Vegan Artichoke Crab Cakes Recipe

This vegan artichoke crab cakes recipe is easy to make from simple ingredients. Artichoke hearts are one of the best base ingredients for mimicking the texture of non-vegan crab cakes; its flaky layers make for a truly tasty and irresistible appetizer.

Start by chopping some canned artichoke, mix in some spices and other flavor-boosting ingredients, coat with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until they become perfectly crispy. They’re great served with homemade crab cake sauce or on their own!

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Are Artichoke Crab Cakes Vegan?

Artichoke is a common ingredient used to replicate crab meat in vegan crabless cakes. While there are other tasty options for making vegan crab cakes, the texture of artichoke is very “flaky”.

This recipe uses canned artichoke hearts, which are canned in brine (don’t use ones packed in oil) and offer a salty flavor which is helpful when replacing seafood.

Ingredients to Make Crab Cakes with Artichoke

The ingredients for this recipe are simple to find at an average grocery store! They include:

• Canned artichoke: As the base for this recipe, canned artichoke hearts provide the bulk of these crabless cakes. The flaky texture of artichoke hearts are a great replacement for crab meat.
• Celery: Chopped celery offers a slight crunch in the final crabless cakes, adding a great texture.
• Onion: This essential ingredient creates a delicious flavor in our artichoke crab cakes.
• Chickpea flour: Chickpea flour is the best option to hold the patties together! After letting the cooked patties cool, they’ll hold together perfectly, allowing you to eat these crabless cakes with your hands! You could use whole wheat flour (slightly softer texture and a slight “nutty” flavor) or even coconut flour (delicious coconut flavor but a much softer patty).
• Parsley: Fresh herbs are always welcome when cooking, which is why I use some parsley for this recipe. You can use any herb you like; dill is a great option for seafood-inspired dishes.
• Vegan mayo and Dijon mustard: To keep the patties moist and add flavor, mayo and mustard are welcome additions.
• Old Bay seasoning: This ingredient is a very common seafood seasoning that provides loads of flavor and makes vegan seafood alternatives taste more “fishy”. If you don’t have Old Bay, or don’t like it, substitute for any seasoning salt.
• Garlic powder, salt and pepper: Flavor, flavor, flavor! I can’t cook without garlic, salt and black pepper!
• Panko breadcrumbs: For a crisp outer coating I use Panko breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs work, but create a finer texture, whereas the larger Panko flakes offer more crunch.
• Oil spray: To brown and crisp the Panko, spray either side of the crabless cakes before baking. If you don’t have oil spray, lightly brush oil onto either side of the patties. You could also pan-fry the crabless cakes with some oil in a pan.

How to Make Artichoke Crab Cakes

This recipe is simple to prepare especially since we’re baking the patties! Simply chop the veggies, mix with other ingredients before coating in panko and baking.

Step 1: Prep Ingredients

Begin by opening the cans of artichoke hearts and reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Add the canning liquid (brine) to a large mixing bowl. This is a total of 2 tablespoons and NOT 2 tablespoons from each can.

Roughly chop the artichoke hearts, keeping some larger flakes. Focus on chopping up the “core” sections of the artichokes that are solid rather than the “flaky” top part of the artichokes.

You’ll also need to finely chop celery, onion and parsley. Add all these ingredients to your large mixing bowl along with the liquid from the artichoke can.

Step 2: Mix Crabless Cakes

Next, add the remaining ingredients (except for the Panko) to your mixing bowl. You’ll need to measure and add chickpea flour, vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, Old Bay, salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Stir this mixture until well combined and let it sit for about 10 minutes. This time allows for the chickpea flour to soak up some liquid, which helps form the patties easier and provides a firmer final texture.

Step 3: Shape Patties and Coat in Breadcrumbs

After the 10-minute wait, sprinkle Panko breadcrumbs onto a flat-bottomed bowl or plate.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the artichoke crab cake mixture and dump it into your hands. Carefully shape into a round disk, about ¾ inch (2 centimeters) thick.

Place this artichoke patty into the breadcrumbs and lightly pat it down so breadcrumbs stick to the bottom. Carefully flip the patty over and lightly press the other side into breadcrumbs before transferring onto a prepared baking tray (topped with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper).

Instead of flipping your crab cakes over in the breadcrumbs, you can also grab breadcrumbs and sprinkle them over the top of the patty while lightly patting them into the patty. I find this method easier than flipping. Just make sure both sides have an even layer of Panko!

Once you’ve formed all patties (recipe makes about 8), coated them in breadcrumbs and transferred to a baking tray, spray the crabless cakes with oil. If you don’t have oil spray, lightly brush some over the breadcrumbs.

Flip the patties and spray oil onto the other side.

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Place the oiled patties in an oven preheated to 375 °F for 20-22 minutes or until both sides are golden brown.

If you find the breadcrumbs aren’t browning after 22 minutes, you can carefully broil each side of the crab cakes for 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the oven and either serve immediately (you’ll need to use a fork) or let cool for about 15 minutes. This wait time allows the patties to become firmer so you can pick up the crab cakes to eat with your hands.

How to Serve a Balanced Vegan Meal

This recipe is intended to be an appetizer and is a delicious start to any meal! However, if you want to use the artichoke crab cakes as part of your main meal, consider what to serve them with.

To me, a balanced meal contains a source of plant-based protein, some good carbohydrates (typically from whole grains or a starchy vegetable), non-starchy vegetables or fruits, and healthy fats.

This recipe offers some non-starchy vegetables, carbohydrates (breadcrumbs and chickpea flour) and fats (mayo and oil for cooking).

The main nutrient missing is protein! You could easily serve these tasty crabless cakes alongside chickpea salad, cooked tofu or tempeh.

If you make a tasty crab cake dipping sauce, you may rack up enough plant-based protein for a delicious meal that’ll keep you feeling full. Or eat it with a hummus/ bean dip!

The other “option” is to recognize that a lower protein meal is occasionally fine. Just don’t make it a habit to skip on good sources of plant protein!

Vegan Crab Cake Variations

There are many ways to create tasty vegan crab cakes! This recipe uses artichokes which have a great flaky texture that easily replicates crab meat.

I also have recipes for vegan crab cakes with jackfruit or hearts of palm! Use whichever base ingredient you enjoy or have on hand!

How to Refrigerate and Reheat Leftovers

Cool leftovers completely on your kitchen counter before being transferring into an airtight container. They’ll last in a fridge for up to one week.

Leftover crab cakes can be eaten cold, reheated in the microwave or reheated in the oven/ toaster oven. It’s best to reheat in an oven because it’ll help keep the breadcrumb coating crispy.

Reheating in a microwave is convenient but leaves the breadcrumb coating softer.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

More Vegan Appetizer Recipes

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