These keto crab cakes are made with almond flour. They are absolutely not a compromise! They are wonderfully crispy and so very flavorful.
These keto crab cakes are amazing. They are delicious and 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 course rather than as an appetizer. They don't contain any breadcrumbs. Instead of those, I use almond flour. The result is marvelous - just as good as traditional recipes.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Egg: Make sure it's truly large - you need it to help bind the ingredients together.
- Fresh lump crabmeat: Although lump meat is perfect for crab cakes, I sometimes use jumbo lump crabmeat when it's the freshest option. It works fine if you break it into smaller pieces, but it's more expensive.
- Mayo and mustard: You should definitely use Dijon mustard. It's creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard, and it's way more delicious! Sometimes, I use sriracha mayo for an added kick.
- Butter and olive oil: Used for frying the cakes. I like to use both - the butter is delicious and the oil helps prevent the butter from browning too much. To make this recipe dairy-free, use extra olive oil instead of butter.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Mix together all the ingredients except for the butter and olive oil. Make sure the mixture is uniform and well-combined. Form the mixture into six patties. Chill the patties in the fridge for at least an hour.
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.
Best crab cakes I ever made and my company agreed. Great recipe.
Pidgeon1025
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Recipe Tips
- Use fresh crab meat. As always, when using crabmeat in recipes (such as these crab-stuffed mushrooms), the fresher the crabmeat, the better the dish will taste. This is one item I splurge on - I get it fresh at Whole Foods whenever possible.
- 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 (usually 170°F).
Recipe FAQs
You can, as long as you replace the traditional breadcrumbs with a low-carb ingredient such as almond flour or crushed pork rinds.
I like to fry them. It achieves a crispier result. But you can bake them in a 350°F oven on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes per side. 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 keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them uncovered 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 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, separate the layers with wax paper. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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 course 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.
Recipe Card
Crispy Keto Crab Cakes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 egg - large, 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 kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup parsley - chopped
- ½ cup superfine almond flour
- 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.
Notes
- The fresher the crabmeat, the better the cakes will taste.
- Make sure the egg you use is truly large. You need it to help bind the ingredients together.
- 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 an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them uncovered 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 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, separate the layers with wax paper. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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.
Valerie Kappler says
Can I use gluten free flour instead of almond flour? Can I make them the night before and keep the patties in the refrigerator until brunch?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Valerie,
1. I would start with 1/3 cup of gluten-free flour and check the mixture. You want it to be firm enough to form patties without falling apart, but not dry. Watch the video, or see the photo accompanying step 3, to get a feel for what the mixture should look like.
2. Yes, you can make them the night before.
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.