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I don’t know whether it’s the warm weather, but I’ve been really into vegan approximations of seafood lately. Like the faux smoked salmon, and the vegan fish tacos from earlier this month, I have another veggie-based fish alternative for any cookouts you may go to: low carb vegan crab cakes!
I know, it seems insane (who even asked for this?), but I had a really strong craving for crab cakes, and I wasn’t about to start eating crab. Fun fact, I’ve actually never had real crab and have only ever had vegan versions of crab cakes. Most vegan versions of crab cakes (either that you can buy at the store, or from the myriad recipes on Pinterest), contain loads of carbs from the binders and breading, and sometimes even for whatever has been used for the vegan “crabmeat,” so like with most dishes, we’re left to our own keto devices.
This recipe ended up tasting so good that I had to stop myself from eating the whole batch before I could take pictures. Even my cat was trying to get in on the action. Literally the only other food items he’s ever tried to eat off my plate are dried coconut chips and Earth Balance. I love that little weirdo.
But anyway, these vegan keto crab cakes are not only low carb, but also paleo friendly, soy free, gluten free and nut free, so pretty much anyone can enjoy them.
Notes on Making Low Carb Vegan Crab Cakes:
- While these can be reheated, they tend to get soggy and the fridge and will need to be crisped up again in a frying pan or the oven.
- You can replace the psyllium husks with a tbsp of ground flax seeds mixed into 2 tbsp of water. You may have to add in another tsp or so of coconut flour to make up for the added water.
- The kelp flakes aren’t entirely necessary, but definitely add to the seafood flavor/experience.
- Because different brands of coconut flour absorb liquids differently, you may need to add an additional tablespoon to help them firm up.
Low Carb Vegan Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 can of hearts of palm drained and chopped pretty well
- 1/3-1/2 cup vegan mayo start with the 1/3 and add more if the mixture is too dry
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp psyllium husks
- 1/4 tsp kelp flakes
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan or cast iron griddle on medium-low heat.
- In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Stir until a mixture forms that is sturdy enough to form into patties. If the mixture is too wet, slowly add in coconut flour until the right texture forms.
- Make four crabcakes, and place them on the griddle. Cook about 5 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Gently flip and repeat on the other side.
- Enjoy!
Help! I made these, but used regular mayo. They were like SUPER greasy, but kind of slimy on the inside. Do you think it was just because I used regular mayo and not veganaise?
Hi Kristin, I’m sorry to hear they didn’t turn out! It’s pretty likely that the regular mayo is the culprit. I’ve definitely noticed that the Just Mayo I used was less greasy than “real” mayo.
I would be you could still use real mayo, but just cut the quantity in half in the future, then add in one more tablespoon as needed.
What can I substitute for the 2 tsp psyllium husk fiber?
Hi Christine! This is a great question. You could try 1 tbsp of finely ground flaxseed instead to bind everything!
Hello the hearts of palm says it has 17 grams of sugar and 26 grams of carbs is that healthy on a Keto diet? That’s pretty high. I have never eaten it but just googled it.
Hi there! I think Google might be pulling that data from a source where the palm is packed in sugar or syrup. Every brand of canned hearts of palm I have found lists about 2-3 grams of net carbs per serving with only around 6 total grams (including fiber). 🙂
17 grams of sugar for a half cup of something would be suuuuuper sweet (grapes are less than 12g of sugar per half cup, by comparison).
Here’s an example of a correct nutritional profile for hearts of palm: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3027/2
This is pulled from the USDA database. 🙂
OK great ty for the super fast response I wasn’t expecting that lol. I will give this recipe a try then. I am new to the entire Vegan thing and I am only now starting to THINK about going this route if I can find great tasting recipes because I am super picky lol. I also want to stick with the Keto plan but hopefully eliminating the meat and dairy products they endorse. So wish me luck lol and once I try this recipe I will be back with my review =)
Haha, glad I could help! There’s definitely an adjustment period to going vegan, but there are tasty recipes in the world! As a caveat, they don’t all taste like the meat version, but some are good in their own right.
Good luck with everything and I look forward to your review!
Thank you =)
Do you think it would be okay to make the patties and then wait til I’m about to eat them to grill them up?
Hi Caroline! I definitely think so. Letting them sit in the fridge for a few hours will let the flavors blend together even more, as well as allow the patties to firm up a little better. 🙂
They turned out great! I added some hot jalapeños to give an extra kick and it was great!!
Yay – I’m so glad you like them! The jalapeños sound like an awesome idea, that I will definitely have to add next time!
I’m making these tonight for me and the hubby! So far so good, but as a Marylander, may I suggest addressing Old Bay? It’s blasphemy here for a crab cake to not have old Bay.
I hope these turn out well for you!! Oh, I will definitely add the Old Bay note to this post! I’ve got to trust the advice of a Marylander when it comes to crab cakes! 🙂
If we can’t have psyllium husk, is there an alternative?
Hi AJ, good question! Ground flaxseed should work as well! You may have to wait a little longer for it to bind properly though 🙂
I just made these for the first time and they were delicious! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Rain! 😀
Can these be made with shredded zucchini instead of the palm hearts?
Hi, TJ! Good question – I’ve never tried this substitution before. My thought is that it might be a little too soggy, but I bet if you drained the zucchini well, they’d hold together better.
I do not see CRAB in the recipe, am I not seeing right?? I thought crab was allowed on the Keto diet?? Am I thinking wrong? Is the hearts of Palm supposed to be the “crab”??? Thank you. June.
Hi June! This website is actually entirely meat-free (including seafood). So, you are correct that the hearts of palm stand in for the crab meat. If you eat crab, you could definitely sub it in, though! 🙂
Sorry for the confusion!
They were delicious but they were way too liquid to make into patties. I made vegetarian keto crab hash. Still tasty. I think I may like them better that way.
Hi, Mary! I’m sorry they didn’t firm up! Sometimes adding a little extra coconut flour can help, as different brands absorb different amounts of moisture. I’m glad it tasted good as a hash, though! 😀
Wow – these were terrible. The insides were slimy and wet, no matter how much I cooked them. Also very gloppy, like wet mush. Not much flavor to save them either. Just yuck.
Hi Viola, I’m so sorry these didn’t work for you! They definitely should not be slimy or gloppy. 🙁
If you want to send me an email, I’m more than happy to help you troubleshoot! 🙂