Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes (Vegan, GF)

Hearts of palm crab cakes are your new go-to 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 :). Look at the interior of these lovelies:

Recipe Benefits

• vegan
• gluten-free
• made with just FIVE ingredients (excluding salt & pepper)
• baked, not fried
• the reliable 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.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
• vegan mayonnaise
• Old Bay seasoning or other seafood seasoning
• sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
• green onions
• gluten-free panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

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.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Thinly slice hearts of palm lengthwise; cut slices crosswise into 3/4-inch lengths. Transfer to a medium bowl and, using fingers, gently press and break apart into shreds.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper until well blended.
4. Stir in hearts of palm and green onions until well combined (I like to get my hands in, to further break up hearts of palm).
5. Sprinkle half the panko over hearts of palm mixture and mix in thoroughly (do not mash).
6. Form into fourteen 1.2-inch thick patties (I used a #40 cookie scoop to portion).Spread the remaining panko in a small dish. Dredge patties in panko, pressing gently to adhere. As they are dredged, place patties on prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Spray with cooking spray. Discard any excess panko.
7. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until light golden brown.Turn on broiler to HIGH. Broil for 30 to 90 seconds (keep checking, it happens fast!) until deep golden brown.
8. Serve immediately with suggested accompaniments, as desired.

Tip for Shredding the Hearts of Palm

It is typically straightforward 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 thenused 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 1.5 cups of shredded “crab”–quite a yield!

Can I Make these Without Mayonnaise?

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!