Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes {vegan, gluten-free, grain-free option}

Hearts of palm crab cakes are your new favorite vegan appetizer. Canned hearts of palm, when shredded, have a texture and taste that is remarkably like crabmeat. Making them into crunchy “crab” cakes is the natural next step!

Oh, friends…I have a game changer recipe for you today.

Crisp, crunchy, succulent crab cakes. Made without crab.

Instead, these “crab” cakes are made with a single can of hearts of palm, which, when shredded, has the texture and taste of crab.

No joking. I like to call them HOP Cakes :). Check out the interior of these lovelies:

That’s not all. These cakes are:

• vegan
• gluten-free
• made with just FIVE ingredients (excluding salt & pepper)
• baked, not fried
• the perfect make-ahead appetizer (or entrée)
• utterly irresistible

I’ve even provided a grain-free option. I don’t want anyone to miss out on these.

Ready to make these? Let’s get started!

What are Hearts of Palm

First up, hearts of palm. The heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of cabbage palm trees (they are more commonly known as Florida palm trees). They may have shown up on a hotel salad at some point in your life, to which you most likely thought “what is that?!” and pushed it aside. But they actually have a pleasant, firm texture.

You may not have purchased these, before now, but they are shelved with other canned vegetables at the grocery store. They are not cheap (typically $3 to $4 dollars per can) but (1) you only need one can, and (2) the remaining ingredients are inexpensive pantry items.

They are also fibrous, so simply cutting into shorter lengths and pressing apart, they resemble flake crab meat.

Adding to the resemblance, canned hearts of palm are packed in a light brine, giving them a taste of the sea.

How to Make Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes

It is typically easy to flake the hearts of palm into shreds, but I have come across one or two cans where the hearts were quite firm and difficult to “shred” with my fingers. Several pieces of hearts of palm shot across the room as I tried to squish them apart! (I think I found all of them…).

So, I ended up cutting the hearts of palm lengthwise into very thin strips (I had already cut them crosswise into short pieces), and then used my fingertips to further shred.

The shredding is the only time-consuming part, and it only takes about 5 minutes. One 14 to 15-ounce can yields 1-1/2 cups of shredded “crab”–quite a yield!

Next, simply mix and form. The Old Bay seasoning is key to giving these a quintessential crab cake flavor, but if you do not have it, you can use your favorite seasonings (you can taste the mix “raw” to get the flavor just right before baking). Added, too, are mayonnaise (use the brand of your choice, vegan, Paleo, etc.), green onions and gluten-free panko crumbs. 

Can I Make these Without Mayonnaise?

Regarding the mayo: it is essential. I am not a mayonnaise fan, AT ALL, but it is important as an ingredient in many recipes, including this one. Don’t skip it here. These don’t taste like mayonnaise, it just becomes part of the dish. Trust me.

 

 

Shape, Bake and Broil the Cakes

I used my #40 size cookie scoop (it’s a medium size scoop, about 2 tablespoons) to portion these, which yields exactly 14 cakes. Press the cakes into some of the reserved panko to coat and give the cakes a spritz with cooking spray. Finally, slide the cakes into a preheated (400F/200C) oven for 18 to 22 minutes.

To get them perfectly golden-brown, I bake the cakes until  light golden brown, and then I turn the oven to broil. Don’t walk away! Depending on your broiler, it only takes 30 to 90 seconds for them to turn a deep golden brown.

Here’s the mouthwatering result:

These are crispy-crunchy on top and bottom, despite being baked instead of fried!

Now, eat! 

Can the Hearts of Palm Cakes be Prepared in Advance?

You can prepare the cakes up to 12 hours before baking them. Store them in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Alternatively, freeze the prepared cakes on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, store in an airtight container until ready to defrost and bake (hello, holiday parties and quick dinners!). Like I said at the start, these are game changers, on many fronts.

Let me know if you try these, ok? 

Happy Wednesday, all!

More Easy, Plant-Based Meat Recipes to Try:

Vegan Oat Mushroom Ground Beef

3-Ingredient Almond Flour Vegetable Nuggets

Mushroom Almond Flour Ground Beef (2 ingredients)

Vegan Lentil Taco Meat

Lentil & Mushroom Meatballs

Lentil & Vegetable Kefta

Grain-Free Lentil Loaf