Lion’s Mane Crab Cakes

Lion’s Mane mushrooms are a truly magical fungi. Like most mushrooms, they are packed with health benefits. What makes them extra special is the texture. When shredded, Lion’s mane mushrooms make the perfect swap for crab meat. This recipe for Lion’s Mane Crab Cakes is vegan, downright delicious and pretty straightforward to make. This recipe is an absolute must if you’re trying to impress.

What is Lion’s Mane?

The Lion’s Mane Mushroom is native to Europe, North America and Asia. When found in the wild, it can grow as a long clump with dangling spines, giving it the appearance of a lion’s mane. Store bought Lion’s Mane mushroom are often less spine-y, and looks as pictured below.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Benefits

Like many mushrooms, studies have shown that Lion’s Mane mushrooms may hold many health benefits. Lion’s Mane may protect against dementia and repair nerve damage. It may even help reduce mild symptoms of depression and anxiety. Like many other mushrooms it also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting abilities.

Cooking Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Our two favorite ways to prepare Lion’s Mane Mushrooms are shredding or slicing them. Shredding is an excellent choice because the mushrooms pull apart easily and resemble crab/pulled pork texture and shape. Slicing them is equally delicious. Either way, Lion’s Mane just needs a little bit of water or oil in a pan and salt. The natural flavors that come out will delight you.

Where to Buy Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

As a specialty mushroom, Lion’s Mane can be one of the harder mushrooms to find in stores. We occasionally find it in Whole Foods, but more frequently need to drive to a more health-focused store like Vitamin Cottage. If none of your local health food stores are carrying it you can plan ahead and buy it online from stores like Mousam Valley.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Recipe for Crab Cakes

Our recipe for Lion’s Mane Mushroom “Crab” Cakes is vegan. What makes this recipe work?

• Texture: Lion’s Mane mushrooms shred beautifully to mimic the texture of crab meat
• Flavor: Fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley pair with spices like cayenne and paprika to create a bright, bold flavor
• Shape: Flax seed acts as the binding ingredient to keep the “crab” cake together instead of egg
• Sauce: Don’t forget the sauce! We pair our cakes with a tangy dill, tomato and hot sauce mayo

You May Also Like:

• Goji Berry Muffins
• Vegan “Steak” Tartare
• Spicy Italian Tempeh Sausage Crumbles

*Nutritional values are approximate based on best available data

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crab Cakes

Recipe by Tiffany Quillan

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: AppetizersCuisine: Native AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

468

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

20

minutes

This Lion’s Mane mushroom crab cake recipe is vegan and absolutely delicious. We pair our cakes with a tangy dill, tomato and hot sauce mayo.

Ingredients

• Mushrooms

• 12 oz Lion’s Mane mushrooms, shredded

• 2 Tbsp water

• 1 tsp salt

• Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo

• 1 tsp dill

• 1 tsp pickle juice

• 1 Tbsp hot sauce

• 1/2 tsp tomato paste

• Crab Cake Mixture

• 1/2 cup Panko

• 1/4 cup Mayo

• 1 Tbsp Flax Seed (+ 3 Tbsp warm water)

• 1/2 Tbsp Cilantro, minced

• 1/2 Tbsp Parsley, minced

• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire

• 1/4 cup Scallion, diced

• 1/4 tsp Cayenne

• 1/4 tsp Paprika

• For Frying

• 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil

Directions

• Prepare the Mushrooms
• Shred the Lion’s Mane Mushrooms so that they resemble crab.
• Heat the water in a large pan over low heat. Add the mushrooms and the salt. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and turn a light golden color. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Prepare the Sauce
• Add all sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate until the crab cakes are ready to serve.
• Prepare the “Crab” Cakes
• Add all Crab Cake Mixture ingredients to a large bowl. Add in cooked mushrooms and mix well.
• Set a 3″ biscuit / round cookie cutter on wax paper. Pack crab cake mixture into the biscuit cutter. Cakes will be approximately 3/4 – 1″ thick and the recipe makes approximately six cakes.
• Transfer cakes to the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the vegetable oil is shimmering add the crab cakes and cook until golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through. Serve with sauce and enjoy!

Video Recipe

Tips & Tricks

• Shredding the Lion’s Mane Mushrooms takes a while, but it’s the secret to the recipes crab-like texture.

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