Vegan Crab Cakes are the perfect dish to enjoy that briny seafood flavor without using any real fish. The secret? Kelp powder. We also swap the chicken eggs for “flax eggs”—a plant-based binder made by mixing flaxseed meal with water. The consistency of flax eggs is sticky and gooey, similar to egg whites.
The “meat” of these Vegan Crab Cakes is made of shredded carrots and hearts of palm, the latter of which can be found canned in many grocery stores. Heart of palm is high in potassium and water and also contains vitamin A, zinc, and phosphorus.1
Aside from kelp powder the cakes are seasoned with garlic, black pepper, and cayenne, and coated in an almond flour and walnut crust. We use only ½ teaspoon of cayenne in this recipe, but if you like to spice things up, throw in 1 teaspoon for extra heat and flavor.
To complete the dish, we pair these Vegan Crab Cakes with a zesty, dairy-free dipping sauce, similar to a remoulade, that perfectly complements the other flavors. It uses a base of Paleo Mayonnaise, but you can substitute a flax egg to make the recipe fully vegan—just mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons warm water. If you have storebought vegan mayo on hand, that also works.
TIP: This recipe is not recommended for those on an autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet.
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Vegan Crab Cakes
- Recipe by: Griffin McMath, ND
- Serves: 6
- Meal: Appetizer
- Serves: 6
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp flaxseed meal (AIP - omit)
6 tbsp water
1 cups carrots, shredded & patted dry
3/4 cups hearts of palm, shredded
1/2 cups celery, finley diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp no salt-added kelp powder
1 tsp black pepper (AIP - omit)
1/2 tsp cayenne (AIP - omit)
2 tbsp almond meal (AIP - omit)
2 tbsp parsley, diced, plus more for garnish
1/2 cups yellow onion, finley diced
1/2 cups walnuts, crushed (AIP - omit)
3 tbsp almond flour (AIP - omit)
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
lemon wedges, for serving
3/4 cups Paleo Mayo (AIP - omit)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ground mustard (AIP - omit)
1 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Directions
Create flax eggs first by combining flaxseed meal with water. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes to an hour.
To a food processor, add carrots and hearts of palm. Pulse a few times to break up. Take care not to pulse too many times or it will turn to mush. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk flax eggs, celery, 1 clove minced garlic, kelp powder, black pepper, and cayenne until well combined.
Add almond meal, parsley, onions, and carrot mixture. Gently fold to combine. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
Freeze mixture for 20 minutes to harden slightly.
Mix walnuts and almond flour in a shallow bowl. Use about ¼ cup of crab cake mixture and form a ball with your hands, then gently flatten to form into a patty shape. Roll patty all over in walnut coating. Set aside and repeat until the crab cake mixture is gone.
Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmery. (If you place the patty in the pan and it sizzles, it's hot enough.)
Place about 4-5 crab cakes on your pan at one time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Try to flip each crab cake only once. Transfer cooked crab cakes to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out pan, add fresh oil, and continue frying until all crab cakes are finished.
Make the sauce: Blend Paleo mayo, lemon juice, ground mustard, dill, and ½ teaspoon garlic together.
Garnish crab cakes with parsley and serve hot with sauce and lemon wedges on the side.
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