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white plate with fried vegan crab cakes next to white dipping sauce and lemon wedges
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4.89 stars (26 ratings)

Vegan Crab Cakes

Made with hearts of palm and chickpeas, these flaky Vegan Crab Cakes take minutes to cook in a skillet, air fryer, or oven. Top them with lemon aioli for an explosion of flavor!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 172kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Vegan crab cakes

  • 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 15 ounce can hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons vegan mayo I use Follow Your Heart brand
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs check ingredients to ensure vegan
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill or parsley
  • vegetable oil, for frying

Lemon aioli

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
  • salt + pepper, to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a food processor, add the chickpeas and hearts of palm to a food processor. Pulse a few times until broken down a bit but not smooth. You want to leave a lot of texture.
  • Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
  • In a small pan, sauté the red bell pepper and onion over medium heat in a tablespoon of olive oil until translucent and softened, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the red bell pepper and onion to the bowl with the chickpeas/hearts of palm, along with the vegan mayo, dijon mustard, old bay seasoning, salt, black pepper, panko breadcrumbs and dill/parsley. Mix until well combined.
  • Form into about 8 patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
  • Heat a large pan (non stick or cast iron preferred) with a thin layer of oil. Fry the patties for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
  • Transfer cooked patties to a plate lined with paper towels or a clean dish towel to soak up the extra oil.
  • Lemon aioli: In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo, lemon juice, sweet pickle relish and salt + pepper to taste.
  • Serve the vegan crab cakes with lemon aioli and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan on the stove, the air fryer or oven to make them crispy again.

Notes

  1. Nutrition information is an estimate only and does not include the lemon aioli, since how much you use will vary greatly and depend on what kind of vegan mayo you use. The estimate is for 1 of 8 crab cakes.
  2. Air fry - You can air fry the cakes instead of frying. Spray the basket with oil and air fry at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, flipping over once halfway through.
  3. Bake - Place the formed patties on a parchment lined pan and bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
  4. Gluten free - To make them gluten free, substitute gluten free breadcrumbs.
  5. If you can't find hearts of palm, canned artichoke hearts work quite well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 8 servings | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 1067mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg