30 Minute Meals
Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
5 minutes
Yield
12
🦀 No crab was harmed in the making of these crispy, golden "crab" cakes! Made with hearts of palm and artichokes in the air fryer, they deliver all the seafood-inspired flavor with plant-based ingredients – ready in just 15 minutes!
Did somebody say Crab Cakes? 🦀 You bet I did. This recipe will blow your mind, so much so that if you’re used to eating the seafood version of crab cakes, you may never return. These vegan-friendly Air Fryer Crab Cakes are so easy and delicious. I love them for a summer snack or BBQ.
❤️ Why You’ll Love These Vegan Air Fryer Crab Cakes
- Vegan: Okay, these crab cakes don’t have crab in them because they are entirely plant-based.
- Simple: These babies are made from simple ingredients that you’ll already have in your house.
- Quick: These vegan crab cakes can be made in under 20 minutes!
- Crowd Pleaser: Even the seafood/meat eaters in your house will love these crab cakes.
🍲 Ingredients
Hearts of Palm: Hearts of palm are vegetables harvested from the inner core and growing buds of certain palm trees. They are rich in fiber, potassium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B2, B6, and C. They also are a great source of protein, iron, calcium, and so much more. Hearts of palm also add a great crab-like texture to these plant-based crab cakes. They have a similar resemblance to white asparagus, but the flavor is much more delicate, making them extremely versatile. You can add them into salads and dips, and since when they are chopped, they break down into shreds, they make the perfect crab meat substitute.
Artichokes: I love artichokes, which are great in salads, pasta, dips, and so much more. These cakes combine with the hearts of palm to add to the texture. Artichokes are also low in fat and rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Chickpeas: Chickpeas are another great source of protein; they add nutrients to this recipe as well. They are great for digestion and contain iron, folate, fiber, and more.
👩🍳 How to Make These Vegan Air Fryer Crab Cakes
5. To make the tartar sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir till combined
6. Serve the hot crab cakes with fresh dill, lemon, and tartar!
🗒 Substitutions
- Crab: If you don’t want a vegan version, you can use canned crab instead of the heart of palm, artichoke hearts, and chickpeas
- Old Bay Seasoning: If you don’t have this classic seafood seasoning, make your own with a mix of paprika, celery salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Panko: You can swap panko for regular bread crumbs as well
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version. Crushed gluten-free crackers or panko can provide similar binding and texture.
🗒 Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
If you do not plan on cooking all the patties at once, that is completely fine. You can mold them, freeze them, and cook them later. Allow an extra 1-2 minutes on each side if cooking from frozen.
🤔 Common Questions
You can find these in the canned food section of your grocery store. They are usually stocked with vegetables or things like jarred artichokes.
You can eat them on their own, throw them on a bun, try them with different sauces, add them to a bed of greens, or have them as appetizers. The opportunities are endless.
You can cook these in a pan with oil if you don’t have an air fryer.
Yes! Bake them in a preheated 400°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on both sides.
Make sure your mixture isn’t too wet – drain the hearts of palm and artichokes well. You can refrigerate the formed patties for 30 minutes before cooking; this also helps them hold together better.
Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- For the Crab Cakes
- 1 398 mL can of hearts of palm removed from the liquid
- 1 398 mL can of artichoke hearts removed from the liquid
- 1 398 mL can of chickpea strained, washed and dried
- 1 garlic clove whole or pressed
- 1/4 cup sweet white onion
- a handful of fresh dill
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp celery seasoning
- pinch of red chili flakes
Dill Tartar Sauce:
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tbsp. relish
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. capers chopped
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- dash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the hearts of palm, chickpeas and artichokes. Pulse till the mixture is chopped but still holds a chunky-like consistency.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula combine well and begin forming your patties with a 1/3 cup as a measuring tool. This will yield around 12-13 1-inch thick patties.
- For cooking, grease the base of the air fryer basket. Preheat the air fryer to 400F (200C). Evenly arrange the patties in the base of the basket, leaving each pattie some room to breathe. Cook them for around 7 minutes (6-8) depending on the size and thickness of each. Flip them half way through.
- To make the tartar sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir till combined.
- Serve the hot crab cakes with fresh dill, lemon and tartar!
How many degrees?
Hi Karolina! Sorry about that, I’ve edited the recipe. 400F
Delish!!!
Suggestion: instead of Panko try pretzel crumbs… it adds a nice touch. And I also put them in these crumbs b4 frying, it avoids them falling apart.
Nice! Sounds great! Ours don’t fall apart with the Panko but the Pretzel crumbs sound great!
We’ve been trying different versions of vegan/vegetarian crab cake recipes and this is THE BEST! So delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
this makes me so happy, thank you!
Quick, easy and delicious over a bed of salad on a warm summer day! Also delicious the next morning with a fried egg on top!
Thank you so much, Jenn!
OMG. So good! My kids thought they were actually eating crab cakes. Super fast easy and so tasty!
Right?! Isn’t it so good?!
Hi – I notice you have “Serving Size = 12” and “Calories = 85.” I’m assuming you mean “Amount of Servings = 12”, “Serving Size = 1 crab cake” “Calories per Serving = 85.” Yes?
yes.
yes that’s what I’m going to do, bake them. I don’t want to use too much oil so I think that will be the good solution for me. Thanks Maria!
You’re very welcome!!!!!
Hi Maria! This recipe is awesome and I tried to make the crab cakes, followed the recipe exactly, but mine kept falling apart. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your help.
Hey Anna! Sorry to hear you are having issues. We haven’t had anyone say that they are falling apart. Can you please confirm you followed the recipe exactly as it’s written?
Hi Maria – yes I followed the recipe exactly. I’m thinking that maybe I’m not frying them in enough oil? I’m only putting about a tablespoon of oil into a non-stick pan. Could that be it? Otherwise I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong??
That might be it but I don’t think that would explain why it’s falling apart.. the balls should really hold their shape. Maybe try baking them! They are still wondering like that!