These Whole30 gluten-free crab cakes provide a great meal that will feel like a special treat! The crispy crust is golden and fried to perfection all in under 15 minutes.
The BEST Gluten-Free Crab Cakes
These Whole30 gluten-free crab cakes are easy to whip up and a fun change to typical Whole30 eats. Especially when you’ve eaten your max of baked chicken, even if it is our BEST roasted chicken or our Instant Pot gluten-free chicken wings.
I mean, I love protein as much as the next girl but sometimes I want a RICH, unforgettable meal. These gluten-free Whole30 crab cakes always hit the spot. They truly are such a decadent meal.
Even if you aren’t doing Whole30, they are my favorite gluten-free crab cakes. They are nutrient dense and have such amazing flavor! If you like big flavor, our vegan tikka masala with roasted vegetables is another great option!
I love to serve them with fresh veggies or refrigerator dill pickles from Evolving Table. Apple Sage Turkey Meatloaf or homemade potato salad from Meaningful Eats are another great addition to a delicious Whole30 feast.
How are these crab cakes different?
I love the fresh approach to eating that Whole30 provides. Since the plan doesn’t include grains, I got creative with the ingredients. This made it easy to make them truly gluten-free crab cakes as well because we didn’t use grain flour to coat them with.
They taste fantastic and hold up well while frying. We found that almond flour and an egg worked fantastically together! If you don’t eat egg, you can use a flax egg. Don’t know how to make one? Veggie Balance shows how to make a flax egg.
Pro Tip: You can also use another nut flour like chestnut or tiger nut if you aren’t as fond of almond flour. You can also use coconut flour if you’d like.
For the mayonnaise, you will need to use a Whole30 approved brand (like this Primal Kitchen one that I love) or make your own Whole30 mayo like Cheryl over at 40Aprons did. Everyday Maven also has a great recipe and shows you how to make homemade mayo. You can even go totally different with these paleo salmon cakes from Everyday Maven.
Do traditional crab cakes and imitation crab contain gluten?
Yes, traditional crab cakes DO contain gluten as flour is almost always used as a binder. Almost all imitation crab is made using wheat flour.
Pro Tip: To ensure your crab is truly gluten-free, only use real crab meat and not imitation.
How to make gluten-free crab cakes
These crab cakes are so simple to make in just a few steps. You can make them in 15 minutes or less.
Drain the crab and flake it using a fork as shown above. Dice the vegetables you are using (like peppers).
Add all other remaining ingredients and diced veggies into the flaked crab.
Then form a small ball, about 2 T of crab filling, into patties. Add additional almond flour if needed to keep your patties together.
Press both sides of the gluten-free crab cakes in more almond flour. Meanwhile, heat 1 T coconut oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Pro Tip: You can fry these gluten-free crab cakes in ghee or bacon grease for even more flavor.
Can I use different vegetables in my crab cakes?
Feel free to venture out of your comfort zone and try chopping up any vegetables you like to make your Whole30 gluten-free crab cakes unique.
I used red and yellow peppers and celery as well as lime juice because they were what I had. However, they also add great crunch, flavor and color which I love!
I’ve tried cucumbers as well and they also taste great. Chopped jalapeños or jicama would also be yummy.
What would you serve with these?
Our gluten-free Whole30 crab cakes are great with fried plantains and sliced tomatoes as well as some fresh wedges of limes. I also like serving them on a bed of spring mix for a full presentation.
Our bacon cabbage salad, minus the feta also make a beautiful and delicious side dish to these gluten-free Whole30 crab cakes.
While you can enjoy these for any meal, I love them for lunch. For breakfast, my go-to is definitely our fauxtmeal paleo no-oats Whole30 ingredients used. We even have a Strawberries and Cream Paleo Fauxtmeal.
If you love this recipe, please let us know below. Consider leaving a comment, a rating or sharing on social media. We are so grateful for wonderful readers like YOU! See more of what we love on our Pinterest page…
Need an EASY and delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert?
Take a look at my Sheet Pan Meals and More!
NEED MORE GOODNESS? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter for great recipes, entertaining ideas and more!
Whole30 Crab Cakes Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1 can 6 oz. Crown Prince wild caught crab
- 1 T homemade Whole30 mayo or Primal Mayo
- 1 egg
- 1/4 C chopped raw veggies I used celery and red & yellow pepper
- 1/4 C almond flour plus 1/2 C more for dusting
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1/2 tsp. Real Salt
- 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
- 1 T dried parsley
- coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Drain the crab and flake it using a fork
- Add all ingredients and form into patties
- Add additional almond flour as needed to keep your patties together
- Press both sides of the gluten-free crab cakes in more almond flour
- Meanwhile, heat 1 T coconut oil over medium heat
- Once the oil is hot, fry 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown
- Enjoy with more fresh squeezed citrus juice
Notes
Nutrition
Video by: Amie Pendle
Can I freeze these?
Definitely! Just make and shape them then freeze before frying. When you are ready, you can pull them out of the freezer and fry them up. 🙂
Amazing! I love this recipe because it’s such a nice way to switch it on from beef/chicken while on Whole 30.
Thanks Erin, yes I love indulgent recipes while still eating healthy on Whole30 too. 🙂
I made these the other day and they were fantastic! I’m trying to eat healthier and with this recipe I don’t feel like it’s hard to do that. Plus, it was super easy to make. YUM.
Oh my goodness! What a delicious Whole 30 recipe. So great to switch it up from the usual chicken and beef.
Thanks Erin, yeah I love Whole30 recipes that are more indulgent!
Hi, how many ounces is the can of crab that you are using?
6 oz. I will add that…
I love this recipe. Thank you. Made it last night and they came out delicious!
Thanks so much Jimmy, I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. That means so much to us bloggers! 🙂