You might even like these plant-based crab cakes better than the real deal! Cleverly made with chickpeas and artichoke hearts!
I think I may have found a favourite new summertime recipe here. I first started making my own crab cakes about ten years ago because they were just one of those things that I’d always heard about, but had never actually tried since we don’t live near the ocean. I immediately understood what all the hype was about. I decided to try to update the recipe a bit a few weeks ago and make it plant-based, and I actually think I like these even better! I’d love to try making little bite-sized versions of these one day for appetizers when we get to have an occasion that calls for such a thing again. 🙂 Here’s my recipe for plant-based crab cakes!
Ingredients Needed for the Plant-Based Crab Cakes
I did some research and combined a few different recipes that I thought sounded good to come up with this particular recipe. I took a lot of inspiration from the Barefoot Contessa’s crab cakes, along with my own preferences, and then I found this recipe here that suggested using chickpeas and artichokes to replace the crab. I always have those things in my pantry, so that sounded like the option for me!
To make these crab cakes you’ll need:
- Marinated Artichokes
- Chickpeas
- Shredded Carrots
- Red Bell Pepper
- Capers
- Bread (or pre-made bread crumbs)
- Dijon Mustard
- Hot Sauce
- Vegan Mayonnaise
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Fresh Chives
- Vegetable Oil for Frying
How to Make the Crab Cakes
Although the ingredient list for these crab cakes is quite long, these are actually really easy to make with the help of your trusty food processor. You’ll basically just pulse all of the ingredients together, form the cakes, coat them in bread crumbs and then fry them up. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these cakes hold together really nicely, even without using egg in the recipe. the ratio of chickpeas to veggies to artichokes is also quite forgiving, so if you have a little extra of one, go ahead and toss it in. The cakes will still hold together perfectly-well.
Chilling the pre-made cakes for an hour or so before frying does seem to help a bit, so assemble these and place them on a baking sheet in the fridge a little earlier in the day if possible. These also re-heat really nicely and make a great lunch the next day! 🙂
Printable Plant-Based Crab Cakes Recipe
Here’s the full printable recipe! Print it off to add it to your recipe binder or just follow the recipe right here on your phone or tablet.
You might even like these plant-based crab cakes better than the real deal! Cleverly made with chickpeas and artichoke hearts!
- 1 6 oz jar Marinated Artichokes (drained and patted dry)
- 1 can Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 2 slices Bread (toasted)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (seeded and chopped into large chunks)
- 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots (or about 1/2 a large carrot)
- 2 tbsp Capers (drained)
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 cup Vegan Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
- 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 small handful Fresh Chives
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
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Add the bread to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it reaches the small breadcrumb stage, then pour it into a bowl and set aside.
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Add the carrots, red pepper, capers, and chives and pulse 5-ish times until they're finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and artichokes and pulse about three more times.
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Add the vegan mayonnaise, dijon mustard, the hot sauce, the Old Bay Seasoning, and about 1/3 of the bread crumbs. Pulse until everything is well combined.
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Form the mixture into about 10 crab cakes. Dip each cake into the remaining bread crumb mixture, coating on all sides. Place the cakes on a lined baking sheet and chill for an hour or more.
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To fry the crab cakes, add about 2 tbsp of oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Working in batched of 2-3 cakes, fry for about 3-4 minutes per side, until the crab cakes are golden brown.
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