Cadry's Kitchen

A Vegan Adventure

  • Home
  • About
    • About Cadry
    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Vegan
    • Being Vegan
    • Vegan grocery list
  • Connect:

Vegan Cookbook Reviews

Jacked up vegan crab dip: Gluten free appetizer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Vegan crab dip with jackfruit in ocean bowl with crostini.

You’re going to love this vegan crab dip recipe from the new cookbook, Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda and Alex Meyer. This dairy-free and gluten-free dip is wonderfully creamy and brimming with flavor.

Small bowl with vegan crab dip, bread, and spoons.

You know you live in the Midwest when the official start of spring is immediately followed by a deluge of snow. At a time of year when I’m more than ready to be in flip-flops and tank tops, instead I spent Sunday shoveling my driveway.

Luckily, that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy some delicious vegan barbecue – even if my grill is currently hiding under a pile of white stuff.

My blogging buddies, Linda and Alex Meyer of Veganosity, also live in the Midwest. They are a mother/daughter duo that knows inclement weather can dictate how easily that outdoor grill gets used.

So they did us a solid by writing the cookbook, Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill.

Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill

Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill cookbook by Linda & Alex Meyer.

Now you can nosh on vegan “honey” BBQ ribz, vegan baked beans, vegan pulled pork sandwiches with mushrooms, and not dogs while sitting in front of the fireplace or under a heated blanket.

In addition to hearty mains dishes, sandwiches, stuff-on-a-stick, and foil dinners, there are sides, salads, dips, and sauces to round things out.

This beautiful cookbook includes over 70 recipes with a mouthwatering photo for each one to really whet your appetite!

Today I’m sharing an appetizer from the book that would be great for your next vegan cookout or gathering.

Crostini with vegan crab dip on small plate. Bowl of vegan crab dip & bread in background.

This meatless crab dip recipe gets much of its flavor from one of my favorite all-purpose spice mixes, Old Bay Seasoning. (I especially love to use it in vegan crab cakes!)

Old Bay Seasoning is a blend of 18 spices, including red & black pepper, paprika, and celery seed. It’s that celery seed flavor that really dominates and keeps me coming back for more.

(Celery seed is my secret ingredient in vegan tuna salad!)

Crab dip often uses a base of mayonnaise or cream cheese. However, instead of turning to vegan mayo, this vegan crab dip recipe gets its creaminess by way of raw cashews.

Raw cashew tips

You’ll want to soak your raw cashews ahead of time, so that the cashews blend easily into a perfectly smooth backdrop.

Short on time? Here are some workarounds:

  • You can cover the cashews in boiling water to soften them.
  • I’ve even microwaved them in water for a minute or so, and then let them sit until it’s time to blend.
  • Finally, if you’re really short on time and don’t have a high-speed blender, grind the dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder until they’re like a flour. Then add them to your standard blender with the remaining ingredients. That’s what I always used to do before I got a high speed blender. It’s an inexpensive workaround!

As for the crab-like part of this dip, Alex and Linda turn to jackfruit for its flaky, piece-y quality.

As I mentioned in my recent post on vegan BBQ sandwiches, jackfruit isn’t always my favorite stand-in for things like vegan pulled pork-style sandwiches, because of its softer texture.

(It’s great in jackfruit carnitas or vegan taquitos, though!)

In this dip, the jackfruit is all about adding body & flakiness rather than something to sink your teeth into.

Canned green jackfruit on Trader Joe's shelf.

How to find the right jackfruit

When you’re looking for jackfruit for this savory dip, you’ll want to use canned young jackfruit – that means it’s not ripe yet. Young jackfruit has a mild, neutral flavor and flaky texture, whereas ripe jackfruit has a flavor reminiscent of canned peaches.

When you’re looking for canned jackfruit, be sure to buy the kind packed in water or brine, not syrup. In this savory dip, a syrupy sweet canned jackfruit really wouldn’t work.

You can find canned jackfruit in Asian grocery stores. It’s also popping up in lots of mainstream grocery stores as well.

Trader Joe’s has young jackfruit in their canned food area. (It’s one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products.) Occasionally it’s also on display with one of their barbecue sauces.

My local Hy-Vee and Co-op sells it in the international section near their Thai offerings.

Trader Joe's green jackfruit in can.

How to use jackfruit

After you open the can, drain the jackfruit and give it a good rinse. Mild jackfruit can sometimes take on the metallic taste of the can itself. So you’ll want to rinse as much of that away as possible.

You can either break up the jackfruit with a fork or use a food processor. Your call. I used a food processor for this recipe, and it only took seconds until it was perfectly piece-y.

Just dump the drained jackfruit into the food processor, blitz it for a few seconds, and you’re good to go.

This delightfully creamy dip is a good one to make ahead of time, because the flavors get even better as they have a chance to meld.

Serve this savory vegan crab dip with toasted bread slices, crackers, or vegetables.

Vegan crab dip with jackfruit in bowl, bread in background.

Small bowl with vegan crab dip, bread, and spoons.

Jacked up vegan crab dip

Crab dip is one of our favorite party dips. It’s so creamy and mild in flavor, perfect for spreading on crackers or for dipping with your favorite veggies. Our vegan version is every bit as good as the conventional version. Shredded young jackfruit is surprisingly similar in texture to crab, and the flavors of the Dijon, Old Bay seasoning and the other spices are spot on. In case you’re not familiar with Old Bay seasoning, let us acquaint you. Old Bay is a fragrant mix of spices, such as celery salt, mace, cloves, ginger, cardamom and more. It’s what gives most crab cakes their flavor, and it’s what brings this crab dip to life. To get the texture and mouth feel of crab, we used shredded jackfruit, and the creaminess of mayonnaise comes from cashews. It’s the ultimate party food. Bring this, and your appetite, to your next get together. You and your friends are going to love it! Serve with crackers, toasted sliced bread or corn chips.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Keyword: dip, jackfruit, spread
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 245kcal
Author: Linda and Alex Meyer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw cashews soaked in 2 cups (480 ml) water overnight
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cashew milk or other vegan milk
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon ground sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 14-ounce can young jackfruit packed in water

Instructions

  • Drain and rinse the cashews and put into a high-powered blender or food processor.
  • Add the garlic, cashew milk, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, salt, paprika and onion powder and blend for approximately 2 minutes (scrape the sides frequently), or until it’s smooth and velvety. You shouldn’t see or taste pieces of solid nuts. Scrape the cashew mixture into a medium bowl.
  • Drain and rinse the jackfruit well. Shred the jackfruit with a fork or in a food processor and put in the bowl with the cashew mixture. Gently fold until fully combined.
  • Serve with crackers, toast or sliced vegetables.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill, copyright © 2018 by Linda & Alex Meyer. Published by Page Street Publishing Company.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill for review. 
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Posted On: March 27, 2018
Comment: Leave a Comment

About Cadry

Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

Comments

  1. Marlene says

    March 27, 2018 at 11:23 am

    Oooooh, ok. NOW I get how to cook with that canned Jackfruit. I’ve tried making things with it before, stuff like simple tacos, etc, and did not know you were supposed to shred it. I figured there was some cooking process I was missing, like sauteing it in the pan or boiling, to get it to shred up like I’ve seen when I have bought it at restaurants. I’ve just had an “aha” moment and now cannot wait to try this recipe with my new found knowledge! This looks like it is going to be super yummy!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 28, 2018 at 11:24 am

      I’m so glad it was helpful, Marlene! For things like tacos, I usually just shred it in a bowl with a fork before cooking. This was the first time that I used a food processor. It makes the jackfruit extra shredded, which is good for vegan crab. I hope you enjoy the dip!

      Reply
  2. Linda from Veganosity says

    March 27, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Cadry, thank you so much for the wonderful review of our book and crab dip recipe. We couldn’t be more thankful. We’re so happy you enjoyed the dip and hope you make more BBQ recipes as the weather eventually begins to warm up.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 28, 2018 at 11:25 am

      My pleasure, Linda! Thank you for writing such a beautiful book and allowing me to share one of the delicious recipes. I look forward to trying more from it as the weeks pass!

      Reply
  3. Diane says

    April 1, 2018 at 11:31 pm

    Any suggestions as to what we can substitute Old Bay seasoning with here in the UK – recipe looks delicious and I’d love to try it.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      April 3, 2018 at 1:49 pm

      That’s a great question, Diane! If you Google it, there are lots of Old Bay seasoning recipes to make your own spice mix. However, this vegan crab dip only uses a half teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning. So I’d probably just eyeball it with some celery salt, paprika, red and black pepper to taste.

      Reply
  4. Sarah De la Cruz says

    April 1, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    Oh my goodness, we had snow today too! It was just a flurry/hail/graupel mix, but c’mon! It’s April! Also, we’ve been known to put our deck umbrella over our grill so that we can grill because….Seattle. Sigh. Can’t wait to try some of the recipes in this book! I have my eye on the bratwurst! YUM!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      April 3, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Yes, this winter is really dragging on! I’m so over the gloomy, gray skies. The bratwurst do look really good. Speaking of bratwurst, did you see that Beyond Meat is also coming out with vegan bratwurst? Everyone was raving about them at Expo West this year. I can’t wait to try them!

      Reply
  5. Annie says

    May 24, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    Any suggestions for jackfruit substitutes? I’m dying to try to recipe but can’t seem to find jackfruit anywhere in the city of Chicago!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      May 24, 2018 at 4:58 pm

      Oh, no! I’m so surprised that you can’t find jackfruit in Chicago. Have you tried Trader Joe’s? They sell their own canned Trader Joe’s jackfruit now. It’s near their other canned goods. It’s becoming so popular, even in a small town like where I live, most Asian grocery stores, natural grocery stores in the Asian section, and even mainstream ones have it. Barring that, I’d try using hearts of palm. It has a similar flaky texture that would work well here. For a more processed option, cooking Gardein crab cakes and then crumbling them would also work. I make vegan crab rangoon with them, and they’re terrific. Best of luck to you!

      Reply
  6. Jenn says

    September 3, 2018 at 9:08 am

    5 stars
    We have been loving this book! I made this crab dip, too, and it’s straight addictive! So good! Perfect for parties.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      September 7, 2018 at 10:18 am

      I agree!

      Reply
  7. Lauren Vaught says

    October 7, 2018 at 6:31 am

    Hi Cadry,

    I work with jackfruit quite a bit, and really like this recipe idea. I’m wondering if you’ve every baked it, and served it warm??

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      October 9, 2018 at 7:57 am

      I’ve never done that, Lauren, but it sounds like a great idea! My only thought is that it may dry out in the oven since the recipe wasn’t developed with that in mind. So I’d probably keep an eye on it and add more liquid, if necessary. Let me know if you try it! I’m curious to hear how it goes.

      Reply
  8. Cap'n Dave says

    March 12, 2019 at 4:44 pm

    I’ve only recently begun cooking with jackfruit. At a vegan deli in Berkeley, they use it for their pulled pork (shredded, obviously) and in the whole pieces straight out of the can for their “fish & chips” – battered, dredged in flour, deep-fried, and then spritzed with malt vinegar and sprinkled with Old Bay. They’re…different. I’m still trying to decide if I like them.

    That being said, shredding them and using them in a crab dip? That sounds wonderful! Like Lauren mentioned above, baked sounds wonderful, but I can easily see it drying, but perhaps in a covered casserole dish? Hmm…and now I’m picturing it combined with a creamy, cheesy artichoke dip and served with a vegan focaccia…or using it to stuff cremini mushrooms and douse with a little vegan parm…this is gonna be great!

    Question…the seeds. Do you just shred it seeds and all or do you take the time to remove them from each piece prior?

    Thanks for sharing this! I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 14, 2019 at 11:51 am

      Malt vinegar & Old Bay seasoning makes everything better. Two of my favorites! It doesn’t sound like the jackfruit fish and chips are a total success for you, though.

      I just shred the seeds. They’re edible. If they bother you, you can remove them, but I don’t.

      I hope you enjoy the recipe, and let me know if you try it warm. I’m curious to hear how it goes!

      Reply
  9. Shellie says

    May 30, 2019 at 12:19 pm

    I can’t wait to try this recipe. Any thoughts on using the boxed shredded unseasoned jackfruit in place of the canned? They’re 7 oz. boxes. Lately, I’ve been buying these instead of the canned. No seeds or liquid..

    https://store.edwardandsons.com/collections/organic-young-jackfruit

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      May 30, 2019 at 10:18 pm

      I would think the recipe would basically stay the same. The drained weight of the canned jackfruit is 9.9 ounces. So there is a little bit of a difference in volume, but I wouldn’t think it would be enough to be a huge difference flavor-wise. Let me know how it goes! I haven’t tried boxed jackfruit, but I am intrigued.

      Reply
  10. Shellie says

    May 31, 2019 at 6:07 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe. I ended up using a can of jackfruit instead of the boxed, and I shred it in the food processor. I didn’t want to short change us on jackfruit. I will try it next time though, and there definitely will be a next time. One thing….after I added my Old Bay I noticed that it said Best By Aug. 2016. Oops. Time for a new one. 🙂

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      June 17, 2019 at 2:56 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Shellie! I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for boxed jackfruit. That sounds like something I’d like too. I hear you on the Old Bay seasoning expiring before you can use it all. That’s definitely happened to me a time or two.

      Reply
  11. Nicky says

    December 26, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    I’m unable to eat cashew nuts (or any nuts) and alternative ideas or shall I just use vegan mayo?

    Nicky

    Reply
    • Cap'n Dave says

      December 27, 2019 at 1:10 pm

      Hi, Nicky! I hear you on the nut problem. I don’t have a problem with cashews, but I know many who do (my late wife had an allergy to all nightshades – made it VERY difficult for this old Irish boy when I wanted my potatoes – she couldn’t enjoy any of them!)

      Personally, I’d probably go for a vegan sour cream over the mayo – far less oil – or you could combine half and half. Probably the same amount as it would be for the processed cashews? Start at around 1 cup and go from there until it reaches the consistency you like. Kite Hill makes a wonderful vegan sour cream that doesn’t really have that tangy sour cream flavor to it, and it’s made from white beans. It’s fairly bland, really, but it doesn’t have that oily consistency that other brands (Tofutti, for example) seem to have, so maybe have half of that and half mayo?

      Anyway, just my two cents’ worth until Cadry chimes in. 🙂

      Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 27, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      I’d probably go with vegan mayo. I haven’t tried it that way, but it seems like it would work fine. Because vegan mayo already has some tanginess built into it, I’d pull back on the lemon juice, dijon mustard, and salt to start, and then add more to taste. The Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and onion powder will probably be fine in their current amounts. Let me know how it goes, Nicky!

      Reply
  12. Mollietee says

    September 19, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! You can use hearts of palm for variation, this dip is so good for vegans or meat eaters.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      September 21, 2020 at 6:02 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Welcome

Hi, I'm Cadry Nelson. I'm the recipe creator, writer, and photographer behind Cadry's Kitchen.

Cadry's Kitchen is a vegan food blog featuring comfort food classics. Most recipes are ready in about 30 minutes.

Contact me at cadryskitchen@gmail.com.

MORE ABOUT CADRY
Logos for sites where Cadry Nelson & Cadry's Kitchen have been featured.
Text overlay: vegan air fryer recipes. Hand dipping ravioli into marinara with air fryer ravioli on plate.

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts.

© Cadry Nelson and Cadry's Kitchen, 2009-2021. The full content of this site, including recipes and photographs are copyrighted. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cadry Nelson and Cadry's Kitchen with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

© 2021 · Cadry’s Kitchen