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Vegan crabless cakes on a serving platter with a bowl of mango salsa.
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Artichoke-Chickpea Vegan "Crab" Cakes Recipe

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!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Vegan
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword Vegan Crab Cakes, Vegetarian Crab Cakes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12 Cakes
Calories 253kcal
Author Traci York

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 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. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cake | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 609IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg