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Using my food scientist background, I developed this vegan crab cake recipe that will make you feel like you’re sitting oceanside, smelling the sea air. Thanks to the air fryer, they have a super crispy exterior but a soft, moist, and flaky filling. With tons of flavorful spices and that perfect meaty texture, even non-vegans love these (see comments)!
save this recipe!These vegan crab cakes are the most epic combination of food science wizardry and easy recipe goodness. Combining heart of palm and artichoke hearts with a handful of ingredients can trick your brain into thinking you’re eating the real thing, with the taste of the ocean in every bite!
Why you’ll love it
- No oven or pan frying is required for these crab cakes since they are made in the air fryer! If you’ve ever tried pan-frying cakes, then you know what a mess it can be!
- Flaky inside, just like a great crab cake. This is due to the perfect combination of heart of palm and artichoke hearts.
- Quick to make, these cakes come together in just 20 minutes – including cook time!
Reader rating
“Will definitely make again and the addition of the nori was genius! Definitely added a taste of the sea! Rave reviews from the people I fed them to!” —Sarah
here’s what you’ll need
Making vegan seafood isn’t complicated; it just takes the right combination of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need, but jump to the recipe card for the full quantities and list.
- The “crab”: To imitate crab, I’ve mixed heart of palm and artichoke hearts. These both have very similar meaty textures to crab. Grab ones that are packed in only water.
- The flavor: These cakes use Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, Italian parsley (flat-leafed), vegan Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and lemon. This list might seem a bit long, but I promise each one serves a purpose in making these the best vegan crab cakes around!
- The ocean: For the salty air flavor, I use nori seaweed snacks, which are easy to buy at Costco, Target, or other grocery stores.
- The basics: To bind and cook the patties, you will need vegan mayonnaise, panko bread crumbs, and oil. You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed or make your own bread crumbs.
what are artichoke hearts?
These are a canned ingredient that is exactly what it sounds like, the heart of the artichoke. They are usually packed in water and salt and have what’s described as a “toothsome” texture. As a sensory scientist, this basically means when you bite into it, it has some resistance to it.
How to make vegetarian crab cakes
Making crab cakes with crab is oddly very similar to making vegan crab cakes. Here’s an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.
- Mix everything in the food processor.
- Shape the mixture into patties.
- Refrigerate the patties (if you want).
- Cook in the air fryer till crispy.
troubleshooting
Throughout my testing, there were a few issues that I found could happen, the main one being that the inside was still mushy. This occurs when the crab cakes are too big for the air fryer. If you want larger ones, I recommend baking them in the oven to ensure they cook through, then finishing them in the air fryer for that crispy exterior.
Why This Recipe Works
- Air frying the crab cakes gives them a crispy texture, keeps the inside moist, and keeps you from having to clean up after pan frying.
- Heart of palm and artichoke hearts really get to the “heart” of the problem with vegan crab cakes. But seriously, once pulsed in the food processor, they have the same flaky texture as crab.
- You only need a food processor to make these, not even a bowl to mix them all together! You can also use a high-powered blender and just scrape down the sides a bit more.
FAVORITE AIR FRYER
After trying out a bunch of different air fryers, this is my favorite!
we’ve got the sauce!
Obviously, you need a great sauce to enjoy with these crab cakes! Here are a few delicious options!
- Vegan Tahini Caesar Dressing is tangy and creamy, making the perfect complement to crispy crab cakes.
- Lemon Tahini Dressing is very similar to a tartar sauce, but vegan!
- 5-Minute Tzatziki Sauce is easy to make and you can use it for these cakes for bowls, for gyros, and so much more!
Seriously, The Best Vegan Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz can heart of palm, drained
- 1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, 42 g
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise, 60 g
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Italian parsley
- 1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce, 15 mL
- ½ tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 snack pack nori seaweed snacks, or 2 large sheets nori
- 2 Tbsp oil, 30 mL
Instructions
- Mix: Add all ingredients (except oil) to a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping down the sides as needed, just until blended (there should still be some bigger chunks for texture).
- Shape: Form dough into 9 or 10 balls, then flatten slightly into thick patties.
- Refrigerate (optional): At this point, you can cover the patties with plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge to firm up. This makes handling them during cooking easier, especially if you're cooking them on the stove.
- Oil: Brush each patty all over with oil.
- Cook*: Preheat air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Add vegan crab cakes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until firm and golden brown. You may need to flip them over during cooking if you notice them cooking unevenly (depending on your air fryer).
- Serve warm with vegan tartar sauce and lemon slices!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Jackfruit is a good substitute for Artichoke
Made this yesterday and it turned out great! When I doubled the recipe, it was hard to get everything in my food processor at the same time so it probably got a bit more processed than it needed to be and as a result, I had to add a bit more panko to bind it together. I also laid them in panko before refrigerating them which helped them stay a bit more solid on my air fryer trays (which are open netted type trays).
Will definitely make again and the addition of the nori was genius! Definitely added a taste of the sea! Rave reviews from the people I fed them to!
I’m so happy to hear it, Sarah! Thanks for letting me know how it went! 😀
Mine were mushy. Used air fryer. Oven next time. Delish flavor. Did I overprocess? Thanks.
That could be it! Or perhaps the cakes were too big so the insides couldn’t cook through before the outsides overcooked? Happy you liked the flavor!
We aren’t even vegan, but found these really good!