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These vegan crab rangoon appetizers look surprisingly fancy for something that’s so easy to put together! They’re a crowd pleasing finger food at parties or a tasty side dish for a stir-fry.
I made a batch of pierogi once. Years passed, and I didn’t make them again, even though I adore them.
So I bought a pierogi press thinking it would help. It didn’t. The press has been in my kitchen tools drawer for years now, forgotten behind the cherry pitter and candy thermometer, still in its package.
It’s not that I don’t love delicate little appetizers wrapped in dough. I do. It’s just that those kinds of items are far too fiddly for my nature.
It’s too bad too, because so many good foods are wrapped in dough – empanadas, ravioli, potstickers, samosas, sambusas….
And I don’t make any of them from scratch – more than once.
In my pre-vegan life I’d eat another dough-wrapped item whenever I went to a Chinese restaurant in Des Moines, Tsing Tsao.
Crab rangoon are fried pouches that are loaded with cream cheese, green onions, and a dotting of flaked crab meat. (Crab rangoon are also called crab puffs or cheese wontons.)
The deep fried appetizer came with all of their combo meals, but if you bought them on their own as an appetizer, they were much more generous with the filling. On the side was a little cup of sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
If a cream cheese-filled appetizer doesn’t sound like a typical dish from an area where cheese is far from standard, that’s because the crab rangoon is not actually from China. (The majority of East Asians are lactose intolerant.)
Crab rangoon originated at a restaurant in San Francisco called Trader Vic’s. Since then, many Chinese restaurants in America have started selling them. It’s somewhat similar to the history of fortune cookies. Long story short, you won’t find fortune cookies or crab rangoon in Beijing.
I’ve been vegan for over 9 years now and vegetarian for 11. So it’s been a long time since I’ve cracked through the fried pastry to the softened cream cheese inside of a crab rangoon. And a vegan version isn’t something that I ever see in restaurants.
So what’s a lazy vegan to do? Enter vegan crab rangoon.
Vegan crab rangoon
Vegan wonton wrappers are hard to find. Yes, I could make the dough from scratch, but that’s never going to happen (see anti-fiddly nature above).
And then there’s the task of filling but not over filling them, getting them to seal properly, and finally, deep frying.
So when I was walking down the freezer aisle at a local grocery store, I had an aha moment when I saw some miniature filo shells.
The filo shells just so happen to be vegan. I’d still get that crisp shell without any of the detail work of making dough and folding it into the shape of Columbus’ hat.
I used non-dairy cream cheese for the filling, added green onions, a bit of lemon juice for tang, and a splash of non-dairy milk to make the filling extra creamy and light.
I usually make my own cream cheese using Miyoko’s recipe in Artisan Vegan Cheese. But to maximize the efficiency of the dish and to make sure that the results were repeatable for readers, I chose to use packaged vegan cream cheese instead.
If you’d rather use homemade, you may need to adjust the amounts of non-dairy milk and lemon juice that you include.
Finally, I added a helping of Gardein’s crabless cakes that I’d chopped small and browned in a skillet.
Gardein’s crabless cakes come 10 to a bag. So you’ll only need half of a bag for this recipe.
Some of the crabless cake went into the cream cheese mixture. And then I set aside some to garnish on top of the cream cheese-filled cups.
That way you get crab cake flavor in each bite. Plus, it emulates a bit of that deep fried feeling by getting extra crunch in every mouthful.
Serve these vegan crab rangoon with jarred sweet & sour or sweet red chili sauce.
The vegan crab rangoon appetizers look surprisingly fancy for something that’s so easy to put together! They would be great for a dinner party, game night, or watching the big game if you’re into that sort of thing.
How to freeze vegan crab rangoon
If you have any leftovers, they keep well if you put them in a single layer in a covered container and freeze them. (The filo cups soften too much in the refrigerator.)
Then when you’re ready to eat them, move them directly to a parchment paper covered baking sheet, and pop them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
They reheat beautifully. I daresay they may be even better that way because the filo becomes extra crispy.
It’s great for having appetizers in an instant, or if you want to make everything ahead of time for a gathering.
Vegan crab rangoon
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon neutral high heat oil I used organic canola oil
- 5 Gardein crabless cakes
- 8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese I used Go Veggie plain cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon non-dairy milk
- 3 green onions white and green parts chopped small, divided
- 15 mini filo shells I used Athens brand
- Pinch salt
- Optional: Serve with dipping sauce of your choice like sweet & sour or sweet chili sauce.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a skillet to a medium-high heat with oil. Add frozen crabless cakes to skillet and brown on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and chop them very small. Return them to the skillet and continue browning for a few minutes more. Once the pieces are nicely browned, remove from heat, and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine non-dairy cream cheese, lemon juice, and non-dairy milk until light and whippy. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of green onions and 1/4 cup of the chopped crabless cakes.
- Line the filo shells across a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Put a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture into each shell. Then top the filled shells with the remaining crabless cake pieces and a pinch of salt.
- Bake the filled shells for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the remaining green onions, and serve with dipping sauce of your choice.
VeganLinda says
I missed the Crab Rangoon phase since I went veg then vegan before it showed up on Midwestern menus, but a dear non-veg friend orders them as her “guilty pleasure” whenever we’re at a certain restaurant. I’ve always wondered what the hype was all about. Now I can try it for myself, thanks!
Cadry says
Oh, I hope you try these, Linda! I’m thinking about making another batch just for the freezer, so that I can take out 2 or 3 whenever I want a little appetizer with my meal.
Becky Striepe says
Oh my gosh, crab rangoon was one of my go-to appetizers before I went vegan. Using those crabless cakes is genius – they’re so spot on and affordable!
Cadry says
If you liked crab rangoon in your pre-vegan days, you’re going to love these!
Janis says
I am so excited to try these! These will be a great make-ahead easy appetizer for the holidays. If you are ever in NYC, go directly to Red Bamboo! They have fantastic vegan crab rangoon! While you’re there, you can get a vegan shake as well. Just be really hungry when you go!
Cadry says
Oh, wow, I didn’t know that! Thanks, Janis. I’ll add Red Bamboo to my extensive list of “must visits” for my next trip to NYC. I hope that happens sooner rather than later. It’s such an amazing place! And I hope you enjoy the crab rangoon recipe. I’ll definitely be adding them to my make ahead appetizers for the holidays too. Let me know if you try them!
Heather says
OMG that is one thing I “miss” terribly- Crab Ragoons!
I am so making these- thank you for creating such an easy vegan version xo
Cadry says
Awesome! I think you’re going to love them. It’s nice that they’re freezer-friendly, so that you can have a couple whenever you want.
Gabby says
Definitely making these next week for our house warming party. I was looking everywhere for easy good finger foods and you just fit the bill perfectly with these! I cant wait!
Cadry says
Excellent! I’m so glad to hear it. And congratulations on the new home!
Susan says
I like your filo tart shell shortcut! I don’t often make things that need a lot of fiddly pastry work, but premade shells sound perfect.
Cadry says
Yes, filo tart shells are such an easy fix! Fiddly pastry work is pretty and all, but it doesn’t suit my temperament. These are appetizers I’ll actually make again and again. 😀
Mandy says
Wow!!! First of all, your photos are beautiful and the food really does look fancy – literally like something you’d order from a nice (expensive) restaurant. I’m impressed! Haha!! Anti-fiddly nature ?? I’m right there with you! That’s awesome that you were able to find vegan mini filo dough shells – so nice to have a quick, convenient option. These sound amazing and look almost too pretty to eat!
Cadry says
Thank you, Mandy! That’s so nice of you to say. 🙂
Ginny says
This is a wonderful appetizer. I didn’t know Gardein had crabless cakes, Can’t wait to make these.
Cadry says
Yes, the crab cakes are a new-ish item from Gardein. They came out in 2015. They’re terrific and also really good in tacos.
Pamm Mosey says
I can’t wait to try these – sound so yummy. And I am serving them to my non-veg friend who is allergic to sea food – she’ll be elated!!!!!
Cadry says
That’s wonderful, Pamm! I hope that you and your friend enjoy them.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I’ve never had crab rangoon, but yours look delicious! I love hearing about the origins of famous dishes. Did you read the book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles? You might enjoy it.
Cadry says
Oh, I’ve never heard of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. It sounds really interesting! I’ll have to see if they have it at my library.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
I love when something looks like it took hours to make but it didn’t take long at all! I’ve never actually had crab, but I’d love to try these! They look like they’d be great for a potluck, too.
Cadry says
Yes, they’d be great for a potluck! And a benefit of them being so easy to make is that you could easily double or triple your batch, and it wouldn’t be much additional work.
Andrea says
Great solution to an age-old problem — simplifying a complex recipe to the balancing point between easy and delicious! Now, I wonder if you’ll ever make them again. (Just kidding.) By the way, I once made a huge batch of pierogi that were fantastic — and never made them again. I understand.
Cadry says
I wish pierogi weren’t so fiddly. I really miss them, but not quite enough to tough out making the filling, making the dough, and folding all of them. I’m glad to hear that you also were one-and-done with homemade pierogi. 🙂
Jenn says
You have no idea how many times I have picked up the packages of wonton wrappers in every single grocery store around here PRAYING that they will be vegan. Sadly, they never are. I LOVE the idea of using this little pastry shells – genius. You get that perfect crunch and as much filling as you want. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Gardein Crabless Cakes in our stores, but I’m sure Whole Foods has it…I just need to get over that way one day. Thank you for this recipes – I can’t wait to make them!
Cadry says
Yes! What is up with the elusiveness of vegan wonton wrappers? I see them all the time in vegan cookbooks and recipes, but they are nowhere to be found in grocery stores. I’ve literally looked for them across the country in grocery stores for 9 years! After all of that searching, I finally found some at the local Korean market, and then funnily enough, I didn’t buy them! After all of that time, I couldn’t remember why I needed them. Haha! 🙂
Hannah Teson says
I’ve never had crab rangoon of any kind because I’m also a bit lazy. Using filo is so smart! I’m way more likely to make something if there’s a pre-made short cut 🙂
Cadry says
Pre-made shortcuts for the win!
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says
I used to love crab rangoon too! They were my favorite! I cannot wait to try these – they look so perfect and easy. Your pictures are beautiful too!
Cadry says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. 😀
Sarah says
I’m still oohing and ahhing over your pictures—so beautiful! I’ve never been a seafood fan, but I’ve got a couple of seafood lovers in my life so I’ll have to give this a try!
Cadry says
That’s so nice to hear, Sarah! Thank you!
Shell says
What a good idea! I love these cute, little treats. These are definitely appealing to my anti-fiddly nature.
Cadry says
Excellent, anti-fiddly personalities unite! 😀