Keto Crab Cakes Recipe

By
Ariane Resnick
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Ariane Resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author who takes great joy in shattering the image of what, and how, nutritionists eat.
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Updated on 12/22/21
Keto crab cakes recipe

The Spruce Eats / Ariane Resnick
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Chill: 60 mins
Total: 77 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 8 cakes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
446 Calories
33g Fat
8g Carbs
30g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 446
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 43%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 206mg 69%
Sodium 1090mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 202mg 16%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 570mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A classic crab cake is many things at once: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, full of juicy lumps of crab meat, and lightly spiced with Old Bay seasoning. You might think there are many swaps needed to make this appetizer or light lunch keto-friendly, but it actually only takes one to get a crab cake that's not only keto-friendly, it's also gluten and grain-free.

We swap the crackers or bread crumbs traditionally used in crab cakes for almond flour, along with a touch of coconut flour. To make these crab cakes, you'll mix crab meat with eggs, mayo, mustard, seasonings, and the keto flours and form them into patties. They'll need to set up in the fridge for a moment, but that time will be well worth it for a crab cake that's indistinguishable from the original. Once thoroughly chilled, you'll fry them up and have a light keto lunch or lovely appetizer ready to eat.

Serve these traditional-tasting, healthier crab cakes with this sauce (with sugar swapped for an appropriate substitute), over keto coleslaw, or alongside other keto appetizers for an afternoon soiree.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lump crab meat

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

  • 1 cup almond flour

  • 2 teaspoons coconut flour

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or avocado, for frying

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add crab, eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon and whole-grain mustards, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, almond flour, and coconut flour. Stir well to combine all ingredients together until flours and seasonings are fully incorporated.

  3. Form the mixture into eight patties with your hands, pressing gently so that the cakes hold together. Place them on a lined cookie sheet or a plate, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

  4. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, place crab cakes into the pan. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden, then flip and sauté an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden too.

  5. Place on a wire rack and let drain and cool for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

  • Unsure about how to choose crab meat? For this recipe, lump crab or lump crab meat is a safe bet. Purchase it fresh or frozen from the seafood counter of your grocer.
  • Because the texture of crab is an integral part of the cakes, refrain from over-mixing. You want to still see visible lumps of crab.
  • If you find that they seem soft when you form them, you can add an additional teaspoon of coconut flour.

Make Ahead

You can prep these crab cakes up to a full day ahead before frying. Store in a tightly sealed container until ready to cook.

How to Store and Freeze

Once made, leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container for one to two days; we don't recommend longer than that due to this being seafood-based. To reheat, crisp them in the oven at 375 F until hot.


If you'd like to freeze these crab cakes, you should do that before cooking them. Freeze in a tightly sealed container for up to three months, then thaw in the fridge. Once thawed, follow the steps for frying them.

Is it better to fry or bake crab cakes?

Crab cakes are great baked or fried. For keto dieters, shallow pan-frying is an easy way to keep your macros on track with the diet, so we recommend that.


If you'd prefer to bake these crab cakes, they can be baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425 F for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden.

Is crab meat okay on keto?

Like other meats and seafood, crab does not have any carbs. It has very little fat and is mostly protein.

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Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Crab. Fooddata central, United States Department of Agriculture