When I think of crab, cracking a giant crab claw usually comes to mind. So do delicious meaty crab cakes, the super far north state of Maine, and those creepy beady eyes crabs have. Ordering a crab cake at a restaurant will usually land you a crab cake full of carby bread crumbs or crackers. Let these mini keto crab cakes be the star of your next party! These little guys are easy, though the preparation does take a little time. I adapted this recipe from The Culinary Institute of America’s “Chesapeake Crab Cakes”.
Crab
I know people will call me crazy for this one, but I prefer crab over lobster. The lobster I’ve had in the past has often been overcooked, unseasoned and not exciting. But let’s move on to yummy sweet, succulent crab. It has ZERO carbs. It’s also high in protein, vitamins A, B and C, copper and chromium. Crab also has a high sodium content (321 mg per 3 oz compared to chuck roast at 72 mg per 3 oz), which is great for strict keto dieters that need the extra sodium. I recommend using a jumbo lump blue crab meat if it’s available at your local store. It’s a little pricey, but crab is pricey regardless, so why not splurge a little and get the good, meaty stuff!
Holding It All Together
Crab cakes typically contain breadcrumbs or crackers to hold them together and give them their crab cake texture. In place of these carby fillers, I substituted a small amount of coconut flour to slightly dry out the mix, and golden flax to give it an even consistency. Both of these choices are low in carbs, and I found the combo was the best choice for the texture a crab cake should have.
Sweat Those Shallots
The shallots are cooked in a small pan over medium low heat in a spot of oil. Cook them low and slow until they are translucent. The goal isn’t to brown or caramelize, but to soften and cook. Sweating the shallots gives them a mellow flavor that will lend itself nicely to the crab cake. Sweating the small bit of shallot is important, so don’t skip this step!
Press & Bake
After mixing everything together, it’s time to divide and conquer on a baking sheet. The trick I use to get perfect and consistently shaped cakes every time – a small cookie cutter ring. I place the empty ring on my parchment-lined baking sheet and fill it about 3/4 of the way. Press the mix down firmly into the ring while on the sheet pan. Next, lift the ring (your mix should be dense enough to stay in the ring), and gently push it out with your finger on the tray. Bake and enjoy!
Mini Keto Crab Cakes
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Mini Keto Crab Cakes
These mini keto crab cakes will be the star of your next soirée. Your guests won't know these are missing breadcrumbs.
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Print Recipe
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Servings:
28 Mini Cakes
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Prep Time
30 Minutes
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Cook Time
15 Minutes
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Passive Time
0 Minutes
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Shallot finely minced
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 16 oz Jumbo Lump Blue Crab
- 1 large Egg
- 2 oz Mayonnaise Dukes recommended
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce A&B NyC Rooftop Pepper Sauce is my favorite
- 1 tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
- 2 tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley fresh, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Chives fresh, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Coconut Flour
- 4 tbsp Golden Flax Meal
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Servings:
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Mini Cakes
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Units:
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Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sweat finely minced shallot in a skillet with the oil until translucent stirring frequently. Take care not to caramelize or burn the shallot. This should take about five to seven minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute longer, or until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer contents to a dish. Set aside.
- Obtain a large clean bowl. Grab your container(s) of crab. Transfer small amounts of crab to the large bowl with your hands (you can wear gloves if you have some on hand). As you transfer the meat, gently feel through all of the crab meat with your fingers for pieces of shell (unless this was previously done for you). Remove and discard any shell pieces.
- Once you have removed any shell, add the egg, mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard, parsley, chives and Old Bay seasoning to the crab. Gently fold to combine the ingredients.
- Next, fold in the golden flax and coconut. If the mix seems to wet, add coconut flour one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Scoop out about 1 tbsp of mix. I use a 1.5 inch round cookie cutter to shape my crab cakes. To do this, fill the cookie cutter about 3/4 of the way with crab mix, press down firmly with your fingers to condense the mix inside the ring, and then lift and gently press out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This will give you consistently shaped and sized crab cakes every time!
- Once you have scooped, shaped and placed all of the cakes, bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden.
- Remove from the oven and give each side a quick sear in a hot, lightly oiled skillet if desired. Place on a platter and serve.
- Optional: Top with a red pepper roulade and some chives, or serve with a side of lemon aioli.
Notes:
Nutrition Facts for One Crab Cake:
Calories: 43 | Total Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 57mg | Total Carbohydrates: 1g, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 0g, NET CARBS: 1g | Protein: 3g
*Recipe can be found in My Fitness Pal under "KetoCanape Mini Keto Crab Cakes"
This recipe was adopted from The Culinary Institute of America's "Chesapeake Crab Cakes".
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