These gluten-free, Whole30, & keto crab cakes are a healthier version of the classic Maryland favorite. Features 3 dipping sauces, & oven, or air fryer cooking options!.
This post has been planned for a long time! Since I’ve lived in Maryland for 20 years (with a short break in Charleston, SC), crab cakes have become one of my favorite foods. Crab cakes & football – it’s what Maryland does!.
The Eastern Shore is the ONLY place to get a good crab cake. Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I ordered them in other cities, but nothing beats this recipe! If you miss the Eastern Shore and Chesapeake Bay area, love Maryland-style crab cakes, or just want to try an unbelievably good recipe, this is it! Also, don’t be afraid to make your own crab cakes. These are incredibly simple to make!.
Crab cakes are a delicious appetizer or main dish that are popular in coastal regions especially Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay area. Their rich flaky texture and sweet crab flavor make them a seafood lover’s dream. But can you still enjoy crab cakes if you are following a low-carb or keto diet?
The short answer is yes – crab cakes can absolutely be keto-friendly By choosing the right ingredients and preparation method, crab cakes can fit into a low-carb lifestyle
In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the carb count of crab cakes, how to make keto crab cakes, and some serving ideas to enjoy them while staying low-carb.
What Are Crab Cakes?
Crab cakes are made of lump crab meat combined with binder ingredients like eggs and mayonnaise to hold the cakes together, Traditional recipes also call for breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs as an added binder, The crab meat mixture is formed into patties or cakes and then pan-fried until golden brown and crisp
Crab cakes can be served as a main dish, appetizer, or even in a sandwich. They are often accompanied by dipping sauces like tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or remoulade.
Are Crab Cakes High in Carbs?
The carb content of crab cakes can vary greatly depending on the specific ingredients used.
Crab meat itself is very low in carbohydrates. A 3-ounce serving of blue crab meat contains less than 1 gram of carbs [1].
The potential carb culprits in crab cakes come from added ingredients like breadcrumbs or cracker meal, which are used to bind the cakes together. A single serving of plain breadcrumbs can contain 15-20 grams of carbohydrates [2].
So a crab cake made with a cup or more of breadcrumbs could end up with a significant amount of carbohydrates.
However, by carefully choosing low-carb ingredients and keeping the carb binders to a minimum, it is possible to make keto-friendly crab cakes that fit within daily carb limits.
How to Make Keto Crab Cakes
Here are some tips for keeping crab cakes low in carbs so they can be enjoyed on a keto diet:
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Use lump crab meat and avoid imitation crab which contains fillers. Real crab meat is very low carb.
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Skip the breadcrumbs. Replace with low-carb binders like almond flour, coconut flour, or crushed pork rinds.
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Limit other carb-heavy add-ins like bell peppers or onions. Keep vegetable mix-ins low-carb like parsley, chives, etc.
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Use mayonnaise and/or eggs as a binder instead of relying heavily on carb-based binders.
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Add fat like oil or butter when cooking to keep the crab cakes juicy.
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Avoid sugary dipping sauces. Opt for keto-friendly sauces like garlic aioli or keto tartar sauce made with mayo.
When making your own keto crab cakes at home, you have full control over the ingredients and can tweak the recipe to be low-carb. Just watch your portions of any added low-carb binders and thickening agents.
Here is an example of keto crab cake ingredients for a single serving:
- 3 ounces fresh lump crab meat
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or butter for cooking
With a carb count this low, enjoying a keto crab cake is totally doable!
Keto Crab Cake Recipe Ideas
To give you some keto-friendly crab cake inspiration, here are a few delicious low-carb recipes to try:
Stovetop Keto Crab Cakes
This stovetop keto crab cake recipe uses almond flour and pork rinds as binders. Pan-frying them in butter keeps these crab cakes super moist and delicious. Each cake has just 2g net carbs.
Baked Keto Crab Cakes
These easy baked keto Maryland crab cakes are gluten-free and contain only 3g net carbs per serving. They use coconut flour and almond flour as binders and are baked in the oven.
Keto Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli
Crab cakes topped with a homemade lemon garlic aioli are perfect as a keto appetizer. The zesty lemon flavor complements the sweet crab. Use an immersion blender to quickly make the aioli.
Keto Crab Cake Salad
Turn your crab cakes into a main dish salad by serving them over fresh greens, diced cucumber, avocado, tomato, and your favorite keto-friendly dressing. A creamy green goddess or ceasar dressing pairs nicely.
Crab Cake Sandwiches
For an easy keto lunch, make a crab cake sandwich using large portobello mushroom caps instead of bread. Load the crab cake along with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sauce.
Tips for Serving Keto Crab Cakes
Besides enjoying crab cakes on their own, here are some other low-carb ideas for serving them:
- On top of a fresh salad instead of croutons
- Sandwiched between layers of sliced cucumber instead of bread
- On zucchini noodle “pasta”
- Over cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower
- With roasted asparagus spears
- With sauteed kale or spinach
- With spaghetti squash
- On top of steamed artichokes
Any non-starchy veggie makes a perfect pairing with keto crab cakes for a low-carb meal.
For dipping sauces, stay away from sugar-laden cocktail or tartar sauces. Make your own keto-friendly sauces using mayo, sour cream, or greek yogurt as the base. Stir in lemon juice, garlic, herbs, horseradish, mustard, etc. for flavor.
Are Store-Bought Crab Cakes Low Carb?
When buying pre-made crab cakes from the store or ordering them at a restaurant, the carb count can be higher and more unknown. Manufacturers and restaurants often use fillers and binders that add more carbs to their crab cake recipes.
That said, you can still find some store-bought options that fit into a keto diet:
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Phillips Crab Cakes – These frozen crab cakes contain 10g net carbs per cake, along with 14g protein and 9g fat. A keto-friendly option.
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Wellsley Farms Crab Cakes – Aldi’s frozen crab cakes have 7g net carbs per cake. They use almond flour and cellulose as a binder.
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Crab Cake Café (Baltimore, MD) – This local restaurant offers broiled crab cakes with no filling added. Ask for no breadcrumbs or sauce and enjoy with lemon.
When in doubt, ask for nutrition info and ingredients before ordering crab cakes out. Opt for broiled or grilled crab cakes rather than heavily breaded and look for almond flour rather than regular breadcrumbs. Dipping sauces can also add hidden carbs.
The Bottom Line
Crab cakes can absolutely be enjoyed as part of a keto or low-carb diet. By making your own using keto-friendly ingredients, a single crab cake can have as little as 2-3g net carbs.
Carefully choosing store-bought options or asking questions when dining out will allow you to work crab cakes into your low-carb meal plan. Pair them with veggie sides and low-carb dipping sauces for a delicious keto meal.
So go ahead and enjoy some tender, flaky crab cakes on your ketogenic diet! Just be mindful of added carby ingredients and stick to whole food ingredients like real lump crab meat.
What Makes This Maryland Crab Cake Recipe so Great?
It’s been hard for me to find a crab cake that I can eat since I had to stop eating gluten. Most are made with bread or bread crumbs, which help to bind everything together. Because these are the best crab cakes ever, I decided to make a recipe that is not only gluten-free but also Whole30, Paleo, and Keto-friendly.
We still love these crab cakes as much as our favorite Maryland ones, but they have less filler, gluten, and carbs. They are made with only a few simple ingredients and taste fresh and great. On top of that, if you want sauces to go with your crab cakes, I have three for you in this recipe: Cocktail Sauce, Tartar Sauce, and Lemon Garlic Aioli!
How To Make Gluten Free Crab Cakes
- The egg, mayo, lemon juice, coconut aminos, Dijon mustard, and parsley should all be mixed together in a large bowl. Put in the crab meat and almond flour, and then use a spatula to carefully mix the two together. Be careful not to separate the crab meat.
- Put the crab cake mix in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight. This will help it stay together when you shape it into cakes.
- Preheat the oven to broiling. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Brush 1/2 of the melted ghee onto the baking sheet.
- Take a 1/3-cup measuring cup and use it to make 6 cakes. Place them on the baking sheet. Shape them with your hands and gently press down on any loose crab meat. Mine were about 1. 5 inches thick and 3. 5 inches wide. Spread the rest of the melted ghee over the top of each one.
- Put them under the broiler for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the sides are crunchy. For extra crispy crab cake, broil for 1-2 additional minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge and my Whole30-friendly crab cake sauce that I made myself.
- Put cakes in the air fryer basket. Depending on the size of the air fryer, you may need to do this in groups.
- Spray the tops of the crab cakes with oil.
- Cook at 375 for 10-12 mins – no flipping needed!
Perfect KETO CRAB CAKES – grain-free and crispy!
Are gluten free Crab cakes keto friendly?
Breadcrumbs are almost always used as a binder and filler, but the amount used will vary based on recipe and quality; higher quality crab cakes will have more crab and less filler. The good news is, this gluten free crab cakes recipe is definitely keto friendly!
Are coconut crabs healthy to eat?
Crabs are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins like riboflavin and minerals like selenium, copper, phosphorus. Coconut crabs are not known to be poisonous. The fat in the abdomen and the egg inside the female are the delicious edible parts. It is prepared by steaming or boiling them in coconut milk. Consuming coconut crab along with sea mango, cerbera manghas may make the coconut crab toxic due to the presence of cardiac cardenolides(cardiac active steroids). This causes electrolyte imbalance that affects the electrical conductivity of the heart.
Can you eat crab cake on a keto diet?
With just 2 grams total carbs (and 1.6 grams net carbs) per crab cake, it fits well into a keto diet as an appetizer, salad topper, or low carb main course. This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this keto crab cake recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
What are the best keto crab cakes?
Here are the different types and my recommendations: Jumbo Lump Crab Meat – The best kind, use this if you want the best keto crab cakes! Leftover Fresh Crab Meat – If you have leftover crab from making crab legs, this is just as good as (if not better than!) jumbo lump crab meat from a can.