Vegan Jackfruit "Crab" Cakes, y'all! You're not going to get any closer to the real thing than these. It's all about texture and seasoning, and our vegan crab cakes are legit. If you're all about cruelty-free food, and you used to love sea food, then try these. They make a great appetizer, side dish, or main dish. While you're at it, you might want to try our jackfruit tuna salad, or our vegan beer battered fish tacos.
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VEGAN CRAB CAKES THAT EVERYONE WILL LOVE
You know you’ve hit a home run when you have to protect your food from a pack of hungry men and two little dogs.
I made the mistake of letting my son taste one of the vegan crab cakes without crab before I photographed them. Big mistake.
You see, I already knew that I had created a winner, because I was having my own issues with willpower.
Those little golden brown crab cakes had a slightly crunchy outer layer and were perfectly moist and meaty on the inside, similar to the Maryland crab cakes (only these have more breading) that I remembered eating before going vegan.
I could have eaten every one of them, but I didn’t. I dug deep and found the strength to share.
VEGAN CRAB CAKES THAT TASTE LIKE ORIGINAL CRAB CAKES
Y'all, these are the best crab cakes and they taste like the real deal!
The medley of Old Bay seasoning, garlic, chives, and cilantro is the perfect blend of flavors to make these plant-based crab cakes taste perfect.
Additionally, the jackfruit has a texture that is so similar to crab.
Just ask my son and my husband.
They were skeptical when I told them what I was making. But the proof was in the pudding, so they say.
And after one bite , I had to ward them off from the platter by threatening them that I'd never make them again if they touched them.
It worked, but they lurked, and made my work difficult.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN CRAB CAKES WITH JACKFRUIT?
It’s really easy to make vegan crab cakes with jackfruit.
STEP ONE
Open two cans of jackfruit (in water, not brine), drain, rinse, pat dry, and chop until it resembles lump crab meat.
You could put it in a food processor if you prefer shredded crab cakes.
STEP TWO
Once that’s out of the way you’ll want to make two flax eggs, and combine the seasonings in a large bowl.
Then add the jackfruit, flax eggs, bread crumbs (use gluten-free if you want), and some minced chives and cilantro.
Use your hands to blend everything together. Really squeeze the ingredients together until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together. Once that happens you can start to form the cakes.
If you want to make these for an entrée, make large cakes. If you want them for appetizers, make little cakes.
CAN YOU MAKE VEGAN CRAB CAKES WITHOUT FRYING THEM IN OIL?
If you're trying to limit or cut out oil in your diet, I didn’t forget you.
I split up my cakes and made half in the oven without oil and half in a skillet with oil. There was a difference, but my son gave both versions a thumbs up.
Trust me, he’s picky, so that’s as good of a review as you’re going to get.
To forgo the oil, just put the “crab” cakes on a cookie sheet, drizzle with lemon juice, and bake in a 375° oven for approximately 10 minutes on each side, or until they’re golden brown and firm to the touch.
They’re a little drier than the pan fried version, but they’re still quite tasty, and definitely lower in calories.
The pan fried version doesn’t require a lot of oil.
I put a thin layer of canola oil on the bottom of an iron skillet (I totally recommend using iron) and cooked them until they were golden brown on each side.
These are not deep fried, although you could use more oil if you want. But why would you want to do that?
If you like aioli on crab cakes then go for it, but I live in a household where mayonnaise is considered to be the devil. LOL!
We drizzled a little sriracha on top of ours, and it complimented them perfectly. There’s nothing like a little heat, am I right?
Like I said, the wolf pack was circling me while I photographed those delicious vegan jackfruit “crab” cakes.
Once I turned my camera off those gorgeous cakes disappeared in a flurry of noshing and gnashing of crazed man teeth.
The poor dogs where looking up just waiting for crumbs to hit the floor. It was chaos of the best kind, because I had hit it out of the park, and there’s no better feeling than that.
What is Jackfruit and Why Should You Eat It?
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit (related to the mulberry) found in Southeast Asia. It has a mild, sweet flavor, but when packed in water, it becomes so mild that it can be transformed into "crab" cakes. or vegan pulled BBQ. It's a great source of fiber, potassium, vitamin B-6 and C, and magnesium. Pretty awesome, don't you think?
NOTE: Purchase jackfruit in water, NOT brine, or they'll turn out too salty.
Make these delicious vegan crab cakes and take a picture and tag us @veganosity on Instagram so we can see your beautiful creation!
Some of the products that I used to make these delicious vegan jackfruit "crab" cakes: Click on the picture to purchase.
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VEGAN JACKFRUIT "CRAB" CAKES
Ingredients
- 24 oz young jackfruit in water (SEE NOTE), drain, rinse well, squeeze and pat dry, chop until it resembles lump crab meat
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed plus 6 tbsp (90 ml) water, mix well and let sit for ten minutes (flax egg)
- 1 tsp Colman’s Mustard powder plus 1 tsp water mix well
- 2 tbsp Old Bay Spice see note
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce we use Annie’s brand
- 2 cloves of garlic minced, or 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground sea salt see note
- 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp chives – minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro – minced
- 1/2 cup classic bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Make the flax eggs and set aside
- Put all of the seasonings, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl and whisk together until completely combined.
- Add the jackfruit, flax eggs, herbs, and bread crumbs and combine with your hands until the mixture begins to stick together. Form into cakes. The amount that this recipe makes depends on how large you make the cakes.
- Place the cakes on a plate and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- To Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375° and put the cakes on a cookie sheet. Squeeze lemon juice over the top of the cakes and bake for approximately ten minutes or until golden brown. Flip and squeeze lemon juice on the top of the cakes and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch.
- To Fry:
- Cover the bottom of a large skillet with a thin layer of oil (1 to 2 tablespoons) and heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the cakes and cook until golden brown (approximately 5 minutes). Flip and cook until golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Serve with aioli or sriracha and a lemon wedge.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Briana says
I loved this recipe, but I bought jackfruit in brine not realizing it would be different, so my crabcakes turned out very salty. If you're prepping to make this recipe, make sure you get jackfruit in water! I'll use the Amazon link next time!
Linda Meyer says
Oh no! So sorry, Briana! I'm going to make a note in the recipe. I've only ordered jackfruit through Amazon and didn't even realize that it comes packaged in brine.
Kyle Pappalardo says
I'm so excited to use this recipe! I've been trying to find a quality recipe without palm or artichoke! If someone does buy jackfruit in brine instead of water, soaking it overnight in water or for a few hours really helps pull a lot of the salt out.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kyle, thanks so much! Soaking in water does help, I also started simmering it for an hour or two in vegetable broth with a teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning. It makes a big difference. Let me know how you like these. 🙂
Kim says
Are pandora crumbs a must or will regular bread crumbs work as well? Thanks,
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kim, you can use regular bread crumbs. The panko crumbs give the cakes a little extra crunch.
Kim says
Panko, not pandora, darn spell check.
Linda Meyer says
🙂
AndreaJoy says
I actually found it more easily at WholeFoods, FRESH. Now, any ideas on how to translate to using that way? 😀
Linda Meyer says
Hi, AndreaJoy! Wow! How cool, I'd love to find fresh jackfruit. From what I can see, it's much like a squash on the inside. Remove the seeds and the core and pull the meat of the fruit out and shred it. It should cook the same as the canned. Let me know how it goes.
Tawnya says
Just made this, and while it was FANTASTIC, be sure if you use jackfruit in brine that you do NOT add any additional salt, as this was our only misstep. Made an amazing condiment to add, which really added to it's depth- mixed sour cream, horseradish and a splash of sriracha. Will make again, and thank you for the recipe!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Tawnya! Great tip, thank you. Jackfruit packed in brine is totally different than that packed in water. I'll add that to the recipe. 🙂 I'm so happy you enjoyed them, and I love the toppings you put on them.
Angela A. says
Would be nice to put the note about the jackfruit in water at the beginning. About to fry mine and then i see the note. Ugh!!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Angela, our apologies. The instructions state, "2 17-ounce cans of jackfruit in water" in the ingredients, although I agree that we should put a, "See Note" next to the jackfruit. I hope your cakes turned out.
molly says
What's the longest you would leave these in the fridge? I'm thinking about making the cakes the night before a party, wondering if they would dry out too much over ~12 hours
Linda Meyer says
Hi Molly! They should be fine as long as you store them in an airtight container. Let us know how they turn out. 🙂
Kristi Holsinger says
Can I make and freeze them ahead of time? I'd then thaw them in the fridge and fry them.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kristi! Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Kristi Holsinger says
Thanks!
Nikki says
Hi! Very excited to make this recipe. If I was to make this recipe with regular eggs instead
of flax eggs, would you recommend using one egg or two? I’m not full vegan and would rather use the eggs I have on hand rather than buying flax seed. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Nikki! I'd start with one egg and see how it binds. If you feel like you need to add another, whisk it in a separate bowl and add it slowly until the mixture is sticky enough. Let us know how you like them. 🙂
Alocasia says
Baked these last night. Great recipe.. Love that it's oil free. I'm throwing away all my other jackfruit crab cake recipes now. This one is the best one we've tried yet. They did take longer to bake in the oven than directed. Delicious!!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Alocasia! Thank you so much, we're so happy you liked our recipe. Baking times can definitely vary as ovens can be calibrated so differently, and if you don't have a convection oven, it could also take a bit longer. 🙂
Steve says
What are flax eggs?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Steve, 1 tbsp of ground flax seed and 3 tbsp of water mixed together is a flax egg. 🙂
Liliana says
Hello, I tried this recipe with jackfruit in water (not brine) and it was fine, but WAY too salty (and I LOVE salt). I actually think it's not the brine that is the issue (as we did not use jackfruit in brine), its the old bay spice. I will try it again soon to double-check, and will try the recipe again with at most half of the old bay spice.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Liliana, thanks for your comment. We've had so many great reviews for this recipe, and a few who thought it was too salty, so we've added a note to taste the mixture before adding the salt. 🙂
DP says
Lovely recipe. Have been searching for jackfruit crab cake recipe and ingredient list hit all the right notes. My only minor comment is that the amount of Old Bay spice was over-powering. So the freshness / taste of the cilantro and chives didn't come through. However, that is clearly one person's opinion and an easy adjustment. Going into the rotation. Thank you again.
Linda Meyer says
Hi DP! Thank you for your comment. We're happy you enjoyed the recipe. You're absolutely right, the amount of seasoning that goes into food will vary by each person's preference. This is why we love vegan food, you can safely taste it when it's raw and adjust according to your tastes. 🙂
Tracy Talley says
Wow!! Love these! So easy and so yummy.
Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Will make these often. Excellent warm or cold.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Tracy! Thank you so much, we're so happy you enjoyed them.
Mark Gailmor says
As a vegan of 30 years and an above average fermenter, I tell people all the time to forgo to cheap jackfruit in brine at TJ's and go to an Asian market to get Jackfruit in water. And I explain why as a normal person who ferments a lot of veggies and fruit.
When you ferment any food, it gets sweeter. You are extractin a lot of the healthy compounds that you normally wouldn't taste ut this is truth. Just consider the lowly cabbage. We put it in soups, stews, and cole slaw. However, when you ferment cabbage, as people have done for thousands of years, it takes on a sweet/soar flavor. And the same thing happens to fruit. If you take a young jackfruit, that is flavorless, and you put it in brine, it will naturally ferment and the sweetness of the fruit is revealed. However, if you purchase jackfruit in water, the flavour is neutral as it should be.
Thanks again for a great recipe. I made this tonight but added a small amount of green nori flakes to give it that authentic, fresh from the ocean taste. And it was absolutely perfect.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Mark! Yes, exactly, that's why we always tell our readers to buy young green jackfruit packed in water. Thank you for the great explanation. 🙂 We're so happy you enjoyed them.
Donald says
Definitely a hit with this Louisiana boy. My jack fruit came in a brine so after reading your comments and everyone else that left comments, I cut the salt in half and the Old Bay just a bit. I learned something here and it gives me a lot of ideas for future experiments. How about a casserole dish based on the same recipe? I'll bet there are a lot of great cooks out there like you who could put this recipe on steroids. This was finger licking good just the way you instruct and plan on using this recipe in the future. Excellent! Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Donald! Well if this isn't a compliment, then we don't know what is! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know how much you liked them. We love the idea of making a casserole from this recipe. We're on it! 🙂
Kit says
Maybe a "tuna" noodle casserole? Have you tried making that yet? It would be great to enjoy a vegan version of tuna noodle casserole. That's definitely a childhood comfort food for me. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kit, thank you so much. That's a great idea! Such a classic American dish. Thanks for the idea, we'll put in on the list. 🙂
Olivia says
Hi, I'm thinking of making this recipe, just wondering how important it is to buy two different types of breadcrumb? Could I just do a whole cup of classic breadcrumbs instead or are the two different types very important for the final result? Thank you
Linda Meyer says
Hey Olivia, Thank you so much for the question! We use two breadcrumbs in this recipes because they serve two distinct purposes. Regular bread crumbs help act as a binding agent in the crab cakes when wet while panko breadcrumbs add a crispy texture. If you don't mind the texture being different then you can absolutely use just the classic breadcrumbs as it won't alter the flavor profile. Hope that helps! Let us know if you have any more questions : )
Alex & Linda
Madinah says
Want to make crab cakes in the oven. Recipe states they will be drier than the skillet version. What can I add to them do they aren't dried out? Will cooking at a higher temperature for less time help?
Can I use regular yellow Mustard in the place of the dru mustard?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Madinah, the reason that they are slightly drier when baked is because frying them in oil adds moisture. They are still good in the oven, though. No need to adjust the temp or time. 🙂 Yes, you can use yellow mustard.