel and unethical.
These Vegan Crab Cakes are perfectly golden, tender, moist, flaky, full of "meaty crab" texture and packed with flavour thanks to a delicious combo of red curry paste, green onions, lime, tamari and ginger which does a great job of hiding the briny flavour of the hearts of palm and artichokes and making these crab cakes super delicious!
They feel very "special occasion" but don't be fooled. I'm the farthest from fancy and these vegan crab cakes are deceptively easy and perfect to serve as an appetizer or main course on weekdays or weekends. They will soon be your new favourite vegan seafood dish!
Mel x
Ingredient Notes
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Potatoes - Mashed potato makes up the main substance of these cakes and is what holds everything together. I recommend using Yukon Gold if you can. They have a lovely creamy, rich texture. Red potatoes make a good alternative. Avoid russets as they tend to get a bit watery when boiled and will make your crab cakes too loose. In the UK use Maris Piper or red potatoes.
- Canned hearts of palm & canned artichoke hearts - For the vegan "crab meat" texture and appearance. The mixture of the two creates a stringy, flaky texture in the crab cakes. Be sure to drain them both really well!
- Nori - For the "of the sea" slightly fishy flavour. Dulse flakes or kelp granules make a good alternative. This is just for flavouring though and doesn't affect how the recipe works technically. That means you can safely omit it if you want to.
- Red curry paste, green onions, tamari, lime, ginger - When it comes to flavouring, we are not keeping things traditional and that is intentional and for very specific reasons. Traditional crab cakes have the crab flavour to carry them. These do not. If we just made them like traditional crab cakes they would be bland, briney and boring. To avoid that happening I'm amping them up with lots of very flavourful ingredients. They work together to cover up the briny taste, add interest, and bind. I used red curry paste here but you can use green instead. I like the brand Thai Kitchen because their curry pastes are vegan . Many others are not so check carefully when buying.
Love a really crispy crunchy "crab" cake?
Prefer things really crispy crunchy? Coat your crab cakes in panko crumbs! Put the crumbs on a plate and once you have formed the vegan crab cakes push them into the crumbs so they stick into the mashed potato and coat the cakes all over. Then cook as directed.
Let's Make Vegan Crab Cakes!
Can't wait to make vegan crab cakes? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner.
Boil, drain, then mash the potatoes. Be particularly careful to drain thoroughly and let them steam dry in the pan before mashing.
Blend up the flavour givers (green onions, red curry paste, soy sauce, lime zest, juice and ginger into a paste then pulse in the nori. A food processor is perfect for this.
Grate the hearts of palm and chop the artichokes.
Add everything to a large bowl and mix together.
Form into patties then cook. You can pan fry, air fry, or bake. For the nicest crust, best flavour, and most succulent interior, frying is the way to go, though.
Recipe FAQs
The nori is just for "of the sea" flavouring and doesn't affect how the recipe technically works. That means you can safely omit it if you want to. You will of course lose some flavour though.
The grated stringy hearts of palm and flaky chopped artichoke hearts is what gives these vegan crab cakes their "crab meaty" texture. I recommend using them if at all possible however, canned young jackfruit would probably work well instead of the artichoke.
I don't recommend using anything else instead. If you don't like curry paste this isn't the recipe for you.
Recipe
Vegan Crab Cakes
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 680g or 1.5lb (about 4 medium) potatoes , such as Yukon Gold or red. I don't recommend using russets.
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ,or to taste
- 1 bunch (7 to 8) green onions
- 4 tablespoons red or green Curry Paste , I use Thai kitchen brand.
- 1 lime , zest & juice
- 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari , GF if necessary
- 4 sheets nori
- 1 x 15oz (398 gram) can hearts of palm (the long stick shaped ones) , drained
- 1 x 15oz (398 gram) can artichoke hearts , drained
- 2 tablespoons oil if pan frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the potatoes. Peel and cube the potatoes then add them to a large saucepan. Cover with water and boil until just fork tender and mashable but not too soft. Drain through a colander or sieve then return to the pan and allow to steam dry with the lid off for 5 minutes. Add the pepper and mash well. (Don't add anything like dairy-free milk or butter to the potatoes while mashing).
- Blend the flavour-givers. While the potatoes are boiling, add the green onions, curry paste, lime juice, lime zest, ginger, and soy sauce to a food processor. Blend to a paste then break the nori sheets up into manageable pieces and put them in the food processor. Pulse until they are broken up into small pieces and distributed evenly through the paste.
- Prepare the "crab". Drain the hearts of palm and the artichokes. Squeeze the artichokes to remove any excess moisture, then dry them and the hearts of palm in some kitchen paper or a clean cloth. Grate the hearts of palm or shred them with a fork and roughly chop the artichokes into flaky pieces.
- Mix. Add the paste mixture, hearts of palm and artichokes to the pan of mashed potatoes and stir it all together. Taste. It doesn't usually need salt because of the curry paste and soy sauce but add some if it needs it and mix well again.
- Make the crab cakes. Form the mixture into patties, squeezing them together really well. You can make them as big or small as you like. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper as you go. To cook you can either pan-fry, air fry, or oven bake. They are at their best when pan-fried.
To pan-fry
- Warm a couple tablespoons of oil in non stick frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the crab cakes carefully. Leave them well alone until a thick, golden crust develops then turn over and do the same on the other side. Remove from the pan and rest them on some kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Your pan wont be big enough to cook them all at once so have the oven on low and pop the cooked ones in there on a plate or small baking tray to keep warm while you finish the rest.
To oven bake
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the parchment with some oil and lay the crab cakes out on it. Bake at 400°F for around 25 minutes. Turn over half way through. If you make them particularly small they will take a shorter time. Remove when golden.
To air fry
- Brush the bottom of your air fryer basket with a little oil. Add the cakes to the air fryer basket (don't crowd them) and cook at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. The exact time will depend on how big you make the cakes and your particular air fryer so keep an eye on them towards the end.
NOTES
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MezMeeFr says
Very delicious !
The recipe makes a lot of vegan crab cakes so I tried freezing some and they are fine.
I froze them before the pan frying step, and put them still frozen on a frying pan to fry gently.
Thanks for the recipe !
Amanda Jones says
Hi there ,would this work with Jackfruit instead of heart of palm ???
Melanie McDonald says
I've never tried it but I don't see why not. Should be fine!
Shelly says
I recently found out I am highly alleged to fish so am trying your cakes. They recipe made alot . Can they be frozen
Prep time was closer to 45 minutes for my first time preparing them.
Mariana says
I made this recipe tonight! It made so many patties. I crisped them up with Panko and oh boy so delish! Not sure I tasted” crab cakes” but regardless, they turned out amazing! Excited for more tomorrow!
Jessica Norton says
This is my second time making these, they are incredible! So simple & yet so delicious! Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you are enjoying them, Jessica!