CrabRangoonV the Aurelian

You will not be able to stop after just one of these vegan crab rangoons! They're amazing with the easy 5-minute dipping sauce. Read the notes if you want air fryer rangoon instructions, or if you want to learn how to freeze and reheat these rangoons for a quick freezer-to-plate appetizer that is ready in under 5 minutes.

For the crab-less rangoon:

🥐 4 oz vegan cream cheese (½ tub of Tofutti)
🥐 1 trumpet mushroom finely minced or grated (see notes)
🥐 1 scallion diced
🥐 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
🥐 ¼ teaspoon onion powder
🥐 ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
🥐 18 wonton wrappers
🥐 vegetable oil for cooking 2-3 cups, depending on your pot size (see notes for air fryer rangoon)

For the vegan sweet and sour sauce:

🧅 ⅓ cup water
🧅 ¼ cup agave nectar
🧅 2 tablespoons vegan ketchup
🧅 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
🧅 1 tablespoon soy sauce
🧅 ¼ teaspoon onion powder
🧅 2 teaspoons cornstarch or use 3 teaspoons for a thicker sauce

For the crab-less rangoons:

🍄 1. Transfer your cream cheese to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds, just to soften it. Do not let it melt!

🍄 2. Combine the softened cream cheese with the next 5 ingredients, from the minced/grated mushroom to the Worcestershire sauce. Mix together.

🍄 3. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean cutting board or plate. Add 1 teaspoon of the vegan cream cheese mixture to the center of the wonton. Dip your finger into cool water and run the finger along the edges of the wonton wrapper.

🍄 4. Form the wonton puffs: Pinch the corners of the wonton wrapper to seal it completely shut on all 4 corners, making sure that the cream cheese mixture is not sticking out anywhere. To do this, place your hands under the wonton wrapper. Pull up the flat sides of the wonton wrapper from the bottom and pinch together 2 opposite corners. Rotate the crab Rangoon and pinch the other 2 corners. Then pinch the center together tightly.

🍄 5. Repeat to form the rest of the wonton puffs. If the corners start falling over, flop them all to the same side to make a pretty pinwheel shape.

🍄 6. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a small-medium pot. You'll want at least 2 inches of oil in the pot, and you do not want to use a pan with short sides. Carefully insert a toothpick to test the temperature. If small bubbles form, the oil is hot enough.

🍄 7. Use tongs or a long metal spoon to carefully place the rangoons into the hot oil. Do not crowd them. Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Use a slotted metal spoon or tongs to remove them and set aside on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat until all the vegan rangoons are fried. Serve warm with vegan sweet and sour sauce.

Make the sweet and sour sauce:

🥐 8. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan until no cornstarch clumps remain and the mixture is smooth. Give it a taste and see if you need to adjust the flavor to your liking, either with agave, soy sauce, or rice vinegar. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to bring to a low simmer, continuing to stir frequently. It should thicken very quickly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.


🥐 To make air fryer rangoons: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, if you manual instructions say to preheat. Place the vegan rangoons in the air fryer tray or basket. Spray with olive oil (optional, but makes a crispier rangoon), and fry at 350F for 3-4 minutes. Air fryer strengths vary, so it might take as long as 10 minutes, but please check on them after 3-4 minutes because my air fried rangoons were golden and crispy after just 3 minutes in the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer.

🥐 Deep frying safety tip: Do NOT flip the rangoons upside down while they are frying - the cream cheese will flow out and cause the oil to bubble violently.

🥐 Freezing and reheating vegan rangoons: You can freeze cooked OR uncooked crab rangoons! I recommend freezing cooked rangoons.

🥐 To freeze uncooked rangoons, freeze them individually and then transfer to a freezer bag or container. Cook as usual following the instructions above. DO NOT DEEP FRY ANY BROKEN WONTONS FOR SAFETY REASONS!

🥐 To freeze cooked rangoons, allow to cool to room temperature first, then transfer to a freezer container. Reheat for a few minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, watching closely to prevent burning.

🥐 Ingredient note: You can skip the mushroom, or use any other mushroom, or skip it altogether. Another good vegan crab substitute is finely minced canned hearts of palm.