Crab Rangoons | Kathy’s Vegan Kitchen

Filled with luscious hearts of palm, green onions, and a creamy filling, these vegan crab rangoons are perfectly crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. You will love this vegan crab rangoons recipe served with sweet chili sauce.

One of my favorite vegan hacks is making crab meat from palm hearts. Today, I was inspired by my favorite Thai restaurant, Malee Thai, in Scottsdale. I saw crab rangoons on the menu, and my husband said, “I wish they made those vegan here.” That is usually code for, “Can you make vegan crab rangoons?” So, I decided to make a vegan crab rangoons recipe using wonton wrappers and a tasty filling made with hearts of palm.

The Origin of Crab Rangoons

Crab Rangoon has been on the menu of the “Polynesian-style” restaurant Trader Vic’s in San Francisco since at least 1956. Although the appetizer has the name of a Burmese city, the dish was probably invented in the United States by Joe Young, working under Victor Bergeron, founder of Trader Vic’s.

Traditional crab rangoons consist of wontons stuffed with crab, cream cheese, garlic powder, green onions, and Worcestershire sauce. The wontons are baked or fried until golden brown and crispy and are often served with a dipping sauce.

So, let us make a healthy vegan version of these tasty bite-sized snacks.

Vegan Crab Rangoon Ingredients

• Wonton Wrappers: Yes, wonton wrappers are vegan and oil-free. They are the perfect shell of any crunchy vegan baked or air-fried snack.
• Hearts of Palm: Hearts of palm are exactly what they say they are: palm plants’ very core or hearts. Hearts of palm are also called palm cabbage, palmetto, or chonta. The plants also grow in Florida, the official state tree, and Central and South America.
• Dulse: Dulse is a type of seaweed that is dried and infused into the hearts of palm, adding a seaweed flavor to the mixture.
• Cashew Mayo: Cashew mayo is used instead of vegan cream cheese. It has the same flavor profile as vegan cream cheese but is thinner in consistency.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard gives the mixture a little tangy flavor.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh lemon juice whenever possible. It gives the vegan crab mixture a fresh citrus flavor.
• Green Onions: Green onions are used in the mixture and as a garnish.
• Red Bell Peppers: Although not a traditional addition to crab rangoons, red peppers add sweetness to the crab mixture.
• Vegan Worcestershire: I like Annie’s Worcestershire Sauce, but any vegan Worcestershire sauce works well.
• Old Bay Seasoning: The unique blend of spices includes celery seed, paprika, mustard, salt, red pepper, and black pepper. It is often used in seafood recipes; however, it is plant based.

Vegan Crab Rangoon Ingredient Substitutions

• If wonton wrappers aren’t available, use egg roll wrappers (also vegan despite the name), and cut them into fours.
• Instead of hearts of palm, use jackfruit, artichokes, or Lion’s Mane Mushrooms.
• Grind up a Nori seaweed sheet if you don’t have dulse. Or try Laver has a sweet and nutty flavor and, like Dulse, is used both raw and cooked in many recipes. Laver stands out compared to other sea vegetables as high in protein and a good source of many b vitamins.
• Use any of the substitutions provided in the cashew mayo recipe for a nut-free option. Or, use a jarred vegan mayo you prefer.
• Stone ground mustard is similar in taste to dijon mustard.
• Try bottled lemon juice if you don’t have fresh lemon juice available.
• Spring onions are similar in flavor to green onions.
• Skip the red bell peppers if you don’t want to add a little sweetness.
• If you don’t have vegan Worcestershire sauce, use soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option.
• Any creole seasoning replaces Old Bay Seasoning in recipes.

How to Make Crab Rangoons

First, rinse, and drain the hearts of palm. Using a large blade in a large food processor bowl, pulse the hearts of palm until you get a crab-like texture.

Then, add the remaining ingredients, and pulse a few additional times.

Transfer to a bowl and stir, ensuring all the ingredients are mixed together.

Refrigerate while you prepare the wonton wrappers. For this vegan crab rangoon recipe, I provide two options for cooking the crab rangoons: baking or air frying.

Cooking Options

Baking

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Using a regular-sized muffin pan, take two wonton wrappers and cross them over each other.
• Then, using your fingers or a shot glass, push the center down, making a crevice or hole.
• Cook for 5 minutes.

• Remove the pan from the oven.
• Using a spoon, fill each cooked wonton wrapper with vegan crab filling.

• Bake for another 7 minutes until the filling is heated through.

Air Frying

• Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
• If you have a large air fryer that will hold a muffin pan, follow the same directions above; however, adjust the cooking time as indicated below.
• If you have a basket-type air fryer and do not have an air fryer muffin pan, follow the directions below.
• Lay out the wonton wrappers on a working surface. Moisten each of the wrappers with water. I use a cooking brush and brush it along all of the edges. 
• Place a teaspoon and a half of filling onto each wrapper. Be careful to fill the right amount.
• Fold each wrapper diagonally across to form a triangle.
• From there, bring up the two opposite corners toward each other. Don’t close the wrapper yet. Bring up the two different opposing sides, pushing out any air. Squeeze each of the edges together. 
• Load the crab rangoon into the air fryer basket into a single layer.
• Do not stack or overfill. Cook in batches if needed. Cook for 10 minutes.
• Open and flip the crab rangoon. Cook for an additional 2-5 minutes until they have reached your desired level of golden brown and crisp.
• Remove the crab rangoon from the air fryer and serve with your desired dipping sauce.

Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredients

• Water: Water is used to neutralize all the ingredients in thh sauce.
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a natural sweetener.
• Ketchup: I used sugar-free, organic ketchup.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is sweet and supplies acidity to the sauce.
• Fresh Ground Ginger: Ginger has a spicy flavor and an invigorating aroma. It produces a warming and fiery taste that gives an unmistakable and comforting kick. Ginger tastes spicy because of its chemical composition, specifically the compound gingerol, which creates its hot sensation.
• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves whenever possible for the best flavor.
• Soy Sauce: The soy sauce provides an umami flavor to the sauce.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder gives the sauce a depth of flavor.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the sauce as it heats.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes add a little spice to the mix.

Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose agave nectar or date syrup instead of maple syrup.
• Tomato paste substitutes ketchup in recipes. Just make sure to dilute it a little with water.
• Use champagne vinegar instead of rice vinegar. It has a similar sweetness.
• For every ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, use 1 tablespoon of fresh-grated ginger in recipes.
• Minced garlic: Use ½ teaspoon of jarred minced garlic in place of each clove.
• Garlic flakes: Also called dehydrated (or dried) minced garlic, use ½ teaspoon of garlic flakes in place of each clove.
• Granulated garlic: Use ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic in place of each clove.
• Tamari or liquid aminos are gluten-free options for soy sauce. Or if you are trying to reduce the sodium in a recipe, use low-sodium soy sauce.
• Instead of onion powder, you can use: grated fresh onion, shallots, fennel bulbs, scallions, garlic powder, onion salt, or celery.
• Arrowroot powder is an excellent substitute for cornstarch.
• Cayenne pepper substitutes red pepper flakes in recipes.
• If you are sensitive to spice, I suggest adding small amounts of red pepper flakes or cayenne and tasting as you add more to reach your personal preference.
• Buy a bottle of sweet chili sauce at the store instead of making homemade dipping sauce.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Do not over-pulse the hearts of palm in the food processor when making this vegan crab rangoons recipe.
• Cook the wonton wrappers while making the vegan crab filling.
• Or make the filling the day before and allow the flavors to develop overnight.
• In a sealed container, you can put the reheated Rangoon back in the fridge. They shouldn’t be stored for more than a total of 4 days
• Once all your Rangoons are formed, you can freeze them on that sheet pan until solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to 2 weeks.
• While crab wontons can be heated in the oven on a baking sheet, you will get the best results if you use an air fryer. The air fryer makes day 2 crab rangoon crispy in just 2-3 minutes.
• To reheat crab rangoon in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add the rangoons to the baking tray. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

If you want a crunchy snack, try this vegan crab rangoons recipe.

Other Great Vegan Recipes to Try!

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📖 Recipe

Crab Rangoons

Kathy Carmichael

Filled with luscious hearts of palm, green onions, and a creamy filling, these vegan crab rangoons are perfectly crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. You will love this crab rangoons recipe served with sweet chili sauce.

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Small Bites

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 8

Calories 154 kcal

Instructions 

Vegan Crab Meat Filling

• Rinse and drain the hearts of palm.

• Place the hearts of palm in a large food processor bowl with a large blade.

• Pulse in the food processor until the hearts of palm resemble crab meat. Do not over-pulse.

• Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor.

• Pulse a few more times; then transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix by hand to ensure the ingredients are combined.

Homemade Chili Sauce

• Add all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch to a saucepan.

• Heat on medium-low and whisk the ingredients together.

• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon of water.

• Stir until combined, and it forms a paste without any clumps.

• Add the mixture to the pan and whisk to combine.

• Turn the heat to simmer and stir occasionally. It will thicken as the cornstarch heats into the sauce.

Baking

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• Using a regular-sized muffin pan, place two wonton wrappers on top of each other in each muffin tin whole, crossed.

• Using a shot glass or your fingers, press the center of the wonton wrappers into the base of each muffin tine hole, creating a crevice.

• Cook the wonton wrappers for 5 minutes.

• Remove the pan from the oven.

• Spoon the vegan crab mixture into each crevice filling it ¾ way full.

• Cook for another 7 minutes until the filling is heated through.

Air Frying

• Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.

• If you have a large air fryer that will hold a muffin pan, follow the exact directions above; however, adjust the cooking time by half.

• If using a basket-type air fryer and folding the wonton wrappers together, the wonton wrappers do not need to be precooked as the oven directions indicate.

• Lay out the wonton wrappers on a working surface.

• Moisten each of the wrappers with water. I use a cooking brush and brush it along all of the edges. 

• Place a teaspoon and a half of filling onto each wrapper. Be careful to fill the right amount.

• Fold each wrapper diagonally across to form a triangle.

• From there, bring up the two opposite corners toward each other.

• Don’t close the wrapper yet.

• Bring up the two different opposing sides, pushing out any air.

• Squeeze each of the edges together.

• Load the crab rangoon into the air fryer basket into a single layer.

• Do not stack or overfill.

• Cook in batches if needed.

• Cook for 10 minutes.

• Open and flip the crab rangoon. Cook for 2-5 minutes until they reach your desired golden brown and crisp level.

• Remove the crab rangoon from the air fryer and serve with your desired dipping sauce.

Notes

• Do not over-pulse the hearts of palm in the food processor when making this vegan crab rangoons recipe.
• Cook the wonton wrappers while making the vegan crab filling.
• Or make the filling the day before and allow the flavors to develop overnight.
• In a sealed container, you can put the reheated Rangoon back in the fridge. They shouldn’t be stored for more than a total of 4 days
• Once all your Rangoons are formed, you can freeze them on that sheet pan until solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to 2 weeks.
• While crab wontons can be heated in the oven on a baking sheet, you will get the best results using an air fryer. The air fryer makes day 2 crab rangoon crispy in just 2-3 minutes.
• To reheat crab rangoon in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add the rangoons to the baking tray. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 8gCalories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 411mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 222IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂