Keto Crab Cakes
Published June 1, 2024 • Updated March 13, 2026
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I make these keto crab cakes with fresh lump crab meat, mayo, stone ground mustard and a few seasonings. Almond flour stands in for breadcrumbs, so you get a crispy outside and tender center with barely any carbs.
I kept these simple on purpose. That’s the Maryland-style approach: let the sweet, delicate flavor of fresh lump crab meat do the talking. A good mayo (I use Best Foods or Dukes), stone ground mustard, and a few seasonings add just enough creaminess and tang without burying the crab. The whole thing comes together in about 10 minutes, which makes them one of the fastest low carb appetizers I put out.
What makes these low carb?
Instead of breadcrumbs, I use almond flour to bind everything together and keep them holding their shape in the pan. It gives the outside a light crunch, so they feel just like the traditional version. If you already stock almond flour for things like almond flour crackers, you have the main binder in your pantry.
I’ve fried hundreds of these at this point, and oil temperature matters more than anything. I wait until the surface is slick and glistening before the first one goes in. Too early and you get pale, soggy sides. Too hot and the coating burns before the inside warms through. Medium to medium-high heat, and watch the edges. When they go golden, flip.
One thing I get asked about a lot: pork rinds work as a 1:1 substitute for the almond flour if you need a nut-free option. Same 3 tablespoons, crushed fine. The only catch is pork rinds add more salt, so the Old Bay will taste stronger. I always taste the mix before forming them when I go that route. If you want to make your own, my homemade pork rinds recipe is worth the effort.
If you’re making these ahead of time, refrigerate the formed patties for 30 minutes before frying. The cold firms up the binding so they hold together better in the pan. I do this whenever I’m prepping for a party, and the difference in how well they flip is noticeable.
These work as more than just an appetizer. With 8.5g of protein per serving, I plate two or three alongside a big salad for a keto dinner. For a party spread, I set out a platter with stuffed mushrooms and salmon cucumber bites alongside these, and they always go first.
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Ingredients
3 tablespoons mayonnaise -
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
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1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
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1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
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1 teaspoon stone grain mustard
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1 teaspoon lemon zest
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1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
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8 oz lump crab meat
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3-4 tablespoons almond flour
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2 tablespoons olive oil
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Flavor components
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, Old Bay Seasoning, mustard, lemon zest and Worcestershire.
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
You're crabby
Add the lump crab meat to the mayo mixture and gently combine. Keep the pieces in chunks since more ingredients still need to go in. If the crab is juicy, add about ½ tbsp extra mayo to help it bind into cakes. Don’t add too much or you’ll need more almond flour to compensate.
- 8 oz lump crab meat, fresh or canned
Add almond flour
Add in the almond flour and mix gently to just combine making sure not to shred the crab meat too much.
- 3-4 tablespoons almond flour
Form the cakes
Form the mixture into 6 cakes, about 2 oz (about 2 tbsp) for each cake and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Fry them
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Fry in batches of 2-3 cakes, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed so they cook through without burning. Set finished cakes on a lined baking sheet to keep warm. Serve immediately.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake these instead of pan-frying?
I've done both. Preheat your oven to 425F, set the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush the tops with a little olive oil. 12-15 minutes total, flipping once at the halfway mark. They won't get quite as golden as pan-fried, but the edges still crisp up and the inside stays tender. I use this method when I'm making a bigger batch and don't want to stand over the stove frying in rounds.
Can I make these in an air fryer?
I've done it. 375F for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. I spray the basket with avocado oil first and give them space (3 at a time max). The outside still crisps up and the inside stays tender, though they come out a little less golden than pan-fried. If you already use your air fryer for things like air fryer wings, same concept. I still prefer the pan for that deep golden sear, but the air fryer saves you from standing over the stove.
Can I use pork rinds instead of almond flour?
I've tested it and they work. Same 3 tablespoons, crushed fine. The texture is slightly different (a little more airy than almond flour) but they bind and crisp the same way. One thing I noticed: pork rinds add extra salt, so the Old Bay comes through stronger. I always taste the mixture before forming patties when I go that route.
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
I've tried it and the ratio is different. Coconut flour absorbs way more moisture, so you only need about 1 tablespoon where I'd use 3 of almond flour. Start there and add a half teaspoon at a time if the mix still feels too wet. The texture comes out a little denser (almost more like a traditional crab cake, actually) but they hold together and fry up the same way.
Are these Whole30 or paleo?
They qualify for both as written. No dairy, no grains, no added sugar. The mayo is the only ingredient to watch. Most store brands add soybean oil or sugar, so I use an avocado oil mayo when I'm cooking Whole30. Same taste, clean label. They're also keto and dairy free, which makes them one of the most diet-flexible appetizers on my site. I serve them at gatherings alongside things like keto nachos and nobody even notices they're diet-friendly.
How do I store and freeze these?
Cooked, they last about 3 days in the fridge. I reheat in a skillet (2 minutes per side) to bring back the crispiness. For freezing, I go with uncooked patties. I form them, set them on a parchment-lined sheet in the freezer for about an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. When I'm ready, I fry them straight from frozen and add about a minute per side. The texture holds up well.
My cakes keep falling apart. How do I fix them?
I've had this happen, and it usually means too much moisture in the crab. If the mix feels too wet when you scoop it, add another tablespoon of almond flour and gently work it in with your hands. Refrigerating the formed patties for 30 minutes before frying also makes a big difference. The cold firms everything up so they flip cleanly without crumbling.
What's the best dipping sauce for these?
My homemade remoulade is first choice, every time (I have the recipe in the post above). But I also love a quick sriracha mayo (2 tablespoons mayo, 1 teaspoon sriracha, squeeze of lime). For something lighter, just a lemon wedge and fresh parsley lets the crab flavor come through without competing. I've also done a garlic aioli that worked really well when I wanted something richer.
Made these for Sunday dinner and my 9-year-old, who has never willingly touched seafood in his life, ate two before I even sat down. I think it's the Old Bay and the way the almond flour crisps up outside so it doesn't taste 'fishy' to him. Now he's asking when we're having 'those crunchy crab things' again. Not a sentence I ever expected to hear.
'Those crunchy crab things' - keeping that. The Old Bay and the almond flour crust hit before the crab does. That's usually how the seafood skeptics get turned.
If your cakes keep falling apart, try chilling them for 20 minutes before frying. The almond flour needs time to absorb everything and firm up. Made all the difference.
20 minutes works, 30 is even better if you're not in a rush. Cold patties hold together the second they hit the oil.
These came out really well and I'm genuinely impressed with how the almond flour held everything together without making them dense or grainy. The Old Bay with the lemon zest is such a nice combination, bright and savory at the same time. I've been searching for a crab cake recipe that didn't feel like a compromise, and this one mostly delivers. My one note is that I'd probably pull back the mustard just slightly next time, maybe a touch less stone grain, because it was competing a bit with the crab flavor for me rather than just backing it up. The frying instructions were spot on though, medium to medium-high heat in batches gave me a really good golden crust without them falling apart. At half a gram of net carbs these are genuinely something I'll keep coming back to, just with a small mustard adjustment on my end.
My daughter has a tree nut allergy so the almond flour is out. I've seen cassava flour work as a binder in other recipes (not strict keto, I know, but she's not keto anyway), though I'm not sure it would hold these together since the mayo seems to be doing most of the binding work. Any nut-free options that would still get a crispy outside?
Made these last weekend and they tasted great, but a couple fell apart when I went to flip them. I used 3 tablespoons of almond flour (the lower end of the range), not sure if that's the culprit or if I just handled them wrong. The oil was hot and I waited until the bottoms were golden before flipping, so I don't think I rushed it. Got 5 cakes instead of 6, so they ran a bit big. Would 4 tablespoons help them hold together, or is there something else I'm missing?
Yeah, 4 tablespoons should help. The size thing too though. Bigger patties crack through when you flip, and 5 instead of 6 is noticeably heavier. Try both at once.
Fourth time making these and I finally added an extra tablespoon of almond flour because the cakes kept falling apart on me. They held together through the whole flip and got way more golden on the outside. Wish I'd done that from the start.
I've made crab cakes that fall apart in the pan more times than I want to admit, so before frying these I put the formed cakes in the fridge for about 20 minutes first. They held together cleanly, and the crust came out evenly golden instead of patchy and uneven like usual. I also added an extra half teaspoon of lemon zest because I had a lemon sitting there anyway, and the brightness it adds cuts right through the mayo in a way that makes the whole thing feel lighter. The Old Bay level is just right (I almost always add more to things, left it as written here, and glad I did). Made a double batch and it was the right call. These are going into the spring dinner rotation.
Chilling first is in my FAQ for that exact reason. And yes on the extra lemon zest. The mayo in these can feel heavy and citrus cuts right through it.
Making these for my sister next week and she can't have tree nuts, so almond flour is out. Would crushed pork rinds hold together as well, or would they fall apart when I flip them?
Made these for Sunday dinner and my husband kept asking what the breading was. He's been skeptical of almond flour in everything, so watching him go back for a third one was answer enough.
Ha, best possible outcome. Almond flour basically disappears in this one - the Old Bay and stone ground mustard carry everything, so all he tasted was crab.
My husband is allergic to almonds, so almond flour is literally the only thing keeping him from these. Would crushed pork rinds work as a binder, or would that mess up the texture?
Pork rinds work, just crush them fine. Same 3 tablespoons. They'll add a bit more salt so the Old Bay might taste stronger, worth tasting the mix before you form the cakes.
8.5g protein per serving is huge for an appetizer
Right? Real crab is hard to beat for protein. I make these as a meal sometimes, not just an app.