Name: Jackfruit Crabless Cakes
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup homemade plant-based mayonnaise; 3 Tbsp prepared horseradish; 1 Tbsp dried dill; 2 tsp lemon juice; ¼ tsp sea salt or to taste; ⅛ tsp black pepper or to taste; 1 (20-ounce) can young green jackfruit in water, drained; 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained (liquid reserved) and rinsed; ½ cup oat flour; 3–4 green onions, thinly sliced; ½ cup finely chopped celery; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley; ¼ cup homemade plant-based mayonnaise; 1 nori sheet, toasted and crumbled (see tips below); 1–2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning; 1 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp ground mustard; 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 cup whole grain panko-style bread crumbs

Recipes » Appetizers » Jackfruit Crabless Cakes

By Kim Campbell

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Jackfruit crabless cakes are a vegan alternative to traditional crab cakes made using young, unripe jackfruit, a tropical fruit with a meaty texture similar to crab. The jackfruit is shredded and mixed with a blend of herbs, spices, and other ingredients to create a flavorful and savory patty.

Prep: 30 mins plus 1–2 hours freezing time Yield: 8 servings

Low Sugar Nut Free

In my youth, I was a huge fan of shellfish and loved all things seafood. This medley of green jackfruit, Old Bay Seasoning, nori seaweed, and mayo comes together to recreate traditional crab cakes. The texture is fantastic and the flavor profile is spot on.

Reprinted from PlantPure Comfort Food (BenBella Books, 2022).

Ingredients

Horseradish Dill Aioli

1 cup homemade plant-based mayonnaise
3 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp dried dill
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp sea salt or to taste
⅛ tsp black pepper or to taste

Crabless Cakes

1 (20-ounce) can young green jackfruit in water, drained
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained (liquid reserved) and rinsed
½ cup oat flour
3–4 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup homemade plant-based mayonnaise
1 nori sheet, toasted and crumbled (see tips below)
1–2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup whole grain panko-style bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all the aioli ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Put the jackfruit in a food processor and pulse 6–8 times, just until the pieces are broken up, resembling crabmeat. Transfer the jackfruit to a large bowl.
4. Put the chickpeas and ¼ cup of the reserved chickpea liquid (aka aquafaba) in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped and lumpy (do not process into a paste).
5. Add the chickpea mixture to the bowl with the jackfruit. Add the flour, green onions, celery, cilantro or parsley, mayonnaise, nori, Old Bay, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper and mix well. Form the mixture into 10–12 patties.
6. Put the panko in a shallow bowl. Lightly press each patty into the panko until thoroughly coated. Place the patties on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15–18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with the aioli.

Cooking Tips

1. Instead of horseradish, feel free to add your choice of herbs to the aioli.
2. Toasting nori sheets makes them crisp and easy to crumble. Place nori sheets on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees F for about 2 minutes or until crispy.