These Vegan Crab Cakes are delicate, flaky, and full of the flavors of the sea. Nori and Old Bay Seasoning add all the right notes, while Jackfruit creates the perfect crabless cake texture. Serve with a vegan remoulade for an absolutely delicious main course or appetizer.
Long before I went vegan I used to make crab and salmon cakes following a recipe I'd adapted from a small cookbook I bought at a pampered chef party. Most of the recipes in the book weren't great, but this one stuck. I lost the book long ago, but had handwritten my version of the recipe in a notebook I still have--and that is the origin of this delicious Vegan Crab Cake Recipe!
In order to make this recipe vegan I swapped out the crab or salmon for jackfruit. Jackfruit works perfectly for this recipe because it's neutral in taste and has the perfect look and texture to replicate crab meat. In order to bump up the seafood flavor, I added Old Bay Seasoning and flaked Nori. The result is a Jackfruit Cake that is so delicate and flavorful it's hard to know it's not the real thing!
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You'll love this Vegan Crab Cakes recipe because it's:
- Vegan / Vegetarian
- WFPB
- Allergy-Friendly
- Easy to make Gluten-free
- A more Eco-friendly version than the original
- A great way to try out Jackfruit!
- Great as an Appetizer or Main Course
- Delicious and full of bright seafood flavors!
What is Nori?
Nori is a kind of dried edible seaweed that's used most often for wrapping sushi--though it's now pretty common to find packages of crispy nori snacks. Nori has a number of health benefits and is high in vitamins and minerals.
If you recently watched Seaspiracy and want to drop seafood from your diet, seaweed makes a great replacement. You can get the same health benefits by going right to the source. Instead of eating fish, eat what the fish eat!
Can this be Gluten-Free?
Sure! Just substitute with gluten-free bread crumbs.
Ingredients
- red bell pepper
- green onions
- cilantro: If you hate cilantro, substitute with parsley.
- 1 can of young Jackfruit in brine (not sweet!): See my tips below for cooking with Jackfruit.
- bread crumbs: Whole wheat or white.
- vegan mayo or unsweetened vegan yogurt: I tested these crabless cakes with both, and both work well. There is almost no difference in taste but the mayo did a slightly better job of holding the cakes together. You could also try using this oil-free aioli if you want to keep it WFPB.
- Old Bay Seasoning: If you don't have Old Bay Seasoning, you can order it online, or follow this recipe to make your own. Alternatively, you could substitute with another "fish" seasoning.
- nori flakes: Nori flakes add the seafood flavor to this dish. I did test this recipe once without the nori flakes and it still tasted great, but it was missing that seafood element. If you can only find sheets of nori, you can rip up 1 sheet and grind it in a spice grinder.
- sea salt
- lemon juice: Because what's a seafood dish without lemon!
- olive oil (optional for cooking)
Garnish
- vegan remoulade sauce: You can whip up this vegan remoulade in about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you could pair the vegan crab cakes with lemon aioli or store-bought vegan remoulade.
- lemon wedges
- chopped cilantro
Tips for cooking Jackfruit
- Jackfruit can be bought fresh, canned, or vacuum-sealed. The vacuum-sealed is usually flavored and would not be right for this recipe. I have not tried this recipe with fresh jackfruit.
- There are two main varieties of canned jackfruit: sweet and unsweet. For this recipe (and most savory jackfruit recipes) you want the unsweet kind. When buying canned Jackfruit, be sure to buy the can that says "young jackfruit in brine" (or some variation). An easy way to check is to look at the ingredients. If any sweetener is added, then it's not the right kind.
- If you're still unsure, check out this example of Young Jackfruit in Brine. The only ingredients are Jackfruit, water, salt, and citric acid. That's what you're looking for.
- Even young jackfruit has a slightly sweet flavor, so be sure to drain and thoroughly rinse the jackfruit before cooking with it.
- Be open-minded. Jackfruit makes a great substitute for certain meat and fish dishes, but it is not exactly the same.
- The seasonings make the dish! Jackfruit has a neutral flavor so it's up to you to make it taste good.
Instructions
- Wash and roughly chop the green onions, bell peppers, and cilantro. Add them to a food processor and process for 10 to 15 seconds, or until they chopped into small pieces. (If you don't have a food processor you can just chop it into a fine mince by hand.)
- Drain and thoroughly rinse the jackfruit. Add it to the food processor. Process for another 10 to 15 seconds, or until the jackfruit is broken into pieces and incorporated. Don't over-process as you will lose the shredded jackfruit texture. (Alternatively, you could shred the jackfruit with a fork.)
- Add the jackfruit mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Heat the skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil (or omit for WFPB).
- Carefully form the vegan crab cakes into patties. Each patty will be about ¼ cup of the mixture. It will feel loose at first but should stick together as you press it into a patty.
- Add 5 to 7 patties to the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until they are golden brown on both sides. (Cook the cakes in two batches so that they have enough space on the skillet.)
- Serve right away with vegan remoulade.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F (200C).
- Form the crab cakes as instructed above and place them gently in the air fryer. You can brush olive oil over the top if you want, but that's optional. You will probably want to cook the vegan crab cakes in 2 batches so that they have enough room and don't break apart.
- Cook for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the crabless cakes halfway for more even cooking.
- Serve right away with vegan remoulade.
How to serve
Vegan Crab Cakes make an excellent main course or appetizer. Pair with a side of Vegan Remoulade Sauce. They are great as they are, or you could serve them over a bed of lettuce for a vegan crab cake salad. Alternatively, you could pile them on mini buns for vegan crab cake sliders.
Can I make it ahead?
You can make the crab cake mixture ahead of time. For best results, cook the jackfruit cakes right before eating.
How to store
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat on a skillet, in the air fryer, or in the oven.
Related recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Crab Cakes / Jackfruit Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ red bell pepper
- 2 green onions
- ⅔ oz cilantro (about ¼ cup packed)
- 20 oz can of young Jackfruit in brine (not sweet!)
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup vegan mayo or unsweetened vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 3 ½ teaspoon nori flakes (or 1 sheet of Nori, ground in a spice grinder)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- olive oil (optional for cooking)
Garnish
- vegan remoulade sauce
- lemon wedges
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Wash, trim, and roughly chop the bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Add them to a food processor and blend for 10 to 15 seconds, or until all of the veggies are chopped into small pieces.
- Drain and thoroughly rinse the jackfruit. Add the jackfruit to the food processor and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds. The jackfruit should be incorporated but still have some flaky texture. Do not overblend.
- Pour the jackfruit mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and all of the seasonings. Mix until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Form the mixture into patties using ¼ cup of the mixture per patty. Each patty will be slightly smaller than the palm of your hand.
Skillet Instructions
- Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. If you are using olive oil, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Cook the patties in two batches in the skillet for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway. When they're golden brown on each side, they are done.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F or 200C. Cook the patties in 2 batches, for about 10 minutes each, flipping halfway. (Optional, brush olive oil over the tops for a crispier crab cake). The vegan crab cakes are done when they are golden brown.
- Serve right away with vegan remoulade sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- If you can't find nori flakes, you can rip up 1 sheet of nori and grind it into flakes in a spice grinder.
- I tested this recipe with both yogurt and mayo. The mayo did a slightly better job of binding the crab cake mixture, but I prefer the yogurt because it is lower in calories and fat.
- The mixture should be fairly loose but should stick together when you press it into patties. You have to handle the crab cakes gently. If the mixture won't stick together in patties, try adding 1 extra tablespoon of yogurt or mayo. Or you could try adding 1 tablespoon of ground flax.
- Olive oil is optional for cooking this recipe. It is not calculated in the nutritional information. Garnishes are also not calculated in the nutritional information.
- The nutritional info is calculated using soy yogurt. For store-bought vegan mayo, the fat and calories will be slightly higher.
- If you are cooking the vegan crab cakes in a skillet without oil, use a good nonstick or cast-iron skillet. Be sure to get a good sear on the bottom of the crab cake before flipping.
Nutrition
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Sue says
These were really good. We had them with a salad and no sauce but next time I would make the sauce
Julianne Lynch says
I'm so glad you liked them! I definitely recommend trying them with the sauce.
Mor says
Love them..made them with egg substitute instead of mayo. And glutenfree bread cumbs. Added a cayenne for the kick. Great stuff
Julianne Lynch says
Great! I'm glad you were able to modify them to fit your needs!
rosemary blair says
We have made these at least 10 times & everyone loves them. My non- liking anything vegan husband can’t stop eating them. I’m just wondering if I can freeze leftovers?
Julianne Lynch says
That's great! I think it would be fine to freeze the leftovers.
Anthony says
This dish was simple and turned out delicious. Thanks you!
Julianne Lynch says
You're very welcome!