Friends, forget about real crab cakes. These vegan crab cakes taste just like the real thing!
Jackfruit does it once again, creating the perfect flaky, fish-like texture, and chickpeas add some protein. Not only is the texture spot on, but they’re also mega flavorful and crispy thanks to bread crumbs and a quick pan fry. These are NOT to be missed! Just 1 bowl required. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Vegan Crab Cakes
The base for these vegan crab cakes is a mixture of young green jackfruit for its shredded texture and chickpeas for a protein boost that brings them into entrée-friendly land.
We included many of the flavors of traditional crab cakes, including Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and parsley. And we also added celery for a subtle crunch and capers for a brine-y element that resembles seafood.
A flax egg provides the binding that holds them together and breadcrumbs help them get crispy.
Once formed into patties, they get a quick pan fry to develop a golden brown exterior.
And they’re elevated with a drizzle of vegan tartar sauce for serving.
We hope you LOVE these vegan crab cakes! They’re:
Light
Flaky
Savory
Satisfying
Crispy
& JUST like the real thing!
They’d pair well with nearly any side, including our Perfect Roasted Asparagus, Vegan Caesar Salad, Instant Pot Potatoes (Fast, Tender, Buttery), and/or Crispy Cajun Baked Fries (Oil-Free!).
More Delicious Jackfruit Recipes
- Spicy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Avocado Slaw
- 1-Pot Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Smoky Shredded Marinated Jackfruit
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Vegan “Crab” Cakes (GF)
Ingredients
CRAB CAKES
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 ½ Tbsp water
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce) can young/green jackfruit in brine, drained (NOT ripe/yellow jackfruit)
- 1-2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free friendly as needed)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp capers, minced
- 2 tsp caper brine
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 3 Tbsp minced parsley
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (gluten-free friendly as needed)
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil, for cooking
FOR SERVING optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, make the flax egg by mixing flaxseed meal and water. Set aside to gel for 5 minutes.
- To the bowl with the flax egg, add drained chickpeas and begin mashing with a fork or potato masher. You want some bigger pieces of chickpeas (~1/4 inch) and some chickpea paste.
- Thoroughly rinse and drain jackfruit. Then begin sorting. The pieces come in chunks or triangle shapes. Cut off the center “core” portion of the jackfruit that’s tougher in texture and separate it from the rest of the fruit. Then chop the core into smaller pieces. Use your hands or two forks to pull the remaining portion of the jackfruit that appears more stringy into small shredded pieces. You’re aiming to get the jackfruit into small, shredded/chopped pieces. Once shredded, rinse once more in a colander, drain, and thoroughly dry.
- Add the jackfruit to the chickpea and flax mixture and mix until well combined.
- Add the Old Bay seasoning (starting with lesser amount), Worcestershire, lemon juice, mustard, capers, and caper brine and mix well. Add the celery, parsley, and panko and mix until just combined. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the oil (2 Tbsp (30 ml) // adjust if altering batch size). Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop the crab cake mixture and pack firmly into the measuring cup. Place the measured mixture into your hand and flatten slightly, making a disc about 3 inches wide by 1 inch thick. Add the crab cakes to the pan, working in batches to avoid crowding, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and heated through. Repeat with remaining oil and crab cake mixture.
- Best when fresh. Optionally, serve with vegan tartar sauce. Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Chris Samper says
This recipe is outstanding. My mother-in-law from Maryland gave this a thumbs up! Incredible how close in texture this is to a real crab cake. I’ve been raving to everyone about this recipe. Great job!
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your mother-in-law are both loving it. Thank you for sharing, Chris!
Leigh says
These were great! I wanted to keep it oil-free, so I baked for 20 minutes at 400, then broiled for 5 minutes. Turned out really well! Thanks for the recipe.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Leigh. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your method! xo
Amanda Watson says
These were amazing! I followed the directions exactly and they turned out great. Definitely had to be careful when flipping to keep them intact but otherwise no issues! I served these with MB’s tartar sauce, cole slaw, air fried potatoes and a pickle. Also left overs were great in the air fryer the next day!
YUM, that meal sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Amanda! xo
Cara says
Wow! These are so flavorful and wonderful. I made the easy vegan tatar sauce (which is also outstanding.) One question, these had trouble holding together and I did follow the recipe as written. Any suggestions?
Also just a comment of gratitude, I REALLY appreciate the way you post links to other recipes (like sides or sauces) that would pair well with the recipe being presented. Very helpful and thoughtful! : )
Hi Cara, we’re so glad you find the pairing ideas helpful! Thank you for your kind words! Sorry to hear they didn’t hold together well. Is it possible the flax egg didn’t make it in there? Another idea would be to make sure you’re mashing the chickpeas well. Hope that helps for next time!
Joanne says
These are terrific! I followed the recipe exactly and they held together well. It’s been a few decades since I had real crab cakes but these fit my memory of them and they are delicious. This was an easy recipe to make. I will definitely make them again, and soon.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Joanne. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Monique says
Hi, I made these as instructed but they fell apart when I cooked them. I loved the flavour. I made my own old bay seasoning. What have I don’t wrong?
Hi Monique, we’re glad you enjoyed the flavor, but sorry to hear they didn’t hold together well. Is it possible the flax egg didn’t make it in there? Another idea would be to make sure you’re mashing the chickpeas well. Hope that helps for next time!
Jocelyne Comartin says
Easy to make. Super flavourful…especially with the tartar sauce.
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Jocelyne!
Coco says
Hi, I cannot get Old Bay seasoning in my country. What would be a good substitute? Cheers
Hi, You can either make Old Bay seasoning using a recipe online or add celery salt to taste. Or in a pinch, you can even use sea salt. Let us know how you like them!
Laurie says
Not what I was expecting, frying them isn’t the best idea as the chickpeas and jackfruit in the middle don’t soften enough. I won’t be making these again.
Oh no! So sorry these didn’t work out for you, Laurie. Thanks for sharing your experience!
positive love says
I followed the recipe almost exactly. First, I was concerned about the crab cakes holding together, so I allowed the flaxlatseed meal and water combination to sit longer than 5 minutes and the results were amazing – no crumbling whatsoever. Also, I mixed the chickpeas into the flaxseed mixture thoroughly as directed. The substitutions I made were to omit the parsley and add basil and dill. Also, I have trouble cooking with Avocado oil. The first batch I made I later re-fried in grapeseed oil to minimize the panko taste. I also added to the second try Italian seasonings and garlic salt as I used a smaller amount of old bay seasoning during the initial mixing. Overall, this is a great recipe. It’s difficult not to compare to the Gardien brand crab cake as they must use some sort of crab flavoring extract. Aside from them, this is far better than other vegan branded crab cakes.
Thank you so much for the lovely review and sharing your experience! SO glad you enjoyed it =)
Sue Garofalo says
These were sooooooo delish! And can we talk about the tartar sauce?? Nom nom nom!
The recipe was easy to follow, however I did have problems with binding. I would suggest pulsing the chickpeas in a food processor to get a better mashed up consistency and either adding another flax egg or more brine. Mine literally exploded when I tried flipping them in the pan. Also, I have never used Old Bay seasoning before – it is crazy salty! Next batch I will reduce from 1 Tbsp down to 1/2 Tbsp. I will definitely make these again! (And again and again …)😋
Thank you for sharing, Sue! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipes overall!
Marian Wang says
Wow these are so good!!! We did feel there was a little too much tartness with the capers. That’s our preference. Other than that, this is such a great recipe! Everyone, plant and non-plant based people, loved it. I will definitely make again :)
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing, Marian!
Kim says
So trying this – gonna use banana blossoms instead of jackfruit. Will tag you on it! Thanks for your inspiration!
How cool! We’ve never experimented with banana blossoms. Let us know how it turns out!
Doniese McCaw says
This is a very awesome recipe! Loved the ease at which it went together. I did find however it didn’t hold together as well as I thought it should, and was a tad bit crumbly, so I just added a bit of Just Egg, and that solved the crumbly issue. The flavors are exquisite and we will definitely be making this one again. Thank you! It’s a keeper and goes so well with the tartar sauce! Loved them both!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Doniese! xo
sabrina says
I just made these. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out delicious. So flavourful!
Amazing! We love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Sabrina! xo
L says
Looks great! Does an actual egg work one to one for your flax egg ingredient? I’m out of flax. Thanks
We haven’t tried it that way, but we think it should work. Let us know how it goes!
V says
Where does one find a can of jackfruit? I’ve never seen this before- are there certain stores that sell it? Thanks!
Hi there! In the US our favorite place to get canned jackfruit is Trader Joe’s, but most grocery stores should also have it in the international aisle! We also like Native Forest brand. Hope this helps!
Shelley Harris says
I made these this morning. The only ingredient I omitted was the chopped celery because I usually don’t add that to my crab cakes. I must say that these are delicious and the flavour is very authentic. Thank you for this recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review, Shelley! So glad you enjoyed the crab cakes! xo
toby Bringas says
i’m new to jack fruit, but intrigued!!! how does one pick the proper fruit for this recipe
Hi Toby! This recipe calls for canned jackfruit that is in brine, fresh jackfruit will not give the same results. Hope this helps!
Angie says
I think I may have needed to mash my chickpeas a little more, my poor little patties never wanted to stay together! Hahaha
Oh no! Sorry these didn’t work out for you, Angie. Thoroughly mashing should help, and if it’s still too dry you could add extra caper brine until the dough holds together. Let us know how it goes if you try it again! xo
Pat Holkestad says
We tried these Vegan Crab Cakes tonight – they were delicious. However, they did not hold together very well. Should I try adding more Flax egg? Or do you have another suggestion. Thanks very much.
Hi Pat! Glad you enjoyed these crab cakes, but sorry the texture wasn’t perfect! More flax eggs could certainly help, but we’d suggest adding extra caper brine or plain water (1 tbsp at a time) until it’s the texture you want. Hope this helps! xo
Aliyah Bacca says
So I made this last night with the tartar sauce recipe, your oven baked Cajun fries, and your vegan coleslaw recipe! It was smack yo mama good!!! The faux crab cakes were so delicate and crispy, with great flavor. I didn’t change a thing regarding the recipe because you are the expert, so I wanted to honor the original recipe-which was written perfectly. You knocked this one out of the park!! Thank you so much for sharing your ingenuity and creativity with the world!
Thank you for such a kind and lovely review, Aliyah! All those dishes together sound *amazing*, we are so glad you enjoyed! xo
Laurie says
I want to make these ahead in morning for later. Is it ok to make the mix & refrigerate it for the day and cook in the evening? Instead of cooking & reheating later?
Laurie says
P.s. Can I sub out for hearts of palm if I don’t have jackfruit on hand?
We tried chopped hearts of palm and didn’t enjoy the flavor as much, but they do work. Let us know if you try it!
June says
I made the crab cakes and the tartar sauce. I did use a cast iron pan and loved them, but I don’t like how much oil I had to use. I’m going to try baking them next.
Here’s how I used it for dinner: In a bowl I started with quinoa, then shredded romaine lettuce, then the crab cakes, and finely chopped cooked beets on top with tartar sauce. It looked like a dish from a restaurant and the combination of flavors was fantastic.
Thank you!
Sounds delish! Thanks for sharing your experience, June. So glad you enjoyed! xo
That should work well!
Jade says
Can I use almond flour instead of panko crumbs?
Hi Jade, we think that would work, but won’t be quite as crispy. Let us know if you try it!
Jade says
I ended up trying brown rice flour (1 to 1 ratio) and it worked out perfectly!
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing, Jade!
Bee says
Do you think these could be baked and provide good results? (Taste & texture)
Hi Bee, we don’t think they will be quite as crispy or sturdy, but might turn out okay. We would suggest spraying or brushing them with a little oil to encourage crispiness and add flavor. Let us know how it goes!
Joan Money says
I made these with no modifications because I usually love all of the Minimalist Baker’s recipes. They lacked flavor! The only thing I can think of is that I used 1 T Old Bay instead of 2.
I really wanted to like them.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Joan. The Old Bay is a key flavor and adds saltiness, so that could be the issue. We provided a range for those who prefer things less salty, but we’d definitely suggest increasing it for more flavor.
Joan says
Do you think sprinkling some Old Bay on the leftover cakes might help? Was thinking of trying that
Yes! One other thing we thought about was to make sure the can of jackfruit you were using was 14 ounces and not a larger one.
Lisa says
Hi could I use a airfryer for oil free or bake? Also could I use dried parsley?
Hi Lisa, We’d suggest trying 1-2 tsp dried parsley. We don’t think they will be quite as crispy or sturdy without pan frying, but might turn out okay. Let us know how it goes!
Srndptee says
Hi MB!
I live your whole concept and am an avid reader.
The recipes I’ve tried have all been excellent
This one seems perfect, will try soon.
Wondering : I see you are using cast iron here. I like it, natural. I saw you were using the Always pan before -I don’t think you are affiliated. I know people don’t want to criticize the Always Pan, it seems « all the rage » I’m debating what to buy. Did you revert back out of a preference for cast iron after all?
Hi, we like cast iron here because it adds a nice crispiness to the exterior of the “crab” cakes. You can find our updated thoughts on the Always Pan here (look after the second photo for the update). Hope it’s helpful!
Lucy says
Would love to make but Unfortunately old bay seasoning doesn’t exist in NZ – is there an alternative or a combo of spices and seasonings I could make to recreate?
Hi Lucy, you can find recipes online for Old Bay seasoning. Or you can even just sub celery salt or sea salt to taste! Hope that helps!
Dana Chalamet says
Omg. For sure going to make this along with your vegan tartar sauce. Sounds and looks HEAVENLY!!! 😋 … have been wanting to make meals with jackfruit, but never have. This should be a really great start! ☺️ Thanks so much for sharing! 💞🙏🏼🌈💞
Yay! Let us know how you like it =)
Tricia Berkow says
Hi! What brand of jackfruit do you use? I’d like to try this. Looks yummy!
Hi Tricia, we like Native Forest or Trader Joe’s. Let us know how you like this one =)
Julie says
Looks great! Do you have a link or favorite source/brand for the jackfruit?
Hi Julie, we like Native Forest or Trader Joe’s. Let us know how you like this recipe =)
Katelyn says
Do you think you could use lentils instead of chickpeas in this recipe?
Hi Katelyn, hmm, we aren’t sure about that one. We think they might add too much moisture, so we’d suggest compensating by using less water for making the flax egg. Let us know if you try it!
renée says
Hi there… I have dried jackfruit… what do you think about re-hydrating and using that in place of the green jackfruit in brine? thanks!
Hi Renée, that might work in terms of texture, but we don’t think it will have the same taste because of the missing brine. Maybe add more caper brine to taste? Let us know if you try it!
Jen says
Wow!! These look amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I can’t wait to try them!! 😊💕
Yay! Let us know how you like them =)
Régine says
Hi and thanks for the recipe. I would love to try it, but I am not crazy about jackfruit. Would King bolets work?
Hi Régine, we aren’t familiar with that type of mushroom so we’re not sure. You’d probably need to cook them to remove some of the moisture and add more caper brine for flavor. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
June says
You read my mind again, because you gave us the tartar sauce, and we needed those crab cakes!!! And how amazing is it that there’s no may in this recipe?
What’s even funnier is that last night I came upon an old French chef making crab cakes (with mayo), and so, of course, I’ve had a hankering for it.
Are you going to read my mind again tomorrow???
Woohoo! Hope you love them, June! xo
Kei says
Hi, this looks great. Any substitute for jackfruit? Thank you.
Hi Kei, hmm, that’s a little tricky. We tried chopped hearts of palm and didn’t enjoy the flavor as much, but they do work. Or another option might be well rinsed artichoke hearts? Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Sarah says
Hi! Do you think I could bake them or air fry them?
Hi Sarah, we don’t think they will be quite as crispy or sturdy, but might turn out okay. We would suggest spraying or brushing them with a little oil to encourage crispiness and add flavor. Let us know how it goes!
Remy says
Hi!
I was wondering can I substitute an egg for the flax meal part that helps everything stick together?
Thanks! Very excited to try this recipe out!
Hi Remy, we do think that would work, though we haven’t tried it. Let us know how it turns out!
Jade says
Heyy, can I use dried parsley? I don’t have fresh on hand.
Hi Jade, we think that should work. We’d suggest using 1-2 tsp dried parsley. Let us know how it turns out!