Easy Vegan Crab Cakes in 45 minutes

These Vegan Crab Cakes are vegetable cakes made crab cake style! Oyster mushrooms replace crab - their meaty texture is incredibly similar to crab. With this recipe, you'll have loads of fun eating your vegetables.

I adapted this recipe from the crab cakes I used to make working in a little bistro about 20 years ago. The recipe list was long and making the crab cakes was a tedious process.... BUT they were delicious! They were filled with tons of roasted veggies, crab and a laundry list all kinds of ingredients. For this recipe, I ditched the crab, added vegan substitutes and simplified the recipe to just a few easy steps that will give you delicious vegan crab cakes in 45 minutes.

You can easily make these vegan crab cakes in advance, store them covered in your refrigerator and heat them in the oven right before you serve them. They make a fantastic appetizer, easy lunch with a salad, or even a light, scrumptious dinner.

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If I'm not vegan, how do I make this recipe with crab?

So this recipe is for Vegan Crab Cakes...But what if you eat crab? What if you want to make a crab cake with actual crab??? Don't worry, I've got you covered, a few simple tweaks and you're on your way to real deal crab cakes.

Substitute the oyster mushrooms for lump crab meat (Dungeness crab works best). Don't roast your crab meat.

Use 2 eggs (beaten) instead of the egg substitute.

Use regular mayo instead of vegan mayo.

That's it! Follow the rest of the recipe exactly and you'll have some amazing crab cakes in 45 minutes.

What you'll need to make Vegan Crab Cakes

1 Medium Eggplant

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Cup Oyster Mushrooms (or 1 cup lump crab meat)

¼ Cup Whole Garlic roughly chopped (large chunks)

1 Tbsp Basil Pesto prepared (check to see it's vegan, if needed)

1 Tbsp Chopped Capers

½ - ¾ Cup Flour

½ Cup Egg Substitute - I like Just Egg. (or 2 eggs, beaten)

¼ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

For the Remoulade

¼ Cup Vegan Mayo (regular mayo if not making vegan)

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp Chopped Capers

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Caper Brine (juice from caper jar)

1 Tsp Distilled Vinegar

For Frying

½ Cup Flour More if needed

¼ Cup Olive Oil More if needed

To make the Vegan Crab Cakes

Preheat oven to 400F

Wash and chop eggplant and red pepper into small chunks of equal size, about ¼ inch. Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss together, spread out in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes.

1 Medium Eggplant

1 Red Bell Pepper

Drizzle olive oil

Salt and Pepper

While the veggies are roasting, make the remoulade. In a small bowl combine: Vegan mayo, mustard, chopped capers, lemon juice, caper brine and distilled vinegar. Stir to combine well and set aside in the fridge to let the flavors meld.

¼ Cup Vegan Mayo (or regular mayo)

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp Chopped Capers

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Caper Brine (juice from caper jar)

1 Tsp Distilled Vinegar

Peel garlic, but do not crush. Remove the tough end of the garlic and roughly chop into large chunks about the same size as the eggplant and peppers. Prepare mushrooms by wiping them with a clean, damp towel. Cut the bottom of the mushrooms so they are free from the clump. (Skip mushroom preparation if making non vegan with crab)

¼ Cup Whole Garlic roughly chopped (large chunks)

1 Cup Oyster Mushrooms

After 10 minutes pull eggplant and peppers from oven. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the baking sheet with eggplant and peppers. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss together and spread in an even single layer. Roast 10 more minutes. (only add garlic if making non vegan with crab)

¼ Cup Chopped Garlic

1 Cup Oyster Mushrooms

After 10 minutes, remove from oven. In a medium to large bowl combine: roasted veggies and pesto, mix together. Then add, flour, egg substitute, chopped capers, Panko breadcrumbs. Gently mix together until you can form a ball that holds together without falling apart. (Add a touch more flour or egg substitute if needed)

Roasted Veggies (and crab if making with crab)

1 Tbsp Vegan Basil Pesto Prepared

1 Tbsp Chopped Capers

¾ Cup Flour

½ Cup Egg Substitue

¼ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs

To fry the vegan crab cakes

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottom skillet or cast iron pan. In a shallow bowl or plate add flour (to bread cakes)

½ Cup Flour (More if needed)

¼ Cup Olive oil (More if needed)

Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of cake mixture and form into a patty. Form and squeeze the patty until the it holds shape. Drop in the flour to coat. Gently squeeze the flour into the patty. Add to the hot oil and fry 2 -3 minutes on each side (or until golden brown and). Set on a clean baking sheet to cool. Repeat the process with the remainder of the Crab Cake dough. Add olive oil to the pan as needed if it starts to get low.

Serve with with the remoulade sauce as an appetizer, salad or main course.

Enjoy! 

How to Store and reheat the Vegan Crab Cakes

Store the crab cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To reheat the crab cakes, heat the oven to 400F. Place crab cakes on a baking sheet and cook for 5 -10 minutes until heated through. Serve with remoulade sauce.

How to store the remoulade sauce

Place the remoulade sauce in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. No heating required.

Remoulade will develop more flavor as it sits overnight.

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Vegan Caesar Salad

Creamy, Vegan Mushroom Soup

Recipe

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