Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes
Vegan Crab Cakes have become increasingly popular over the years. You can make them with chickpeas, artichokes, hearts of palm, and even jackfruit! What makes these vegan crab cakes better than the rest is their main ingredient is a mushroom! Once you make these Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes you’ll never need another recipe again!
Vegan Crab Cakes!?
Yes, vegan crab cakes are a thing and they’re super delicious! The trick is using the perfect crab meat substitute. For this recipe, Lion’s Mane is the star of the show. It’s a specialty mushroom that easily pulls apart and when cooked correctly taste just like crab! I’ve made vegan crab cakes with other popular ingredients and have been disappointed with the result. These Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes definitely live up to the hype!
Where to find Lion’s Mane
If you’re new to cooking with Lion’s Mane, you may not even know where to find it! My first suggestion is to check your local Farmer’s Market. Even though mushrooms grow year round, they’re most plentiful in the Fall so now is the time to buy them locally! For my local Michigan residents I suggest seeing if Mycophile’s Garden sells at a farmer’s market in your area! They sell mushrooms at various markets in the state and have different options for shipping or growing your own. I love their mushrooms and get them whenever I can. If you cannot find Lion’s Mane at a local Farmer’s Market, my next suggestion would be to check a health foods store. Sometimes produce departments can special order items you request, so don’t be afraid to ask!
Maryland Style Crab Cakes
What are Maryland Style Crab Cakes you ask!? This just means they have very little filler and distinct pieces of “crab.” This recipe is pretty much the same as most crab cake recipes which is what also makes it so good!. You’re not substituting and adding a bunch of extra ingredients to make the crab cakes hold together. Then the cooking process is up to you! You can pan fry them or bake them off in the oven. Just be sure to serve them hot and right away! Although that won’t be a problem because these look and smell so good while you’re making them you won’t be able to wait to dive in.
What sauce should you serve?
Last, but not least, what do you serve these Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes with!? Everyone has their own opinions on what dipping sauce goes best with seafood. Some people like tarter sauce others are cocktail sauce lovers. Crab cakes are often times served with remolaude sauce which is a kind of a mix of cocktail and tarter sauce. For me personally, I like lots of lemon and a little melted butter! With that being said, serve these Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes with whatever you like! I hope you love these crab cakes as much as I do! If you make them please don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb lion’s mane shredded
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion
- 1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs I prefer panko
- 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay or Seafood Seasoning divided
- 1 flax egg
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over low heat. Starting with low heat is very important. Once pan is warm add in about a tablespoon of oil and lion’s main to the pan
- Cook lion’s mane about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender and cook through.
- Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of Old Bay or a similar Seafood Seasoning and cook mushrooms 1 minute longer. Transfer lion's mane to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
- Meanwhile, using the same pan increase heat to medium and add in a little more oil and onions to the pan.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent.
- Turn off heat and add onions to bowl with lions mane and let cool slightly for about 5-10minutes
- Combine remaining seafood seasoning, breadcrumbs, mayo, and parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper with the lions main and onions. Stir gently to combine
- Taste mixture and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Add in flax egg and stir gently to combine.
- Cover mixture and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Using 1/4 measures cup portion mixture into 6-7crab cakes and place on lined baking sheet. Don’t flatten the cakes too much, but use your hands to help gently shape them. They hold shape better and don’t over brown if you don’t over flatten them.
Pan Frying Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat.
- Once pan is hot add vegan butter or oil to the pan. Arrange crab cakes in hot pan 1-2 inches apart. You may need to cook in batches.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until lightly brown. Be sure to check at the 3 minute mark.
- Flip cakes and cook another 3-5 minutes.
- Remove crab cakes from heat and serve immediately with lemon wedges and sauce of your choice! Enjoy
Oven Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place crab cakes on a lined baking sheet and gently brush the tops with a little oil.
- Once oven is preheated, bake crab cakes for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!
These vegan crab cakes were excellent – tasted just like the real thing! I added a little diced red pepper and celery and sauteed them along with the onion. This recipe is a keeper.
Roseann,
So happy to hear you enjoyed the Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes! The addition of red pepper and celery sounds delicious! Glad this recipe is a keeper! I love it too!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I LOOOOVVVEEE crab cakes and have been searching for more vegan and vegetarian meals to incorporate into my diet. This sounds and looks amazing!
Hi Sydney!
I loveeeee crab cakes too! These Vegan carb cakes are definitely a great option for a vegan entree! And it’s the perfect time of year to get Lion’s Maine Mushrooms! Let me know what you think once you make them!
Happy Cooking,
Camille
YOU MUST TRY THESE!!!
I’m a vegetarian and one of the foods I miss are crab cakes. These are so delicious and remind me just how crab cakes taste! I love this recipe, I’m obsessed and I’m going to make these over and over! This recipe is a keeper!
Hi Sierra!
I’m so very happy that these vegan crab cakes remind you of the real thing!! I love this recipe too! I’m thrilled this will be a recipe you’ll make again & again! Thank you for the lovely comment!
Happy Cooking!
Camille
My husband and I tried this recipe after we went to the farmers market and saw the beautiful lions mane mushrooms OMG The crab cakes were wonderful! Now we have to wait until next weekend to get more mushrooms😂. The flavor, texture, and appearance is spot on. Plus no fishy smell the next morning!
Thank you for such a fantastic review! I know finding lion’s main is such a treat! I’m so glad you & your husband enjoyed these Ulitmate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes! Thank you for loving this recipe as much as I do!
Happy Cooking!
Camille M.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Amazing. If I didn’t make it, I’m not sure I would know it’s not crab. It’s really amazing and I’m from Maryland. I make crab cakes in the summer all thing time. With the price of crab going up and it is becoming harder to obtain good lump crab meat. I would definitely be using more and more lion’s mane!!!! Yummy!
Hi Linda!!
I am thrilled you enjoyed the lions mane as a substitute for crab!!! I 100% agree, it’s getting hard to find good crab meat. It’s an honor hearing this from you as I’m sure you really know a good Maryland Crab Cake! Thank you for leaving such an awesome review!
Happy Cooking!!
Camille M.
This recipe is amazing!! The first time I made it with lions mane mushroom that we grew in a grow kit, it was so so similar to real crab. We made it again with a mix of chickpeas and heart of palm but everything else was exactly the same and it was just as delicious! Thanks for this delectable recipe.
Hi Maha,
I am so happy you enjoyed the Ultimate Maryland Style Vegan Crab Cakes!! Loved that you grew your own Lion’s Mane and also tried it with chickpeas & hearts of palm. Thank you for trying my recipe! I hope you’ll try another.
Happy Cooking!
Camille
This is amazing! I added diced celery, like the other reviewers, as I like a little crunch to my crab cakes. You would not know these were not crab. The fun part is that to date, these are the most expensive vegan crab cakes I’ve ever made, in that I cannot get lion’ mane mushrooms so I grew my own from a block I got at North Spore. Hoping for more flushes but super thrilled with the end result.
I want to add I used Chosen Foods brand of vegan mayo and it has a sharp tang of mustard in it. That little tang made all the difference in the world. So, if your vegan mayo doesn’t have mustard in it, add a tad to the recipe to pop the flavors.
Hi Skye!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and added celery for crunch! I love celery, but live with celery haters so I don’t use it as much. I will definitely try it next time. How fun that you grew your own lion’s mane mushrooms! Hehehe very resourceful! I’ve not had luck growing my own mushrooms, but I definitely want to try again. I’m sorry they were the most expensive crab cakes you’ve made to date. I agree lion’s mane can be hard to come by, but I have the best luck finding them at a mushroom vendor at our local farmer’s market. Or if they’re in season places like Whole Foods and other specialty groceries are caring them more and more these days. Here’s to hoping lion’s mane will a more regular grocery item!!
Also thank you for the tip about Chosen Foods Vegan Mayo!! Love love your comment! Thank you so much for making my recipe!
Happy Cooking!
Camille