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4.8 from 36 votes

Vegan Crab Cakes

These vegan crab cakes are made with chickpeas, hearts of palm, zucchini and old bay. They're super flavorful, crisp on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside.

Prep Time
1 hr 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 120 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 14 oz can whole hearts of palm drained and shredded by hand to crab consistency
  • ½ cup grated zucchini
  • ¼ cup diced onion
  • ¼ cup diced celery
  • 2 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup panko gluten-free, if needed
  • 1 Tablespoon nori powder or kelp granules optional*
  • 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • avocado oil for pan-frying
  • Vegan Tartar Sauce for topping (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add chickpeas to a food processor and pulse 3-4 times or until chickpeas are mashed apart, but not turning into mush/hummus. Transfer chickpeas to a large bowl.
  2. Using your hands, shred hearts of palm until it's the consistency of crab meat.
  3. Grate zucchini and squeeze out liquid, if it feels wet. I didn't find squeezing necessary.
  4. Add chickpeas, shredded hearts of palm, zucchini, onion, celery, old bay, mayo, Dijon mustard, panko, nori powder, nutritional yeast, parsley, lemon zest, pepper and salt into the large bowl and mix until everything is combined. Place mixture in the fridge to chill for about 1 hour.
  5. Once mixture has chilled, use your hands to form patties. Make larger patties to serve as a main dish or smaller patties to serve as an appetizer.
  6. Heat a large sauté pan with 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil over medium high heat.
  7. Once oil is hot, place cakes in one at a time and cook until golden brown and warm throughout, about 2 minutes each side.
  8. Place in 300°F oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining patties. Serve crab cakes warm with sauce of choice. I used a vegan tartar sauce.
  9. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • this recipe
  • Make your own nori powder: If you can't find nori powder or kelp granules, you make your own nori powder by blending seaweed snack sheets in your processor. This is what I ended up doing and it worked great.
  • Inspired by this recipe.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1patty Calories 120kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 2mg (1%) Sodium 683mg (28%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 120

% Daily Value*

Serving 1patty
Calories 120kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 683mg 28%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.