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Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful inside, with generous lumps of crab dispersed throughout… there is nothing like some great crab cakes. They’ve always been one of my favorite treats to order at restaurants. For some reason, though, I used to assume that low carb crab cakes would be complicated to make.
After trying my hand at my own several times, it turns out that’s not the case at all. Low carb crab cakes are actually one of the simplest main dishes or appetizers!
The best part about my gluten-free crab cakes is that they require only a few ingredients, all of them easy to find and pronounce. I’m simply not a fan of the typical fillers and breadcrumbs in those restaurant crab cakes, so of course you won’t find them in my recipe.
Instead, my paleo, low carb crab cakes are supportive of all kinds of food allergies. They are keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and have a nut-free alternative – all without sacrificing flavor or texture. They look and taste just like restaurant crab cakes, without all the negative aspects.
I wish I could find gluten-free crab cakes without weird fillers even when I go out. Sadly, it seems like they’re often more breadcrumbs than crab. I’ll keep searching, but until then, I’m completely happy to make my own.
These paleo crab cakes are so crazy easy that it’s really no hassle at all. You just mix most of the ingredients together, fold in the sauteed onions and lump crab meat, form patties, and fry them up… voila! Because crab cake seasoning tends to be a complex combination of many spices, I used Old Bay seasoning to save time.
Many people think of crab cakes as an appetizer, but I’ve discovered that these low carb crab cakes make a fantastic quick dinner with some greens on the side. Of course, you can definitely make smaller ones to serve as appetizers, too.
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Gluten-free Low Carb Crab Cakes Recipe (Paleo):
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RECIPE CARD
Gluten-free Low Carb Crab Cakes (Paleo)
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- 1 lb Lump crab meat
- 1/2 cup Onion (chopped finely)
- 3 tbsp Blanched almond flour (or golden flaxseed meal for nut-free)
- 1/4 cup Egg white
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Mustard
- 1 tbsp Dried parsley
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (divided)
Instructions
More TIPS about this recipe in the post above!
VIDEO + NUTRITION INFO + RECIPE NOTES below!
Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute chopped onion for about 10 minutes, until translucent and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients except the crab meat and remaining olive oil. When everything is well combined, add the sauteed onions, and finally fold in crab meat very gently. Try to avoid breaking up the lumps of crab meat.
Form 8 patties and place on a lined baking sheet or cutting board. If possible, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (this will help the crab cakes stay together when frying).
Fry crab cakes on a skillet over medium heat, in two batches of four. Use about two teaspoons of oil for each batch, and cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, until browned.
SIMILAR KETO LOW CARB RECIPES
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 crab cake
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List
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24 Comments
Lois
I used imitation crab meat looks. More lumpy than the pics….hope they work out
Alyssa
These were SO good!! I made them for dinner tonight and followed the recipe to a T. My family loved them. I probably ate one more than I should have! I’ve tried many crab cake recipes in the past and this was definitely our all time favorite. Will for sure be making these again soon! Thanks for the awesome recipe 🙂
Bonnie
Can you use canned lump crab meat in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bonnie, Yes, absolutely!
Heather
Oh my God! These are amazing. I’ve always loved crab cakes but never made my own and haven’t been able to get them in a restaurant in years due to a gluten sensitivity. Bravo! Thank you for sharing.
Gale Hunter
Can you broil the crab cakes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Gale, Yes, you can!
Heather
I didn’t have any parsley so I used basil instead. These were delicious! My boyfriend said “fabulous!” Will definitely be making them again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Heather! I’m glad you both liked them.
Dixie Burch
So sorry, but these were the worst. I don’t blame the recipe, I blame the crab from Trader Joe’s… first product I’ve ever gotten there that was simply terrible. I will locate a new source for crab and try again. The ones you order in even very good restaurants are just too full of carbs.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dixie, Sorry they didn’t turn out for you. You’re right that a quality crab meat will make a big difference. Make sure you get lump crab meat – the other kinds won’t work very well.
Lisa
Would it work to use salmon or tuna in place of the crab?
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried it but you probably can!
Lisa
Love wholesomeyum puts nutrition data after every recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I’m so glad you find it helpful, Lisa!
Jennifer
I also use virgin unrefined organic coconut oil to fry up the onions as to fry up the cakes! Delicious!
Jennifer
Used this recipe three times now and love it!! I also add a bit of onion powder garlic powder and pepper to my mix and use 1 egg vs the egg whites and find them to hold together nicely. The trick is a nonstick pan and being patient, you don’t want to flip too soon and if your cakes do start to break apart push them down with a spatula and continue to cook before flipping. Cook them until nearly black before flipping. This does not burn the cake but gives it a nice firm crust! Just finished mixing up a batch for dinner tonight! Wanted to thank you for this keto recipe! 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jennifer! I’m glad you liked my crab cakes recipe!
Maha
I made these last night and doubled the recipe because I wanted left overs for lunches. What an adventure! I used 1/3 cup of mixture for each, but that turned out to be too big for each one. They didn’t hold together as well, so the next time I’ll try making them smaller and flatter. Next, I fried them in a cast iron skillet which turned out to be a bust, sort of. They ended up sticking to the cast iron, probably because of the egg white, so I ended up with “scrambled” crab cakes. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Stay tuned. I decided to cook the rest in a stainless steel skillet. The first four in the stainless steel skillet turned out pretty well and actually held their shape. The second batch of three didn’t do as well, probably because there was some stickage from the first batch. I also used coconut oil in the stainless steel pan, so maybe that had something to do with it. The next time I’ll use a non-stick skillet too.
Onto what I thought would be a flop but turned out really well. With the scrambled crab cakes (it was not egg-y, don’t worry), I topped two salads with some of the mixture for two lunches, made quesadillas with jack cheese and a little Olive Garden salad dressing, and a crab cake scramble melt with bacon, avocado and jack cheese (my dinner).
This whole recipe is so good and my mistake turned out quite well. Both of my kids loved the crab cakes, and the picky one even ate some scramble cold. Overall this is an excellent recipe that everyone in my family loved. I am rating this 5 stars in my recipe collection to make again and again. Simply awesome! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Maha! I’m glad you liked the crab cakes and found a way to use the ones that stuck. These do stick easily, so a non-stick pan is best, otherwise you need a lot of oil to prevent sticking. I usually use a ceramic non-stick pan with just a little avocado or olive oil.
Ansley Designs
These were really good! I used seasoned salt because I didn’t have any Old Bay and cooked them in bacon fat! Because bacon! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Ansley! Everything is better with bacon. 😉
Dixie Burch
Made today, haven’t eaten yet. Added 2 T melted butter to batter [like I do for deviled eggs] & deep chilled for 30 minutes & then refrigerated. After spraying with Pam, fried in Pam sprayed iron skillet in butter & olive oil very slowly & they formed up & browned up perfectly. Having with bacon fat sauteed Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Slaw
With half bulb of chopped fennel like hot slaw. Don’t be aghast, am on high protein low carb diet!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing, Dixie! Sounds delicious.