Vegan Crab Cakes that are tender, moist, full of texture, packed with flavour & subtly 'fishy'. They are so like the real deal and they are really easy to make!
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These Vegan Crab Cakes are incredible. They are golden, tender, moist, flaky and absolutely full of flavour thanks to a combo of red curry paste, green onions, lime, tamari and ginger.
If you aren't big on spicy food, don't be put off because there isn't much Thai red curry paste in them and they aren't really spicy. Having said that if you do like spice feel free to add more!
They are just perfect. Perfect flavour, perfect texture and they look mighty fine too, in all of their crispy, golden gloriousness!
Ingredients
To make vegan crab cakes you will need:
- Potatoes - Mashed potato makes up the main substance of these cakes and keeps everything held together.
- Hearts of palm and canned artichoke hearts - For the vegan "crab meat" texture and appearance.
- Nori - For the "of the sea" flavour.
- Green onions, tamari, lime, ginger, curry paste, salt - Flavour, flavour, flavour! It's easy for vegan copycat type recipes to be bland so we need to amp things up with lots of flavourful ingredients so they are the opposite.
What makes vegan crab cake fishy?
The addition of nori sheets is what makes these Vegan Crab Cakes taste "of the sea" and slightly fishy. You know?... The stuff you use to roll sushi. You can pick it up in most stores now and it is perfect in this recipe.
In addition to nori, you are going to need canned hearts of palm. Vegan crab cakes with hearts of palm are the key to a good vegan crab meat texture because they are soft and stringy, a bit like crab meat.
Hearts of Palm are not to be confused with palm oil. They are a totally different species of palm tree and are grown in different parts of the world entirely. They are a really tasty, versatile and nutritious ingredient. Rich in potassium, cholesterol free and a great source of plant powered protein. The perfect addition to your vegan recipes!
You will find them in most grocery stores. They will be with the canned vegetables, usually pretty near the artichokes. The long tubular stick shapes of it are better for this particular recipe because you need to shred or grate them to make them appear and feel like vegan crab meat.
The shredded hearts of palm and some chopped canned artichoke hearts are what gives these vegan crab cakes their "crab meaty" texture. It really is so similar once it's shredded up. In combination with the artichoke and the nori it is so hard to believe that there is no actual crab in these cakes!
Just look at that inside shot!
How to make vegan crab cakes
This vegan crab cakes recipe is so simple to make. The base ingredient and glue to hold them all together is mashed potato.
Step 1 - Add the green onions, curry paste, tamari, lime zest, lime juice and ginger to a food processor
Step 2 - Break up some nori sheets and add them too
Step 3 - Process until you have a slightly chunky paste
Step 4 - Grate or shred the Hearts Of Palm
Step 5 - Chop the artichoke hearts
Step 6 - Mix everything together with the mashed potato and a generous amount of seasoning
Step 7 - Shape into patties
Step 8 - Either pan fry or oven bake
Success Tips
- Weigh the potatoes so you get the exact right proportions. This will ensure the texture is as it is supposed to be.
- Make sure you drain everything really well ... That's the boiled potatoes and the canned ingredients.
- Don't add vegan butter or milk to the potatoes when you mash them. The might seem a tad dry but by the time you add everything else they will be fine.
- Pan fry for the best crusty, golden outsides!
Storing Leftovers
These Thai Style Vegan Crab Cakes don't take long to make. With just a few easy steps they are done and ready to pan fry or bake.
- To make ahead of time - Vegan crab cakes can be made ahead of time. Just prepare them as instructed and lay them out on a lined baking tray. Cover and pop in the fridge for up to 3 days then cook as instructed.
- Reheating leftovers - Cooked vegan crab cakes will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. To reheat, put them on a lined tray in the oven on 350°F for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Variations
- Coat them in panko crumbs - If you like a crispy crunchy outside you could coat the outside of these vegan crab cakes with panko crumbs. Just put the crumbs on a plate and once you have formed the crab cakes push them into the crumbs so they stick into the mashed potato.
- Use something else instead of the nori - Dulse flakes or kelp granules make a good alternative.
- Use green curry paste - Switch the red curry paste for green to switch up the flavour.
What do vegan crab cakes go with?
Wondering what sides you should serve with vegan crab cakes?
As it's summer we have been enjoying these yummy Vegan Crab Cakes with lots of fresh salads for dinner. They are particularly good with my:
- Vegan Broccoli Salad
- Tomato Chickpea Salad with Cilantro & Lime
- Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Watermelon Mint Salad
- Sugar Snap Pea Salad
- Kidney Bean Salad with lemon and parsley
If you are wondering what sauce goes well with vegan crab cakes then my Green Sauce is the answer. It is a fantastic accompaniment. A dollop of my fresh and cooling vegan yogurt recipe is lovely with them too or my Avocado Dressing.
You could also serve them with Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes, home-made potato wedges, fries, baked potatoes, steamed new potatoes, polenta, grits, arugula, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw or even in a bun as a veggie burger substitute.
They can also be made into mini cakes and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce <double drool> either as an appetizer at a dinner party or as part of a buffet.
Recipe
Vegan Crab Cakes
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 600g (4 cups diced or about 4 medium) potatoes
- 7-8 individual (1 bunch) green onions
- 1 lime , zest & juice
- 1½ inch knob of fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Tamari , or soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons Red Curry Paste , I used Thai kitchen brand.
- 4 sheets nori
- 1 15oz ( 398 gram) can hearts of palm, drained , the long tubular shaped ones work best. (drained weight is about 200 g)
- 100g (¾ cup) canned artichoke hearts , drained
- pepper , to taste
- salt , to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil for pan frying , optional
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Peel and cube the potatoes then add them to a pan. Cover with water and boil until fork tender and mashable but not too soft, then drain, mash and set aside.
- While the potatoes are boiling, add the green onions, lime juice, lime zest, ginger, tamari and curry paste to a food processor. Break the nori sheets up into manageable pieces and put them in the food processor with the other ingredients. Process until it is a paste. The nori tends to stay a little chunkier than everything else and that is ok.
- Drain the hearts of palm really, really well, and either grate them, or shred them with a fork, then drain the artichokes and roughly chop. Be sure to drain them throughly and give the artichokes a little squeeze to get any residual liquid out of them.
- Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, add the paste and stir through really well so it's evenly distributed then add the shredded hearts of palm and the chopped artichoke and stir through gently.
- Form into patties, squeezing them together really well, then place them on a tray with some baking parchment as you go. To cook you can either pan-fry them, oven bake or cook them on a griddle. They are best pan-fried as they develop a lovely golden crust.
To pan-fry
- Warm a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once really hot add the crab cakes carefully. Leave them well alone for around 4 minutes to allow a thick, golden crust to develop 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 probably wont be big enough to cook them all at once so have the oven on low and pop the cooked ones in there to keep warm while you cook the rest.
To griddle
- Warm your griddle to a medium high heat. When hot carefully place the crab cakes on the griddle and cook for 4-5 minutes each side.
To oven bake
- Place on a tray on lightly greased baking parchment and bake at 400°F for around 25 minutes. Turn over half way through.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
Originally published August 8th 2017. Updated and republished on April 25th 2020.
Melané Fahner-Botha says
Hi Melanie, just a question: the palm hearts we buy here in the Netherlands (if you can buy them at all) are sour-ish. Like artichokes. I don't suppose you can think of an alternative?
I know. Ungrateful, that's what I seem but I am dying to try this!
A Virtual Vegan says
Not ungrateful at all! They do have a distinctive flavour but with the curry paste it isn't really noticeable. That's why I added the curry flavouring which isn't really traditional in crab cakes. They are more there for texture than flavour. You could maybe grate some extra firm tofu instead. That would give you a similar texture. Or shred some canned jackfruit finely. Hope that helps!
WendyH says
My hubby made these last week......fabulous! I will be making them again very soon. He used a different red curry paste and they were quite spicy but still delicious. So glad he found this recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you both enjoyed them Wendy!
Lucie says
Just made this and it was an absolute winner! Loved the flavours and had no problems with consistency, when pan frying they held their shape perfectly, thanks so much for an awesome recipie, will definitely make again!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed them Lucie!
Kelly Thompson says
Hello,
I'd like to make vegan "crab" cakes, but I'm wondering if you could recommend a substitute for the Thai red curry paste? I just don't care for the curry flavor and it sounds hot/spicy too. I'm from Maine and would like to "New England" these up, but I'm not sure what I should substitute for the 4 tablespoons of curry paste, as it seems like it helps to bind the mixture together. Vegan mayo seems like it may not be thick enough to bind and hold it together. I'd appreciate any help you could offer!
Melanie McDonald says
The mashed potato binds everything together pretty well on it's own. I'd make them as they are minus the curry paste and maybe the ginger if that doesn't work flavour-wise, and see how you go when it comes to shaping them. I think they will be fine, but if not, add a few tablespoons of vegan mayo as needed to help. Makes sure you add lots of other seasonings though to make up for the flavour the curry paste adds as otherwise they will end up quite bland. Hope that helps!
Kelly Thompson says
Thank you so much for your speedy reply! Good to know that the potato is basically the binder, so then I can add my New England flavors to this, and if needed a little vegan mayo! I'm excited to try these, as I host a once-a-month Saturday Night Supper Club at my gluten free and vegan bakeshop, and for the August menu, I wanted to include a seafood dish, with both vegan and non-vegan options, and this fits the bill beautifully! I'll let you know how they turn out! Thanks again, Kelly
Dhara says
Hi there! I love the look of this recipe, thanks for posting!! Just a quick question, is 200g the net weight of hearts of palm that you use or that’s the weight of the can? Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
200g is the approx weight of the hearts of palm when removed from the can and drained. They come in a can that weighs about 398g. I will make it clearer in the recipe. It is a bit vague!
Henry Rowbottom says
Just made them for dinner. Such great flavors and textures. Such a unique recipe. We loved it!
Charlotte says
So yummy. In fact made them twice last week!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Charlotte. I'm so pleased you enjoyed them and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Sarah says
I followed this recipe exactly and they disintegrated in the pan! Pure mush and inedible. Not to mention, nothing like crab cakes. I’ll stick to my chickpea “tuna” patties.
Shelly says
What brand of Red Curry paste do you use?
A Virtual Vegan says
I tend to use the Thai Kitchen one as it's the only one easily available in the stores here. It's great in these crab cakes.
Teresa says
I had a little trouble with this recipe. It seemed like the lime juice overpowered the other flavors, and my crab cake batter was pretty soft and wet so it didn't hold it's shape too well. When I baked them on parchment paper, they got stuck and it was a mess to flip them over. They did much better when I tried them in my air fryer at 380 deg F for 15 minutes.
Next time I think I'll cut back on the lime juice, maybe let the batter dry out in the fridge. If baking, I do recommend drizzling some oil over your parchment paper. That might have prevented my problem.
Overall still very good! The texture reminded me of the Portuguese codfish cakes my mom and grandmother used to make, so I might try to veganize those using this recipe as a base.
Maggie says
Is the Nori the reason the Sodium is 580mg/cake?
My husband has Hypertension and I know he's going to want at least 2.
Thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
Nori is pretty high in sodium but there isn't that much in each crab cake so I don't think it's a major contributor. It's canned hearts of palm and artichokes that are making the sodium content so high. They are generally canned in a brine solution. You could cut the sodium by using a sodium free soy sauce or coconut aminos instead of the tamari and by trying to find low sodium hearts of palm and artichokes. I've never looked for them so I'm not sure how easy that would be. Pre-made red curry paste is pretty high in sodium too. I just checked my jar in the fridge and it has 350mg per tablespoon. Making your own red curry paste would reduce that substantially. If you made the cakes he would be wanting 2 for sure. I'm sorry that it's not looking like the best recipe for him.
Maggie says
Thank you for quick response ????
I will try the coconut amino since I have some here and look into making my own red curry paste. I don't mind the extra work. I think this would be a nice treat for him.
Nicole says
Can these be frozen before cooking and if so, how long will they last in the freezer?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried freezing them so I'm not sure how they would fare. Potato does tend to go a bit grainy when frozen so that would be my only worry. Perhaps just try with one or two first in case it doesn't work out well?
lisa says
is there a secret in getting rid of that bitter taste from palms of heart i tried making crabless crab cakes and that bitter flavor ruined it. its the liquid that it soaks in. i wanna give it another try and master the crabless crab cake
A Virtual Vegan says
That's a shame! I don't find hearts of palm bitter. They do have distinctive taste though. I don't think there's much you can do about that if you buy canned ones, as like you say, it's because of the liquid they are soaking in. I almost think they taste a bit like mild olives. Reese Specialty Foods who I link to in the post, sell jars of marinated hearts of palm. They might be a better choice for you if you can find them. If you can't though, all you can do is pack as much flavour as you can into the cake then it will mask the taste you don't like, or, just use all artichokes and no hearts of palm perhaps?
This recipe would be a good one for you to try again as it's got lots of other powerful flavours going on. My husband is pretty sensitive to funny tastes and had never tried hearts of palm. He loved these crab cakes. Hope that helps!
Greg says
Great idea and the flavors that you are combining here are so good - they taste wonderful and we really enjoyed them!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Greg! They are absolutely packed with flavour!
Gregory says
Mel, these are awesome! We loved everything about them. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed them and thank you for stopping by to let me know!
Harry says
They are so simple and tasty! Perfect switch up for a vegan dinner.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
CHarlotte says
I was a bit sceptical about "fishy" but they were perfect. We really enjoyed themm.
Letty says
Such a fun recipe--They are amazing! So tasty. Best vegan crab cakes yet!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
It's amazing how much they look like the crab cakes I used to eat back in the day! I would much rather eat yours. Can't wait to try them!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Amy. I have memories of horrible bits of crunchy shell when I ate them in the past ???? Crabless cakes are a much more appetizing prospect!
Mrs. T says
How clever! I'm excited to try this recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. Let me know what you think when you try them!