These gluten-free keto crab cakes are made with almond flour instead of breadcrumbs. They are absolutely not a compromise! They are wonderfully crispy and very flavorful.
These keto crab cakes are amazing. They are crispy, delicious, and very filling. My entire family loves them, so I make them often. They're so good, in fact, that I often serve them as a main dish rather than as an appetizer. They don't contain any breadcrumbs. Instead of those, I use almond flour. The result is marvelous - just as crispy and tasty as traditional recipes.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Egg: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, including this one. Make sure it's truly large - you need it to help bind the ingredients together.
- Fresh lump crabmeat: The fresher, the better, or the cakes could have a fishy smell and taste. This is one item I splurge on - I get it fresh at Whole Foods whenever possible.
Although lump meat is perfecr crab cakes, I sometimes use jumbo lump crabmeat, as shown in the photo above. It works fine if you break it into smaller pieces - it's just expensive, so lump crabmeat is better if you can find it. - Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar.
- Mayo and mustard: You should definitely use Dijon mustard. It's creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard, and it's way more delicious!
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, dried thyme, and just a touch of cayenne pepper.
- Chopped parsley: I wouldn't skip this ingredient. It adds flavor as well as color.
- Almond flour: I use blanched, super fine almond flour in this recipe.
- Butter and olive oil: Used for frying the cakes. I like to use a mix of both - the oil helps prevent the butter from browning too much, and both impart wonderful flavor.
Variations
- Out of fresh garlic? Use a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Use sriracha mayo instead of regular mayo for an added kick.
- Cilantro is a good substitute for parsley.
- Sometimes, I add a pinch of cumin.
- It's OK to use coarse almond meal instead of blanched almond flour.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use extra olive oil instead of butter.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Mix together all the ingredients except for the butter and olive oil, which you will use for frying. I usually start with lightly whisking the egg, then I mix in the crabmeat. Next, I add the creamy stuff (mayo and Dijon), garlic, and seasonings. The last step is to add the parsley and the almond flour. Make sure the mixture is completely uniform and well-combined.
Form the mixture into six patties. I use a 4-tablespoon scoop to portion them out, then shape them with my hands. Chill the patties in the fridge for at least an hour. This will help prevent them from falling apart as you cook them.
Fry the patties in a mixture of butter and olive oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
Place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil before serving them.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh crab meat. As always, when using crabmeat in recipes (such as these crab-stuffed mushrooms), the fresher the crabmeat you use, the better the dish will taste. Fresh crabmeat is delicate and sweet, but the supermarket lump crabmeat that comes in small plastic containers can be fishy. If you don't want to steam your own crabs (who does?) and you have Whole Foods in your area, try the crabmeat sold at their seafood counter. It's the best I've found so far.
- Chill the patties before cooking. It's important to chill the patties for at least an hour before frying them. They are quite delicate and could easily fall apart when you fry them if they're not chilled first.
- Don't skimp on the oil! At least half the cooking fat will remain in the skillet, but it's needed to cook the patties properly. The nutrition info reflects this.
- Use a nonstick skillet, and don't overcrowd it. If you don't have a skillet large enough to accommodate all patties, fry them in two batches and keep the first batch in an oven set to the "keep warm" setting.
Recipe FAQs
I like to fry them. It achieves a crispier result. But you can also bake them in a 350°F oven on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes per side. Make sure to spray them with oil before baking and spray again after flipping them.
No. The small amount of cayenne pepper I use adds a layer of flavor. It doesn't make them spicy. However, feel free to omit the cayenne if you wish.
You can, as long as you replace the traditional breadcrumbs with a low-carb ingredient such as almond flour.
Serving Suggestions
Sauce
If you'd like to serve these crab cakes with a sauce, mix ¼ cup of mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of sugar-free ketchup, and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. You can also use homemade tartar sauce or sriracha mayo.
Side Dishes
When I serve these crab cakes as a main dish rather than as an appetizer, I like to serve them with cauliflower potato salad, creamy cucumber salad, broccoli salad, or asparagus salad. I like the fact that I can make these salads ahead of time so that I can focus on frying the patties.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven to retain their crispness. If you're in a hurry, it's OK to use the microwave, but the oven is better.
They are also very good cold, straight out of the fridge! I sometimes grab one as a snack.
You can also freeze the completely cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months. If you stack them, make sure to separate them with wax paper squares. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them.
More Crab Recipes
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Recipe Card
Crispy Keto Crab Cakes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 egg - lightly beaten
- 8 ounces fresh lump crabmeat - gently picked through and shells removed
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup parsley - chopped
- ½ cup almond flour - blanched, finely ground
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg with a fork. Add the crab meat. Mix well with a fork, pressing on the crab meat with the fork and breaking up any large pieces.
- Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, kosher salt, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Then, mix in the parsley and almond flour.
- Use a 4-tablespoon scoop to portion out six portions of the mixture. Use your hands to form the portions into six ½-inch-thick patties.
- Place the patties on a platter lined with wax paper. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least one hour.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the crab cakes. Cook them for about 4 minutes without moving, until you can tell by their edges that the bottoms are browned.
- Carefully flip the cakes using two spatulas. Very gently press on their tops to slightly flatten them, then cook them on the other side until browned, about 3-4 more minutes.
- Remove them to a plate lined with paper towels, then serve them.
Notes
- The fresher the crabmeat, the better the cakes will taste.
- If out of fresh garlic, use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- It's important to chill the patties for at least an hour before frying them. They are quite delicate and could easily fall apart when you fry them if they're not chilled first.
- At least half the cooking fat will remain in the skillet, but it's needed for properly cooking the patties. The nutrition info reflects this.
- If you don't have a skillet large enough to accommodate all patties, fry them in two batches, and keep the first batch in an oven set to the "keep warm" setting.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven to retain their crispness. They are also very good cold, straight out of the fridge!
- Once they're completely cool, you can place the cakes in freezer bags and freeze them for up to three months. If you stack them, separate them with wax paper squares. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Rachel says
Great recipe! Had 16 oz of canned lump crab so doubled recipe and made 12 cakes. Fried 6 and oven baked 6, fried definitely crispier. Made the recommended sauce which went well with the crab cakes. Wonderful recipe thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, rachel! I'm glad you enjoyed these crab cakes. Thank you for the review.
Carri coons says
crab cakes turned out fabulous. I didn't have any thyme so I used cumin instead. Delicious!!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Carri! Cumin sounds delicious.
Mary says
Can these be prepared in advance and then frozen for later use?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Mary,
Yes. Place them on a wax-paper-lined tray in the freezer for about two hours, until firm, then wrap each of them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw them in the fridge for 24 hours.
Catherine Emmerson says
Hi, Can the crab cakes be air fried?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Catherine,
I don't own an air fryer, so I'm not sure. I only tested this recipe using a frypan.
Carman Sue says
Can these be frozen?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Sue,
Yes. Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer in freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat, uncovered, in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Julia S says
These are deeeeeelish! We had a lot of fresh-caught dungeoness crab in the freezer that we needed to eat quickly (terrible problem to have, I know). We followed the recipe with a few modifications: I reduced the almond flour to 1/4 cup and added 2 tablespoons finely diced green bell pepper and half of a finely chopped, very small habanero. I crushed spicy dill pork rinds and used that as a coating. Due to the reduced almond flour, the mixture was a but juicy, but I just squeezed it out before shaping and coating. They fried up beautifully and were delightfully crispy! No issues with them falling apart even though I skipped the chilling step because I always forget to fully read recipes before starting to make them. Enthusiastic 5 stars!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed these crab cakes, Julia! Thanks for sharing your method.
Randy B says
Great recipe, especially good to be able to use almond flour. Great taste, easy to cook. They brown beautifully and hold together well.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these crab cakes, Randy! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it.
Barbi says
Excellent! Best tasting I’ve ever had. I added a teaspoon of old bay and used Alaskan crab legs. My hubby even liked them who said he never liked crab cakes. I then told him it was keto 😉
Vered DeLeeuw says
Good thinking, Barbi, to tell him they are keto only after he approved of them! 🙂
Keila Morse says
Absolutely perfect. I made a double batch with blue crab meat we had left over from a beach crab boil. THe only addition was one teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning. I would prefer this recipe even if we were not eating low carb.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed these crab cakes, Keila! Thank you for leaving a comment.