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 too! [ see VIDEO on recipe card ].
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Table of Contents
Crabless Cakes Recipe Development
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 Whidbey Island 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 made my tastebuds happy, 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!
Ingredients for Vegetarian Crab Cakes
Old Bay seasoning, an essential ingredient in crab cakes, offers authentic flavor. If a seasoning substitute is needed, Cajun seasoning, although different, is a nice sub. Here’s what you’ll need to make these crabless cakes:
- Artichokes Hearts – canned, not marinated
- Cooked Chickpeas
- Red and Green Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Green Onion
- Fresh Parsley
- Dijon Mustard
- Mayonaise
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Old Bay Seasoning – or sub a cajun spice mix
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chickpea Flour or Whole Wheat Flour – although chickpea flour holds the cakes together more effectively
- Lemon Juice
- Oil for Pan Frying the Cakes
How to Make Chickpea Artichoke Vegan Crab Cakes
With the food processor doing most of the work, these easy crabless crab cakes come together quick. They can be made ahead for meal prep and are freezer friendly! In summary, here’s how to make em’ (see recipe card for details):
- First, in a food processor, add the artichokes and chickpeas. Pulse until chunky, then transfer into a large bowl.
- Second, in the food processor, add 1/2 a green and red bell pepper. Add celery, green onion and parsley. Process until minced. Transfer into the large bowl with the chickpea mixture.
- Third, to the chickpea mixture add the dijon, mayo, panko, salt, Old Bay, cayenne, chickpea flour and lemon. Fold the ingredients together until evenly distributed.
- Next, shape into patties and roll in panko bread crumbs to coat.
- Last, in a pan with a shallow layer of oil, pan fry until crispy. About 3-4 minutes each side.
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 Your Vegetarian Crab Cakes
Sides:
- Crispy Oven Fries
- Baked or Roasted Potatoes
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Texas Potato Salad or Olive Potato Salad
- Broccoli Slaw
- Fresh Corn on the Cob
- Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
- A Big Green Salad with Dairy Free Ranch or Yogurt Ranch
- Lemon-Dijon Spring Pasta Salad
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Sauce:
Depending on what sauce you choose, share with lemon or lime wedges.
- Remoulade Sauce (recipe below) – lemon wedges
- Mango Salsa, chopped in a food processor without avocado – lime wedges
- Tartar Sauce – lemon wedges
- Avocado Cream Sauce – lime wedges
- Jalapeno Aioli – lemon wedges
A Few Recipe Notes
- Freezer Friendly? Yes please! These crabless crab cakes hold up beautifully in the freezer. Simply shape the patties and freeze on a parchment lined sheet pan. Once frozen transfer to a lidded storage container and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, then they’re ready to cook.
- Fried vs Baked: These cakes can be baked or fried. 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 each side. They’re not as crispy, but still taste fabulous!
- Chickpea Flour vs Whole Wheat Flour: For this recipe, I prefer chickpea flour because it’s so effective at holding things together. Whole wheat flour will work too, but the patties are a wee bit more tender.
- Another Take? Darn Good Veggies has a Hearts of Palm “Crab” Cake recipe that also offers a gluten free option.
- Portioning: Portion these cakes using a 1/4C scoop or a large ice cream scoop. For appetizer size, go for 2 Tbs portioning.
the recipe
Artichoke-Chickpea Vegan "Crab" Cakes
Servings:12 Cakes
Calories:150kcal
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 too! *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 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
- 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 minced
- 1 1/2 Tbs Capers chopped fine
- 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.
- 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 the following step and see 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.
- To Pan Fry: 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 a medium bowl, whisk the mayo, dijon, garlic, capers, lemon, Worcestershire and parsley. 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.
**For this recipe, I prefer chickpea flour because it's so effective at holding things together. Whole wheat flour will work too, but the patties are a wee bit more tender.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 41mg | 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!
these were sooo good. I ate THREE. Still plenty leftover too. I baked them and didnt use any oil. Added two flax eggs to help thme hold together. Will definitely make again
Hooray! Thank you for your note and tip Laurel! Did you sub the flax eggs for the chickpea flour or as an addition to the no-crabby cakes?
Made it today , both the crab cakes and the sauce ,
my first vegan crab cakes and they are delicious.
thank you for sharing the recipe
Hi Miko! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the crabless cakes!
I just made your “crab” cakes with artichoke and chickpeas. I grew up on crab and miss the taste of crab. I thought I’d try the recipe. Despite being skeptical at first, the taste and texture were spot on. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Hooray Len! I’m so happy you like the crabless cakes and they satisfied that craving! I’m so with you! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go.
These were great. I didn’t have parsley but used cilantro instead. My artichokes were grilled marinated artichokes. This was an amazing recipe! So delicious!!! And one other sub- I used fresh ground oat flour(ground instant oats). Held up very well while cooking!
Hi Ann! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the crabless cakes! Hooray for ground instant oats – thank you for sharing your tips! :D
I loved everything about this recipe, except the mustard. It was just too overpowering. I did use hearts of palm instead of artichoke, but the texture was excellent and the cakes stayed together perfectly. I will definitely make them again, but with maybe only 1 tsp of mustard. With a food processor, it was easy to make and no one noticed it wasn´t a real crab cake.
Hi Kristi! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Indeed, hearts of palm are a bit more delicate in flavor than the artichoke hearts, so the flavor of the mustard (a loud ingredient) won’t be balanced. Thank you for your note regarding that however as those that want to try this recipe with HOP can reduce the mustard a bit!
Amazing!! Exactly what I was hoping for. The whole family loved it. I cannot wait to make again.
I put in freezer for 20 before cooking and they did not fall apart. Seriously, so excited to add this to my list of regular recipes. Thank you!!
Hooray Justine! Thank you for your note, tip and giving the recipe a go. So happy to hear everyone enjoyed the “crab” cakes! I love having these on hand in the freezer… so easy, and so satisfying too :D
This is my new favorite recipe!! I LOVED it!! One of, if not the best thing I have ever made!! Mine did fall apart though. Any suggestions for preventing that?
Hi Jennie! Hooray! SO happy to hear. For falling apart, a couple of things. Make sure your artichoke hearts are squeezed dry, and your chickpeas, patted dry. Be sure to use Chickpea flour (whole wheat doesn’t hold together as well) and handle them gently when pan frying. If after mixing the cakes they don’t hold together when you squeeze a fist full, you can add a bit more flour. I hope this helps! Thank you for your note.
The finished product was great but for some reason I felt like there were a lot of little steps that led to a messy kitchen and lots of cleanup. Maybe just better for a weekend or special occasion meal, not a Tuesday night! And just a note that I used the artichoke hearts can size that the recipe called for but it didn’t look like two cups (after pressing the water out) so I measured and it was only one cup. I used two cans to keep the chickpea proportion correct per the recipe. Didn’t sound like anyone else had this happen so I must have done something wrong.
Hi Sue! So happy to hear you enjoyed the finished crab cakes but I’m sorry to here they were cumbersome. The one can of artichokes is about 2 C measured prior to squeezing out and dicing.
No need to ever make real crab cakes ever again!
This recipe delivers on every level, every time, and the quality is consistent every time, the combination of textures and flavors, off the charts.
Sometimes with real crab cakes, you get salty crab meat or fishy crab meat or both.
I have made these over a dozen times in the last 6 months, and have served it with the finest of fine-dining type meals in my home. No one, not one time, has ever been disappointed. I would give this recipe 6 stars+ if that rating were available.
Hooray! Thank you for your note Valerie!
We made these for Christmas day. I was able to make them the day before and then fry them when we were ready to eat. The food processor made this very easy and I layered them on a plate between parchment paper. I used avocado oil to fry them because I didn’t want the oil to get smokey as I had to do a few batches over time. This will be our new Christmas day tradition!
SO happy to hear Laurel! We made them for Christmas day too :D Thank you for your note and tip about the avocado oil.
I think I just found my Christmas dinner! These look wonderful. I have also subbed hearts of palm for crab in the past.
Hi Elizabeth! Hearts of palm sound delicious. So honored to be a part of your holiday table! This will be on our holiday menu too with a big salad and mac and cheese!
I just made 25 of these crab cakes as appetizers. My husband and I loved them! The flavour is spot on with traditional cakes, made with crab. I am freezing the rest, for my Vegan son, so he can enjoy them on Christmas Day ☺️
Hi Robin! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. I LOVE these as appetizers, so I’m so happy you two enjoyed them. I hope your son enjoys them too!
Is this 150 kcal per cake? How many calories is that?
Hi Bri! From nutrition.gov “The “calorie” we refer to in food is actually kilocalorie. One kilocalorie is the same as one Calorie” I hope this helps!
I want to try this but I’m gluten sensitive. What flour(s) could be used this made to be gluten free?
Hi L! The I believe chickpea flour is gluten free, but this may vary from brand to brand. As for the panko, you could try GF panko or crushed potato chips. I hope this helps!
Do I have to de-shell the chickpeas for this recipe? I did it just in case, but will it affect the recipe if I don’t?
Hi Christopher! There’s no need to de-shell the chickpeas. I hope this helps!
These were so good!
I like normal crab cakes, but find the ones from restaurants can be very heavy and sometimes mushy, these were light and just perfect.
Will be making these again for sure!
Hi Sasha! Thank you for your note and review. SO happy to hear you enjoyed the “crab” cakes! I hear you on the mush… these are loaded with texture!
This recipe is wonderful. The finished product is delicious which is the goal. But the fact that it is so easy to make gives it 6 stars out of 5. Thanks.
SO happy to hear Bethany! Thank you for your review!
My family and I have only been vegans for 6 months now, and it has only been recently that I have ventured out into trying new recipes. This one is our standing favorite. We rate our meals every night after dinner so I know what to keep and what to discard. This continues to keep its “10” first place rating. It’s nice that it is pleasing to both adults and children. Thank you!
These were amazing! Even better than crab cakes. Adding this recipe to my daughter’s Family Cookbook. Served it with a Truffle Aioli and a slaw salad. So good!
Hooray! So happy to hear, Jody! I love the truffle aioli addition (droool!) and that it’s going into your daughter’s family cookbook :D
These were excellent! Lots of flavor. Next time I personally would put in half the amount of mustard, I felt like the mustard flavor dominated. The sauce had a lot of flavor, which I think competed with the cake, I would use a simple lemon-garlic aioli. Just personal preference.
SO happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Amy! Thank you for your your note!
Amazing recipe! Freezes great! I have shared with many family members and they Rav about them! A must try for sure! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! ❤️
Hooray! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note and rating, Lisa! I’m so happy to hear everyone’s enjoying the crabbyless patties!
Amazing. Better than crab cakes. Even turned my carnivore crab cake loving husband.
Whaaaahhh!? I love hearing this, Emily! Way to go you! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note and rating :D
I have to agree, Emily. We served them as an appetizer for friends, last night. I just sent them the recipe. And we have frozen them for a couple weeks and they were perfect when we used them.
SO happy to hear, Ann! I love them as appetizers too. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
These are wonderful! I did make a few changes due to what I had in the house, I used a jalapeno instead of green pepper, seafood seasoning since I did not have Old Bay and vegenaise in place of the mayo. They held together great I got a total of 21 I used the large cookie scoop from pampered chef. Fired up half and put other half in freezer.
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for coming back, rating the recipe and leaving a note! So happy to hear you have some tucked away in the freezer and that you enjoyed the recipe. Fabulous seasoning sub and jalapeno! Thank you for sharing!
These are delicious! I am allergic to crab, so I can only guess that it is a close approximation, but the flavor and texture, plus the aioli, were a hit with me and my personal chef client.
Hi Tamara! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and rating! So happy to hear y’all enjoyed the recipe. We really enjoy that aioli too :D
This was excellent. Even better than actual crab cakes.
Wooo! So happy to hear Josh. Thank you for coming back and leaving a note!
Made these for my vegetarian daughter for Christmas Eve dinner…..FABULOUS recipe. Everyone enjoyed trying them. I had made them ahead of time and froze, thawed beautifully and finished in frying pan. Just great!
Hi Cam! Thank you for your review and giving the cakes a go! SO happy to hear y’all enjoyed the cakes – and making ahead FTW!
Wonderful recipe! Just served these at a New Years Day brunch – big hit with everyone. Followed the recipe exactly and made the mixture the day before.
Hi Joanna! Thank you for your note and rating. Hooray for a big hit!
I was looking for a recipe to use up some artichoke hearts and discovered this one. This was such an easy recipe to put together and the flavors were fabulous. My meat eating husband even gave it two thumbs up. Only had enough to make half the recipe which made 6 cakes so I froze the remaining cakes to enjoy later. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Hi Marilyn! Thank you for your note and rating. So happy to hear your meat eating hubs gave it TWO thumbs up! A WIN-WIN!
We loved these! My husband was impressed! The only change I made was using Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning since there was no Old Bay at our small town grocery. The recipe is definitely a keeper! And the Rumoulade Sauce. I had the same mayo you mentioned and used it. I fried in part coconut/part olive oil.
Hiii Donette! Thank you so much for your note, rating and kind words! HOORAY! You know, there are subs for Old Bay, but the list of ingredients was so long, I decided to test it with Cajun/Creole seasoning and it works! So happy to hear your hubs was impressed. I’ll leave a note about Tony C’s seasoning on the recipe card!
I’m sold! I can’t resist that crunch!! Such a clever recipe, my friend!!
Thank you Annie! The panko is such a nice addition!
Delicious! I made this last night and my meat eating family who snubs beans and vegan in general, asked for seconds! I had leftover lemon dill dip already prepared so I spread on some brioche rolls and made these into crab cake sandwiches. My mouth is watering for more! Thank you!
Hi Shelly! Thank you for your note, rating and coming back to leave a note! I’m SO happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Your lemon dill dip sounds fabulous and on brioche rolls? Heaven! Hooray for seconds!
What a clever idea, Traci. I miss certain foods so I love to see vegetarian versions and this vegetarian “crab” cake is inspiring. I can’t wait to try this – it looks great – so crunchy on the outside and tender inside. And I would definitely make the remoulade sauce – that’s a must. I think I have all the ingredients except for Old Bay seasoning – need to get that and then will give these a try! Pinning too!
Thank you for pinning G! These are such a treat! Old Bay is so specialized, but it lasts forever! I hope you enjoy them, Geraldine!
What makes them crab cakes?
Hi Mike! These cakes not officially ‘crab cakes’ and as the name indicates, these cakes are vegan made with artichokes and chickpeas. The name, flavor, and texture is reminiscent of crab cakes without the crab, similar to recipes such as veggie burgers or oat milk for example. The name, which is not an uncommon Google search term (Google Vegan Crab Cakes to see if you like) helps those that do not (or no longer) eat crab find a recipe that’s something like what they used to enjoy but perhaps choose to no longer eat. I hope this helps!
As long as they have crispy exteriors, I’m sold! So cleaver using artichokes. I might have to try these for a New Years eve party!
Crispy just for your Liz! The artichokes are such a nice addition… and for New Years? I’m in!