Forget about crab cakes. These vegan crabcakes taste like the real thing.
Jackfruit creates the perfect flaky texture that is similar to fish, while chickpeas provide some extra protein. They’re not only delicious and crispy but also have an ideal surface thanks to the bread crumbs. You can’t miss these! Only one bowl is required. We’ll show you exactly how to do it!
How to Make Vegan Crab Cakes
These vegan crab cakes are made with a base of chickpeas and young green jackfruit, which gives them a rich texture.
We used many of the traditional flavors of crab cakes, including Old Bay seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and lemon juice. We also added celery to give it a subtle crunch and capers to add a salty element similar in taste to seafood.
The flax eggs are used to bind the croutons and make them crispy.
After forming them into patties, they are quickly pan-fried to get a golden brown outside.
They’re served with vegan Tartar Sauce.
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
- 1 Tbsp. flaxseed meals
- Use 2 1/2 Tbsp of water
- 1 (14.5-ounce can) chickpeas drained, rinsed and drained
- Young/green jackfruit (NOT ripe/yellow) in a 14-ounce can, brine-drained
- Old Bay seasoning – 1-2 Tbsp
- Use 2 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce ( Gluten-free friendly if needed).
- Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp capers, minced
- 2 tsp of caper brine
- Celery, finely chopped: 1/4 cup
- 3 Tbsp of minced parsley
- Use 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free friendly as required)
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil for cooking
Optional FOR SERVING
- Vegan Tartar Sauce
Instructions
- Mix flaxseed flour and water in a large bowl. Allow to gel for five minutes.
- Add the drained chickpeas to the bowl containing the flax eggs and begin mashing them with a potato masher or a fork. It would be best if you had some larger pieces of chickpeas, about 1/4 inch in size. Also, you will need some chickpea powder.
- Drain and rinse jackfruit thoroughly. Then begin sorting. The pieces are in a triangle or chunk shapes. Separate the “core” of the jackfruit, which is the tougher part of the fruit. Chop the core into smaller chunks. You can use two forks or your hands to shred the jackfruit’s remaining stringy portion. The goal is to shred/chop the jackfruit. Once the jackfruit is shredded, rinse it again in a colander. Drain and then thoroughly dry.
- Mix the chickpeas and flax with the jackfruit until well combined.
- Mix well the Old Bay (starting at a lesser amount), mustard, capers, and caper brine. Mix celery, panko, parsley, and Worcestershire until well combined. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for 10 min.
- Add half of the oil (2 Tbsp (30 ml) // adjust if altering batch size). Add half the oil (2 Tbsp 30 ml // adjust batch size). Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop and pack the crabcake mixture into the cup. Then, place the mixture in your hand and gently flatten it to make a disc that is about 3 inches across by 1 inch thick. To avoid crowding the pan, add the crab cakes in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and heated. Repeat with the remaining crab cake mixture and oil.
- Fresh is best. Serve with vegan Tartar Sauce. In a sealed container, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to a month.