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!
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
- Cooked Chickpeas
- Red and Green Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Green Onion
- Fresh Parsley
- Dijon Mustard
- Mayonaise
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chickpea Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
- Lemon
- 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! Here’s how to make em’:
- 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
- Stuffed Baked or Roasted Potatoes
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese or Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Texas Potato Salad or Olive Potato Salad
- Broccoli Slaw
- When in Season, Fresh Corn on the Cob
- A Big Salad
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.
- Portioning: Portion these cakes using a 1/4C scoop or a large ice cream scoop. For appetizer size, go for 2 Tbs portioning.
Artichoke-Chickpea Vegan "Crab" Cakes
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!
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time55 mins
Servings: 12 Cakes
Calories: 150kcal
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 quartered or halved, drained, squeezed to rid them of their liquid and drained, about 2 C
- 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 throughly 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.
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 an estimate (per serving) and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it 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
Tried this recipe?Loved it? Leave a comment below! Take a snap of what you made and share it on social: @VanillaAndBean, tag #VanillaAndBean!
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!