Black-eyed peas are a huge part of the rich food culture of the South and have been in Southern recipes for generations. Â They’re probably most well known for the superstition that they are good luck when eaten on New Year’s Day. Â That’s a tradition that we’ve always had in our family. Â My Mom has even insisted on keeping a few black-eyed peas in your wallet in the hopes they will ensure that you always have money. Â Regardless of whether all that is true, they sure are delicious!
These Black-Eyed Pea Cakes with Creole Mayo are the perfect way to have them too.  Y’all just have to try them. These things are some serious comfort food. Yes, they take a little more time to make, but starting with Margaret Holmes Seasoned Blackeye Peas is the perfect way to make them easier.  They’ve got tons of great southern style flavor cooked right in, which gives the cakes so much flavor without you having to do any work.
Start by making the Creole Mayo.  It’s as simple as stirring together ½ cup mayo, 1 clove of minced garlic, and ½ teaspoon creole seasoning, then keep it in the fridge while you cook the cakes.
Melt some butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add ½ small onion and a clove of garlic and cook until tender.  Be cautious not to scorch the garlic.  It can get bitter if it gets burnt.
Next drain the peas. Â Drain one can, then the other. Â You’ll need to keep them separate. Â Take one can and place them in a large bowl. Â Use a fork (or even a potato masher) to mash them up really well.
Stir in the cooked onions and garlic along with the egg. Â Add in some all-purpose flour and self-rising corn meal. Â Then stir in the other can of peas. Â Keeping these whole gives the cakes great texture. Â You’ll want the batter to be thick, but not too thick like cookie dough. Â Add a little water if you need to.
Cook them by pouring a thin layer of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet – I like to use cast iron.  Heat it over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add about 3 tablespoons of the batter.  Use the back of a spatula to flatten the batter into a cake shape.  Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip them over and press them again to about ½ inch to ¾ inch thick.  Cook for an additional 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve warm with Creole Mayo.
 
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ small onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans Margaret Holmes Seasoned Blackeye Peas
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup self rising cornmeal
- vegetable oil for frying
For the Creole Mayo:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon creole seasoning I used Zatarain's
Instructions
For the creole mayo:
- Make the creole mayo by combining the mayonnaise. minced garlic, and creole seasoning in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
For the cakes:
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until translucent and soft.
- Drain the peas very well separately - one can, then another. Place one can of the drained peas in a large bowl and use a fork to mash them well. Add the cooked onion and garlic and egg. Mix well. Stir in the flour, cornmeal, and the other can of whole drained peas and stir to combine. The batter should be thick, but thinner than cookie dough. Add a little water if you find it too thick.
- Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron works great) over medium heat. Carefully drop about 3 tablespoons of batter in the hot oil. Use the back of spatula to flatten them. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, then flip and press flat again. Cook an additional 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Cook in batches, adding additional oil if necessary, and drain on paper towels. Serve warm with Creole Mayo.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
This post is sponsored by my friends at Margaret Holmes, but the opinions expressed her all my own – just as always! 🙂Â
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This is really a recipe to try. I make these annually. New Years’.
Happy New Year! Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Thank u! Just made these for my family and plan to make them throughout the year.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
About how many do you think this will make? How many per serving should I plan for? Thanks!
This should make about 12 cakes. I’d plan for 2 cakes per serving.
I’ve just defrosted all my leftover frozen blackeyed peas to try this recipe because it sounds so good! I can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Do you have any nutritional info on this dish? TY!
I hope you enjoy them! I don’t track nutritional info. Here’s why: https://southernbite.com/heres-why-i-dont-post-nutritional-information-with-my-recipes/
I love black eyed peas. From the. South so they with dried butter beans are a staple. Can’t wait ti try this recipe. Margaret Holmes is a great brand. Try their greens if you are in a hurry in place of homemade. Thanks for sharing. I
Thanks, Ginger! I keep a can of the collard greens on hand as a delicious shortcut! Hope you’ll enjoy these!
Can you go ahead and form them before you put them in the oil? These look delicious!!
If you can do that, I don’t think there’s any problem with it.
Making a double batch this year! We have been having g fresh black eyed peas just added to salad. Not this year… need to get some Southern on. Thanks for the recipe!
Hope you’ll enjoy!!
Just made these for New Year ‘s , they were a hit. I think we will have a new tradition in Camden, Al.
So glad y’all enjoyed them!! Love me some Camden folks!
I am not sure I have seen self-rising cornmeal. Could I make it as you did in the video on this page using the all purpose flour?
This one will work: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/self-rising-cornmeal-255005
Thank you!
Stacey, I live in Canada. There are no seasoned canned black-eyed peas. Can you give me a quick run down of the additional herbs and spices I will need? I can even use dried and then boil prepare with spices.
The canned version I often use are seasoned with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and some smoked meat.
Oh My Goodness! Must try this ASAP! Your recipes are the best!
Thanks so much, my friend!!
I remember my mother and grandmother making these. If my memory serves me correctly they are very good. Since my Mom and Grandmom have both passed on I’m going to try to make some myself. Thanks for posting the recipe because I haven’t thought about these in a very long time. It brought back some nice memories just seeing the recipe.
I love how food can connect us to our past like that! Enjoy!
Oh, holy bajeezus! I can’t wait to try these!
LOL! I hope you’ll enjoy them, Tammy!
Oh lord, drooling over here… This looks and sounds too good! Going to make it this week for sure. Thank you for sharing!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy!
I know I’m gonna love them! Thanks for this one.
I sure hope you do!
Whaaaatttt? These sound amazing Stacey!
Thanks, my friend!