Vegan Crab Cakes with Hearts of Palm and Artichoke
These vegan crab cakes will have you doing double-takes! It’s perfect on a bed of pasta, or served as a sandwich (or sliders!) with our crispy potato wedges. It’s also a fantastic topper for a simple, or not-so-simple, salad. Try them with vegan tartar sauce, spicy cocktail sauce, or our sesame pineapple salsa!
This post contains affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you). Click here to read our full policy about affiliate links. Thank you for shopping our affiliate links, as it helps us keep the free vegan recipes coming your way!
I acquired my crab cake making skills while working as a line cook at a seafood restaurant in Boulder, Colorado in my early 20s.
Before this time, I’d always felt so-so about traditional crab cakes. Honestly, I found most of them overly mushy. Or even worse, contain nothing but bland crab. And nothing is worse than a dry crab cake.
The key ingredients that changed things for me was adding a few drops of cream (or in this case, dairy-free cream) to add the perfect blend of richness and moistness to your cakes.
This past summer, I set out on a mission to use my original framework to make the best plant-based crab cake on the planet, and my friends, I think we’ve done it!
Why You’ll Love These Crabless Cakes
There are so many reasons to love these vegan crab cakes. Here are our top 3:
- The texture is magnificent – not mushy, not dry. It’s the Goldilocks of crabless cakes.
- They taste better and are much cheaper than store-bought vegan crab cakes.
- They’re freezer friendly and perfect served over pasta or on a vegan crab cake sandwich!
Ingredients in Vegetarian Crab Cakes
These delicious vegan crab cakes require 9 ingredients + spices. We’ll go over some ingredient notes in this section, but remember the full recipe with ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
To make them, you’ll need:
- Canned artichoke hearts and hearts of palm – This base ingredient combo is my favorite crab meat stand-in.
- Wakame flakes
- Spice Cabinet: onion powder, garlic powder, Old Bay Seasoning, ground celery seed salt, pepper, salt
- Lemon juice
- Vegan heavy cream or coconut milk (full fat) – Make sure whatever you’re using is both plain and completely unsweetened.
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped roasted red pepper – from a jar rather than fresh red bell pepper
- Olive oil or other neutral oil – for frying
Substitution Options
If you need a substitute for one of the above ingredients, here are our best tips! Please remember substituting any of these ingredients may not lead to a desired result. We’d love to know if you try any of these or other substitutes in the comments below!
For the artichokes / hearts of palm: In a pinch, you can use one of all or the other. You may also be able to use jackfruit, but we haven’t tried this.
For the wakame: You can sub kelp flakes or nori or any other compatible seaweed alternative for the wakame. You can also skip this if you don’t want those seafood flavors.
For the lemon juice: In a pinch and for a different vibe, lime juice will work. Dijon mustard may also work!
For the vegan heavy cream: Use full-fat canned coconut milk, vegan mayonnaise, or a high-fat plain plant milk.
For the roasted red peppers: I think jarred sun-dried tomatoes would also work for a different vibe! Red onion is a good choice too.
How to Make Easy Vegan Crab Cakes
Make one batch of this vegetarian crab cake recipe, and you’ll never go back to store-bought again!
Step 1: Prep your wakame.
First you’ll want to pulverize your wakame seaweed flakes in your food processor. Once they are close to a fine powder, set it aside with your other spices
Step 2: Prep the artichokes and hearts of palm.
Chop the artichoke hearts and hearts of palm or pulse in your food processor until the consistency shredded crabmeat. Transfer this to a large bowl.
Step 3: Make the vegan crab cake mix.
Add the spices and powdered seaweed, the vegan heavy whipping cream and lemon juice to the large mixing bowl.
Then, sprinkle in the bread crumbs evenly.
Finally, add the chopped scallions and roasted red peppers and fold with a rubber spatula to combine or get in there with your hands to mix.
Step 4: Form and cook your vegan crab cakes.
When all the ingredients are thoroughly combined, form equal-sized thick patties / cakes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Fry the crab cake patties on medium high 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Set cooked patties on a paper towel to drain while you cook the rest.
How to Serve This Vegan Crab Cake Recipe
We have so much fun finding new ways to serve these crabby artichoke cakes!
They’re a great option for serving:
- As a main dish atop a creamy vegan pasta like our Light and Creamy Spinach Pasta, Creamy Vegan Broccoli Pasta, or Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta.
- On a sandwich with cocktail sauce and fresh dill
- On a salad with a lemon wedge, corn salsa, and vegan remoulade
- Alongside some potato wedges – we have both air fryer and cast iron wedges!
How to Store Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes
Store leftover hearts of palm cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 6-8 weeks.
To freeze, I like to freeze them on a baking sheet first before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container. This will ensure they don’t stick together! You could also try separating them with a small square of parchment paper between each.
More Vegan Seafood Recipes
If you’re into plant-based seafood dishes, you don’t have to stop here!
Check out more of our favorite vegan recipes for seafood classics:
We can’t wait to hear what you think of these plant-based crab cakes!
When you try them, please leave a star rating and review on the recipe below. This helps more people find our recipes, and we just love celebrating your kitchen wins with you!
Enjoy!
Easy Vegan Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts
- 1 (14-oz) can hearts of palm
- 1 Tbsp wakame flakes*
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp celery salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegan heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper from a jar
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 1 Tbsp olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Process the seaweed flakes: First you’ll want to pulverize your wakame seaweed flakes in your food processor. Once they are close to a fine powder, set it aside with your other spices.
- Shred the artichokes and hearts of palm: Chop the artichoke hearts and hearts of palm or pulse in your food processor until the consistency shredded crabmeat.
- Make the crab cake mix: Add the spices and powdered seaweed, the vegan heavy whipping cream and lemon juice. Then, sprinkle in the bread crumbs evenly. Finally, add the chopped scallions and roasted red peppers and fold with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Form and cook the crab cakes: When all the ingredients are thoroughly combined, use your hands to form equal-sized patties/cakes. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Fry the crab cake patties on medium high 3-4 minutes per side.
