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    Home » All Recipes » Appetizers

    Easy Vegan Crab Bites

    December 22, 2018 By Melissa Huggins / 18 Comments

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    This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

    Jump to Recipe

    Fast, easy, and utterly delicious - these Vegan Crab Bites are the perfect party appetizer. They can be served hot or cold and take 20 minutes to prepare.

    five vegan crab bites on a serving plate and striped napkin on the side.

    If you're going to a party, but have no idea what to bring, you'll definitely want to make these Vegan Crab Bites. They are a crowd favorite!

    Who can resist a creamy dip tucked inside a crispy shell? Nobody can! So, they'll be a hit at your next party and disappear fast!

    I'm making two batches for a family gathering along with a platter of Vegan Cheddar Cheese, Herb Crackers, and Vegan Pepperoni. I don't have to worry about heating anything up and can focus on having fun.

    To make these delicious bites, you'll just have to pick up pre-made phyllo shells, hearts of palm, and some pantry staples. So simple!

    Are phyllo cups vegan?

    Yes, most store-bought brands are accidentally vegan, just double check before you purchase. I buy Athens Foods Phyllo Shells and I usually find them at Walmart in the frozen section.

    How to make Vegan Crab Bites

    (full printable recipe in the card below)

    3 process photos of shredding hearts of palm, whisking dressing and mixing it together in a white bowl.

    STEP 1

    Add the hearts of palm to a Food Processor and give 3-4 long pulses until shredded. Don't over process - the mixture should have a crab-like consistency.

    STEP 2

    To a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, kelp, Old Bay Seasoning, parsley, garlic, onion, salt & fresh cracked pepper. Combine everything well.

    STEP 3

    Now add the shredded hearts of palm and combine everything well. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.

    Full white platter filled with vegan crab bites. Lemon wedges in the background.

    STEP 4

    Using a small spoon, fill each shell with mixture. Top with fresh-cut parsley if desired. Serve right away or chill in a covered container until ready to serve.

    Add on ideas:

    • For richer stuffing, you can swap out ¼ cup mayo for a ¼ cup Vegan Cream Cheese or Vegan Sour Cream.
    • Add fresh-cut greens like chives, dill, parsley and green onion to the mixture (or as a garnish).
    • For extra flavor, you can add ¼ teaspoon of cumin, crushed red pepper, coriander, cayenne pepper or paprika.

    sevenvegan crab bites on a serving plate. Lemon wedges in the background and striped napkin on the side.

    How to turn these Vegan Crab Bites into a hot appetizer

    It's so easy! Here's what you'll need to do: 

    • Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C)
    • Prepare the mixture the same way
    • Fill the phyllo cups and add a sprinkle of panko breadcrumbs on top
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes until filling is heated throughout and breadcrumbs are golden

    Look for more small bites? Here are my faves:

    Vegan Spinach Artichoke Cups 

    Crabless Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

    Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

    Vegan Lettuce Wraps

    I'd love to hear from you

    If you make these Vegan Crab Bites, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

    Recipe

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    5 from 18 votes

    Vegan Crab Bites

    Fast, easy and utterly delicious ~ these Vegan Crab Bites can be served hot or cold and take 20 minutes to prepare. It's the perfect party bite!
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 211kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • 2 14 ounce cans hearts of palm drained & rinsed
    • ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon kelp granules (*optional)
    • 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoon fresh-cut)
    • ¾ teaspoon granulated garlic
    • ½ teaspoon granulated onion
    • Salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste (note the sodium in Old Bay)
    • 30 frozen mini phyllo shells , thawed (2 packages)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the hearts of palm to a food processor and give 3-4 long pulses, until shredded (you may need to shred in two batches depending on the size of your processor). Don't over process - the mixture should have a crab-like consistency. (*see photo above)
    • To a large bowl, add mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, kelp, Old Bay Seasoning, parsley, garlic, onion, salt & fresh cracked pepper. Combine well.
    • Add the shredded hearts of palm to the bowl and combine well. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
    • Using a small spoon, fill each shell with mixture. Top with fresh-cut parsley if desired. Keep covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy! 

    Notes

    • If you can't find kelp granules, you can use dulse flakes, dulse granules or break up a small piece of nori. If you don't want the ocean-like flavor, you can omit the seaweed altogether. It will still be delicious!
    • For a richer stuffing, you can swap out ¼ cup mayo for a ¼ cup vegan cream cheese or vegan sour cream (soften cream cheese before using).
    • Fills about 26-30 shells depending on how much you stuff them.
    • You can make filling the day before, just cover and pop it in the fridge. 
    • If you don't have a food processor, you can shred the hearts of palm with a fork.
    • If you'd like to turn these into a hot appetizer, you can find the instructions in the post above. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 5pieces | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 142mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

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    Comments

      5 from 18 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sarah

      October 25, 2024 at 8:38 am

      Hi Melissa,

      Just found your recipe and would like to try it out as ist sounds amazing and fits a themed party we're having on Halloween.
      Just wondering if you have an idea for a substitute for the hearts of palm, the vegan worcester sauce and the old bay seasoning? I'm in Germany and these are a bit hard to find here and I usually try to to not buy through Amazon.

      Best wishes
      Sarah

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        October 27, 2024 at 7:05 pm

        Hi Sarah, Instead of the hearts of palm, you can use jackfruit or artichokes in water. You can omit the worcestershire sauce entirely, or add a splash of tamari or soy sauce. Instead of Old Bay, you can use any sort of seafood seasoning. Let me know if you have any other questions. Have a great time at the party! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nicole

      February 07, 2021 at 5:13 am

      5 stars
      Easy. and delicious. Crowd pleaser, even for omnivores

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        February 12, 2021 at 9:05 am

        Hi Nicole, we're so happy to hear that the recipe was a hit even with the omnivores! Thanks so much for trying it out 🙂

        Reply
    3. JJ

      February 10, 2020 at 2:58 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing as usual! These are deliscious! Love your recipes, Karen!

      Reply
      • JJ

        February 10, 2020 at 3:00 pm

        5 stars
        Sorry...Melissa!

        Reply
        • Melissa Huggins

          February 10, 2020 at 3:10 pm

          Lol! That's ok! Karen is such a popular name these days. 🙂

      • Melissa Huggins

        February 10, 2020 at 3:08 pm

        I'm so glad you liked them! Thank you for giving them a try! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Dharma

      January 24, 2020 at 7:37 pm

      Any idea how much nori to use? Seaweed granules turned out to be impossible to find around here.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 24, 2020 at 7:51 pm

        I would use a small snack-sized sheet. The nori tends to be a little stronger tasting in my opinion. You can always add more, but I'd start with that amount. Hope this helps 🙂

        Reply
        • Dharma

          January 26, 2020 at 5:31 pm

          Thank you! I ground up 5 snack sheets in the coffee grinder & used 1/2 tsp of the resulting flakes. I hate nori so I couldn’t bring myself to use more, so it really wasn’t very noticeable.

        • Melissa Huggins

          February 07, 2020 at 9:41 pm

          Such a good idea to put the sheets in a coffee grinder! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

    5. John

      December 09, 2019 at 1:09 pm

      Vegan mayo, I assume? Worcestershire also has anchovy.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 09, 2019 at 1:27 pm

        Hi John, every ingredient in the recipe is vegan (which is stated). I'm not sure if you're in the US, but if you are, they have vegan Worcestershire available in most stores. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    6. Jani Revas

      February 18, 2019 at 9:47 pm

      5 stars
      Brought these over to a friend's house for dinner who's trying to go vegan. She was very impressed!

      Reply
    7. Renee T

      January 10, 2019 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      I have made these last and they were just as good as the vegan crab cakes you made. Thanksa

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 10, 2019 at 10:22 am

        Hi Renee! I'm so happy to hear this! Thank you for making them 🙂

        Reply
    8. Stacey

      December 28, 2018 at 10:43 am

      5 stars
      These were better than expected! Tasted like real crab. Thank you!

      Reply

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