These Whole30 gluten-free crab cakes provide a great meal that will feel like a special treat! Thanks in part to gluten-free flour, 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 are always a hit because this recipe makes one really good crab cake! Top it with aioli and serve with oysters on the half shell for the perfect touch.
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 or paleo Whole30 potato soup are other great addition to a delicious Whole30 feast.
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If you love this recipe, you will also love our gluten free lobster rolls.
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 or bread crumbs 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 or these Maryland-Style crab cakes from Evolving Table.
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.
What you need
- Jumbo lump crab meat
- Whole30 compliant mayo
- Room temperature egg
- Yellow and red bell pepper
- Almond flour
- Lime or lemon juice
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Hot red pepper sauce
- Parsley
- Coconut or olive oil
The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust it to your tastes. Throw in some Old Bay Seasoning, dijon mustard, fresh herbs or even a splash of coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce for more of the flavor you personally like.
This easy recipe of Maryland crab cakes
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. I love that I don’t have to separate dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
For best results, be sure to drain the crab first then flake it using a fork into a large bowl. 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 in a large saute pan. 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.
Remove and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels for just a moment before serving.
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. And here is a smoked salmon recipe to try as well.
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 green onion or jicama would also be yummy. These veggies also keep the net carbs low if you are watching that.
What would you serve with these?
Our Whole30 crab cakes recipe are great with fried plantains and sliced tomatoes as well as some fresh lemon wedges or limes. I also like serving them with our Whole30 ranch or tartar sauce 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. Roasted sliced sweet potatoes are also a great accompaniment.
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.
How to store leftovers
These tasty paleo crab cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. We recommend reheating them in a frying pan with your fat of choice.
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Whole30 Crab Cakes Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 6 oz can fresh lump crab meat Crown Prince wild caught crab is my favorite
- 1 T homemade Whole30 mayo or Primal Mayo
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup chopped raw veggies I used celery and red & yellow pepper
- 1/4 cup 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
Cathleen says
I love crab cakes, but I have never made them at home before. I am so glad I found this recipe because it was easier than I thought it was!!
Chandice says
Thanks Cathleen, so glad you loved them!
Moop Brown says
I really love that these are gluten free and also seem so easy to make. Can’t wait to make them again!
Alex says
I love, love, love the ingredients in this! I think my husband would really love these. Will be making them again!
Erin says
These crab cakes look so easy to make! I’ll have to make them again soon!
Farrukh Aziz says
Delicious! This is perfect for our get-together, I’m sure everyone will enjoy this!
Aya says
This crab cake recipe is delicious and so easy to make. Your instructions are clear, and the video makes the recipe easy to follow. The cake was divine, and everyone loved it.
Chandice says
Thanks Aya, I am so glad you loved them and I’m glad the video helped.
Megan Ellam says
Wow, this looks incredible! Thanks for the delicious inspiration!
Healing Tomato says
Love that you made them gluten free! I have always seen bread crumbs being used, so, it’s nice to get alternatives. Your recipe is so easy to make.
Jenny says
This crab cake recipe is lovely! It is easy and fuss-free; I love the simplicity of it. The bonus is being gluten-free. I try to avoid wheat as much as possible and aim to eat clean and low carb. So these crabcakes are ideal for my lifestyle and really delicious.
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing crab cakes recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Chandice says
Thanks Allyssa, I am so glad you love it as much as we do! 🙂
Laura Cooper says
I had a 16 oz can, the only thing I doubled was the veggies and added Chesapeake Seasoning. So good!
Chandice says
I am so glad you loved it! 🙂 Thanks for letting us know Laura, I always love when you take the time to leave us a review and comment.
Amanda Deweese says
Can I freeze these?
Chandice says
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. 🙂
Erin says
Amazing! I love this recipe because it’s such a nice way to switch it on from beef/chicken while on Whole 30.
Chandice says
Thanks Erin, yes I love indulgent recipes while still eating healthy on Whole30 too. 🙂
Sydney Wynne says
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.
Erin says
Oh my goodness! What a delicious Whole 30 recipe. So great to switch it up from the usual chicken and beef.
Chandice says
Thanks Erin, yeah I love Whole30 recipes that are more indulgent!
Randi Takahata says
Hi, how many ounces is the can of crab that you are using?
Chandice says
6 oz. I will add that…
Jimmy Smith says
I love this recipe. Thank you. Made it last night and they came out delicious!
Chandice says
Thanks so much Jimmy, I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. That means so much to us bloggers! 🙂