Flavor packed and texture rich, these Vegetarian and Vegan Crab Cakes are easy to make. Let the food processor do the chopping, then shape and pan fry (or bake) these crabless cakes. They’re make ahead ready and freezer friendly too! Share with Texas Potato Salad, and a chunky salad like this Cucumber and Tomato Salad to round out the meal. [ see VIDEO on recipe card ]
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: “Amazing. Better than crab cakes. Even turned my carnivore crab cake loving husband.” ~ Emily
Vegan Crab Cakes, What?
Who knew a vegan and vegetarian crab cake could be created to taste just as delicious and texture rich as the crab cakes of my East Coast memories. Then, moving to Western Washington and enjoying PNW crab cakes, well, I knew I had to come up with a crabless cake that’s vegetarian and vegan friendly.
When I first started testing for what would become this Artichoke Chickpea Vegan Crab Cake recipe, I took notes from an old Whidbey Island seafood cookbook and also, from a recipe in Cooking Up The West Coast. Both were crab-filled cakes. My solution for a crab substitute at the time for a vegetarian crab cake recipe was chickpeas. While the flavor profile was reminiscent of the classic crab cake, the texture was still missing something.
Then I heard a story on NPR’s Food for Thought about using artichokes in lieu of crab. I was sold!
About the Key Ingredients
- Artichokes Hearts – canned, not marinated. Artichoke hearts add texture and bulk.
- Cooked Chickpeas – canned or home-cooked, chickpeas add bulk, texture and mild flavor.
- Dijon Mustard – adds sharp, tangy flavor with a hint of spice.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – helps balance moisture, adds bulk and crunch.
- Old Bay Seasoning – offers crab cake signature flavor. But, you can easily sub cajun spice mix or a creole spice blend for an added kick!
- Chickpea Flour or Whole Wheat Flour – although chickpea flour holds the cakes together more effectively, you can use whole wheat flour if needed.
At a Glance: How to Make Chickpea Artichoke Vegan Crab Cakes
With the food processor doing most of the work, these easy crabless crab cakes come together quickly. They can be made ahead for meal prep and are freezer friendly!
- First, in a food processor, pulse the artichokes and chickpeas until chunky, then transfer into a large bowl.
- Second, in the food processor, add green and red bell pepper, celery, green onion, and parsley. Process until minced. Transfer into the large bowl with the chickpea mixture.
- Third, to the chickpea mixture, add the seasonings, and chickpea flour. Fold the ingredients together until evenly distributed.
- Next, shape into patties and roll in panko bread crumbs to coat.
- Last, pan fry in a shallow pool of oil.
Once the patties are shaped, they can be frozen for up to a month or hang out in the fridge for up to a day before pan frying. Talk about easy-peasy meal prep!
What to Serve with Vegetarian & Vegan Crab Cakes
Sides:
- Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas
- Crispy Oven Fries
- Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Pan Fried Asparagus
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Texas Potato Salad or Olive Potato Salad
- 15 Minute Pan Fried Asparagus
- Summer Tortellini Salad
- Broccoli Slaw
- Fresh Corn on the Cob
- Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
- Black Eyed Pea Salad
- A Big Green Salad with Dairy Free Ranch or Yogurt Ranch
- Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Pasta Salad
Sauce:
Depending on what sauce you choose, share with lemon or lime wedges.
- Vegan Remoulade Sauce (recipe below) – lemon wedges
- Mango Salsa – lime wedges
- Vegan Tartar Sauce – lemon wedges
- Avocado Cream Sauce – lime wedges
- Jalapeno Aioli – lemon wedges
Traci’s Tips
- Fried vs Baked: These cakes can be baked or pan-fried. Although I recommend frying, if baking, omit the panko coating and brush both sides lightly with oil. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 400F (204C), 10 minutes on each side. They’re not as crispy, but baking is an option.
- Chickpea Flour vs Whole Wheat Flour: For this recipe, chickpea flour is very effective at holding things together. Whole wheat flour will work too, but the patties are a bit more tender.
- Portioning: Portion these cakes using a 1/4C scoop or a large ice cream scoop. For appetizer size, go for 2 tablespoons each.
Artichoke-Chickpea Vegan "Crab" Cakes Recipe
Servings:12 Cakes
Calories:357kcal
[ watch recipe VIDEO below ] Flavor packed and texture rich, these Vegan Crab Cakes are easy to make. Let the food processor do the chopping, then shape and pan fry these crabless cakes. They're make ahead ready and freezer friendly. *Total time to cook all 12 crab cakes will vary depending on size of pan used. I cook 4 at a time, 7-8 minutes per batch. >> See blog post for more sauce ideas!
Ingredients
For the Crabless Cakes:
- 1 (425g) Can of Chickpeas drained, then patted dry in a tea towel, about 2 C
- 1 (400g) Can of Artichokes Hearts about 2 C, plain (not marinated), out of the can quartered or halved. Drain and squeeze to rid them of their liquid.
- 1/2 C (70g) Red Bell Pepper about 1/2 a large pepper, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 C (70g) Green Bell Pepper about 1/2 a large pepper, cut into large chunks
- 1 Green Onion cut into large chunks
- 1 (40g) Stick of Celery cut into large chunks
- Fresh Parsley a small handful
- 2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
- 3 Tbs Mayonnaise I like Vegenaise
- 1 1/2 C (145g) Panko Bread Crumbs divided
- 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt or 3/4 tsp for less salt
- 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning *see note for sub
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper or a dash or two or Tabasco hot sauce (omit if using Cajun seasoning instead of Old Bay)
- 3 Tbs Chickpea Flour aka Garbanzo Bean Flour or **Whole Wheat Flour
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- Oil for Pan Frying I like coconut or olive
- Serve With: fresh chives or green onion (tops), sauce of choice, lemon or lime wedges.
For Homemade Remoulade (optional):
- 3/4 C (180g) Mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Cloves of Garlic sliced thin
- 1 1/2 Tbs Capers drained
- 3 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce I like Wizards
- 1 tsp Fresh Parsley chopped fine
Instructions
For the Crabless Cakes:
- Make sure the chickpeas are patted dry and the artichokes squeezed of their canned liquid. In the work bowl of a food processor, add the chickpeas and artichokes. Pulse 4-5 times. The mixture should be chunky. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In the work bowl of the food processor, add the red and green bell peppers, onion, celery, and parsley. Process until minced, stopping to scrape down the bowl a few times. Transfer to the large mixing bowl with the chickpea mixture. Rinse out the work bowl and set aside if making the remoulade (see below).
- To the chickpea mixture, add the dijon, mayo, 1 C (96g) of panko, salt, old bay, cayenne, chickpea flour and lemon. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. The mixture should hold together when squeezed.
- To portion the crabless cakes, use a 1/4 C (70g) scoop or large cookie scoop. Pack the mixture in the scoop, then tap it gently but firmly on the side of the bowl to release the cake. Set the cake on a parchment lined sheet pan. Note! If baking the crabless cakes, there's no need to coat the patties in remaining panko. Skip to "To Bake" below.Place the remaining 1/2 C (48) panko bread crumbs into a bowl or plate. Place each cake in the panko to coat on both sides and all around the edges. Transfer back to the sheet pan. Using the palm of your hand, press the crab cake gently into a 1/2" (12mm) patty. At this point the crab cakes can be held in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, frozen or pan fried.
- To Freeze: Once all the cakes are coated, they can be frozen on the sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to a storage container for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator and coat in panko again to refresh before frying.
- To Pan Fry (recommended): Preheat oven to 200F (93C) if holding the cakes warm after pan frying. Otherwise, you won't need the oven on. Pour a shallow layer of oil in a frying pan. I like a cast iron skillet for the job. Heat the oil until it shimmers. Toss a crumb of panko in the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. Using a spatula, gently slide the crab cakes into the pan, leaving room between the cakes for flipping. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Adjust the heat as necessary. Transfer to a double layer of paper towel to catch pan drippings and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the crabless cake. Then, if holding warm, transfer to the oven until ready to eat.
- To Bake: Omit the outer layer of panko. Preheat the oven to 400F (204C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Brush both sides of the crabless cake with oil. Bake each side for 10 minutes.
- Serve With (optional): chives, and sauce of choice
- To Store Leftovers: Store leftover cakes in a lidded container, in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a 350F (176C) oven for about 10 minutes.
For Homemade Remoulade (optional):
- To the work bowl of a food processor, add the mayo, dijon, garlic, capers, lemon, Worcestershire and parsley. Process unitl the capers are broken down into small bits, stopping several times to scrape down the bowl. Store in the refrigerator in a lidded container for up to one week.
Video
Notes
*If Old Bay isn't available, try subbing a Cajun spice mix.
**Chickpea flour because is so effective at holding these cakes together. Whole wheat flour will work too, but the patties are a bit more tender.
Estimated Nutrition is for pan frying in olive oil using 1/2 cup olive oil and includes the optional remoulade sauce.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1cake | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 596IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
Love these. The first time I made them, I forgot I didn’t have my food processor. So I cut things up and made chickpea salad. Great as patties, also great as sandwich filling
Yuuummm… as a sandwich filling! Thank you for your note, Susan, and giving the recipe a go!
I’ve made these before with better results. This time they basically disintegrated in the hot oil, there was no way to flip without them totally falling apart. Not sure if I didn’t drain the canned ingredients well enough or what. Luckily I was just making them for myself (hubby bbq’d a steak) so appearance wasn’t as important – at least the flavor was still good. I refrigerated the leftover mixture and baked in small balls today – fingers crossed they hold up.
Hi Sue! I’ve not changed or updated the recipe, so I’m thinking, most likely the mixture needed to be processed in the food processor a bit more so that the ingredients are stickier.
Good to know, thanks for the suggestion. The leftover balls I baked are great little poppers – they’re staying together and are easy to eat.. talk about turning lemons into lemonade! 😋
Hi, I made these before and they were great. This week I am bringing them to a family gathering 3 hours away… should I follow the directions for freezing them and bake there? Or do you think they will be okay if I cook them and just reheat at the final destination?
Hi Chris! Thank you for your note! You can do it either way, but I feel like the just baked will have better texture.
Excellent recipe. To obtain more of a crab taste, I add about 1/3 cup nori which I I have cut into fine pieces with kitchen scissors. Note that the nori will not chop in the food processor.
Hi Nancy! Thank you for your tip about nori and recipe rating. So glad you’re enjoying the “crab” cakes!
These were amazing, plan to save this recipe and make again for sure. They are a bit “tender” like real crab cakes and a couple broke apart when I was flipping them over. I might add a bit more panko or chickpea flour next time, but flavor is amazing and close to perfect.
These were amazing! I used AP flour as that is all I had. Next time I will not be addingin salt as I don’t think it’s necessary. I baked them for the 20 minutes then broiled for a few minutes to make them a bit more crispy. Wonderful recipe!!
Please clarify whether the artichokes are plain or marinated. My assumption is plain so there is no flavor conflict.
Hi Libby! They’re plain. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks. So often recipes don’t specify which kind of artichokes you should use and it can make quite a difference!
I guess I’ve never come across a can of marinated artichokes, only in jars. I’ll clarify in the recipe. Thank you for your feedback!