Made with chickpeas, fresh dill, Old Bay, and a surprising ingredient to add flaky texture, pan-fried until crispy, these vegan crab cakes hit the spot!
I’ve spent most of my adult life living in Baltimore, so I’ve seen my fair share of both non-vegan and vegan crab cakes. And I’d definitely consider myself an Old Bay aficionado. They sell it by the gallon at Costco here!
Over the years I’ve seen different “fishy” ingredients and seasonings in vegetarian crab cakes. Jackfruit, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, and even zucchini (a variety available as a vegan entree option at a fancy local restaurant here). Tried them all, love them all.
I discovered a new-to-me ingredient recently, though: banana blossom. I had learned of allegations that banana blossom is being used as a vegan fish substitute. However, I had quite difficulty actually finding any example recipes and even more difficulty finding information on how to prepare the canned banana blossom for consumption. So I forged ahead on my own and I will be sharing my findings, with step-by-step pictures, in the recipe below.
Don’t fret, for I realize this is a rather rare (at least for now) ingredient and I tested these vegan crab cakes with artichoke hearts as an alternative, which are much more commonly available. I also tested these with gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of gluten-ous, and can report that they were a little more crumbly but still worked just fine.
A lot of vegan “fish” recipes seem to use various types of seaweed to add an oceanic flavor. Personally, I don’t miss eating fish, I just miss eating delicious little flaky fried cakes. So I haven’t made an effort here to make these “taste like fish”. I did add oodles of fresh dill, Old Bay seasoning (which is based on paprika and celery salt), some dijon mustard and of course, a nice helping of vegan mayo to add richness and creaminess. The traditional dish is often served with remoulade, pictured is Just Thousand Island dressing
These vegan crabless cakes are also made with chopped up chickpeas to add a little bit more heartiness, since the banana blossom and/or artichoke hearts don’t have much in the way of calories. The result is a satisfying, crispy, tender, nicely seasoned vegan cake with a little flakiness and lots of flavor. No it does not taste like actual crab. Calibrate your expectations and go forth!
Vegan Crab Cakes with Chickpeas and Dill
Ingredients
- 1 18 oz. can banana blossoms in brine (drained weight 9 oz.) (or use artichoke hearts, see notes)
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (drained from one 14 oz. can)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots thinly sliced (or use 1 small yellow or white onion)
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 cup finely-chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo (or use 1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil)
- 2 tsp prepared mustard
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
- neutral oil for pan-frying (or use olive oil, see notes)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the canned banana blossoms well. Also, rinse and drain the chickpeas and set aside.
- Separate the different parts of the banana blossoms: the long, thin floret pieces, the petals, and the hearts (right). If using hearts of palm or artichokes, skip this step.
- Finely chop the different banana blossom pieces. Remove and discard any particularly sinewy petal and floret pieces that don’t cut easily. Chopping the different parts separately helps achieve consistent results.
- Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened (turn down the heat if starting to brown). Add the Old Bay and cook for 30 seconds more, or until fragrant. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to your food processor.
- Add the chickpeas and chopped banana blossoms to the food processor. Pulse until everything is broken into smaller pieces, about the size of a dried lentil. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the fresh dill, vegan mayo, mustard, and finally the breadcrumbs. Taste and add more salt, pepper, and Old Bay as desired.
- Turn on your kitchen fan if you have one. Clean out your frying pan from before and heat 1-2 tablespoons of neutral oil over medium heat. Measure out 1/4 cup of the vegan crab cakes mixture and use your hands to squish it into a cake shape. Drop the formed vegan crab cakes into the heated oil, repeating until the pan is filled but not crowded. (I can fit 4 at a time in mine). Crowding the pan will stop them from getting crispy, so don’t do it!
- Every stove and pan is different, so when first making these pay careful mind to the bottoms burning. Pan-fry the vegan crab cakes for about 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned on both sides and hot throughout. Serve hot, with vegan remoulade or other sauce/dressing of choice. (I also enjoy them with just ketchup).
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Lesley Wilkinson says
Could these be prepared the day before and fried just before serving please?
Louise says
Followed the ingredients exactly, only change I made was cooking them in my air fryer instead of pan frying. Absolutely delicious. Feed them to some friends who couldn’t believe they were vegan.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I’m thrilled to hear that, thanks for sharing!
banana banana says
I just made this today and I ate the whole thing by myself in one seating. This was so fucking delicious. I’m a cup of water away from exploding, so very uncomfortable now and after laboring hard to make them (not really, it was easy), I have nothing to eat later today or tomorrow but I have no regrets! Definitely make it again and see if I could control myself next time.
nina says
hey there, i just made these and i love the taste!!
they did end up falling apart in the pan though, even though i followed the recipe precisely.. what could i do to make them bind more?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for letting me know! I suppose it’s possible your chickpeas had more moisture than the average. You should be able to squish them into the shape you see pictured in the photo where I dropped them into the oil. See how they’re already in a cylinder shape? If that shape won’t hold then there’s too much moisture, so add a few more breadcrumbs. Make sure your chickpeas and your banana blossom or artichoke hearts are patted dry as well.
Sara says
Could you use jackfruit instead of palm hearts?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Sure!
Rachel says
Rarely do I make a recipe without changing anything. I do use artichoke hearts for this because I’ve yet to see banana blossom in any of my stores, but apart from that, I don’t touch a thing. I make these cakes regularly and love, love, love them. Thank you so much for bringing them into my life!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
That’s great to hear, Rachel!
Sandra says
Where to get the banana blossom from please I am in the UK
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I’m not sure where to find it in the UK but you could use hearts of palm or artichoke hearts instead.
Rosie says
Asda online 🙂
Michaela Ellison says
Sainsbury’s have started selling this Veganuary. Just £1.40 a tin. It’s next to their jackfruit with some more new goodies. Where the lentils & tinned beans are
I previously bought for about £2 per tin on Amazon
Dawn says
Asda do them.
Faith Bush says
Asda sell them where the tinned fruit is.
xoxo says
I make a double batch of these and freeze and then reheat them in the oven! I like to have one on top of a salad. It’s a great staple item. One time when I didn’t have fresh dill I used parsley instead and it was tasty too. I think most fresh herbs would be good! It’s hard to imagine going back to eating real crab when I have a vegan option this deliciousness!
Joanne says
Hello, when you freeze these do you freeze them before or after frying? X
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
You can freeze these after frying and then reheat them nicely in the oven!
Becca S says
These were SO GOOD. I think I like them better than the “real thing” too. Very rich, crispy, and satisfying. Going on the rotation for sure.
wil says
I bought a food processor just to make this recipe; and it didn’t work. Anyway I just mashed everything with a potato masher instead and they still came out great; really delicious. I’ll try it again after I exchange my food processor lol