These bite-sized crab cake bites are an easy appetizer to whip for any cocktail party. They’re petite, portable, and super easy to eat with a drink in your hand!
As a former personal chef and caterer, my favorite type of food to make for parties is the kind you can pop into your mouth with one hand while holding a cocktail in another. Party food doesn’t need seventeen sets of silverware to eat. My recipe for party success is a menu of appetizers that are simple, elegant, and easy to eat. That’s where these delicious baked crab cake bites come in!
Can you make baked crab cakes ahead of time?
YES! Baked crab cake bites are one of those perfect party foods…they’re pretty, portable, and perfectly delish. Filled with sweet crab meat, veggies, spices, and more, these bites capture the essence of a crab cake, in a petite and figure-friendly form. They’re baked, so you can make trays of them, with no effort! I love serving these on New Year’s Eve because they’re hand-held, so they’re easy to pop into your mouth while holding a glass of champagne. Cheers!
Is it better to fry or bake crab cakes?
Personally, I prefer to bake my crab cakes, for several reasons. First, you don’t have to worry about them falling apart during flipping. Secondly, since they’re baked, you can pop a few more of these in your mouth, guilt-free! Assemble and refrigerate the crab cakes the day before your shindig, then just pop them into the oven when you’re ready to bake them up. It’s really that simple. Who said entertaining had to be stressful?
How do you keep crab cakes from falling apart?
The key to making sure your crab cake doesn’t fall apart is making sure you add enough binder (in this case, the crushed cracker crumbs), and refrigerating them for at least an hour. Letting these sit in the fridge before cooking them gives the crumbs a chance to do their job, AKA soak up all the moisture from the egg, milk, mustard, and become the “glue” that holds a crab cake together.
What do you put on crab cakes when you eat them?
I serve these crab cake bites with a delicious bright lemon remoulade, which is inspired by the Cajun remoulade that you’ll find on Shrimp Po’ Boys. They would also be delicious with a simple tarter sauce, or just a squeeze of lemon juice, the choice is yours.
Want more appetizer recipes? Check out these popular recipes from Delish D’Lites!
- Salami, Guava & Cheese Appetizer (Entremeses Tipicos)
- Cuban Sandwich Empanadas
- Slow Cooker Creamy Jalapeno Corn Dip
- Puerto Rican Chicken Empanadas (Empanadillas de Pollo)
- Air Fryer Beef Empanadas (Empanadas de Carne)
- The Best Pineapple Guacamole
- Spinach Dip Roll Ups
- Crispy Oven Baked Buffalo Wings
- Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites
Baked Crab Cake Bites with Lemon Remoulade
Ingredients
Baked Crab Cake Bites
- 10 ounces lump crab meat
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 1/3 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs recommended: Ritz
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon low sodium seafood seasoning recommended: Old Bay
- salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking spray
Lemon Remoulade
- 1 cup canola mayo
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup pickle relish
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Make the remoulade by combining all the ingredients, and allow it to sit the fridge while you make the crab cakes.
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In a small pan, saute the chopped onions and peppers, just until they’re tender. Set them aside to cool.
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Combine all of the crab cake ingredients, then chill the mixture for 1 hour in the fridge.
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After the mixture has chilled, form them into 1 tablespoon sized balls, and lay them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Spray the crab cake bites with canola spray.
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Bake the crab cake bites at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until they’re golden brown and cooked through. You can broil them for a few minutes near the end to brown the tops, if they need it.
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Serve the baked crab cake bites with the lemon remoulade and some lemon wedges.
12 Responses
what kind of onion do you recommend for the crab cake bites?
I’d use white onion or vidalia, or even shallots. Super mild.
Can I make regular size crab cakes with this recipe?
Yes!
Thank you Jannese.
Hi – just want to be clear on the make ahead and freeze instructions. Should I fully cook according to the recipe as written and your reply was just to reheat from frozen/cooked? I was thinking of making them and freezing uncooked however I am guessing this is a better result? Thanks in advance!
These look perfect for party I am having. Can I make ahead and freeze? How can I reheat?
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lay them on a foil-covered baking sheet to prevent sticking. Give each cake room, so they’re not crowded — heat for 10-15 minutes. You can add a skinny layer of butter on top of the crab cake to keep it moist during reheating and add flavor. Use salted butter.
Yum! Easy, quick and delicious! Even good the next day (if you have any left!)
Thanks Elizabeth!
This was quick and easy and they were delicious. I’m making them again next week for Christmas Eve because they were such a hit. I’m putting them in my appy rotation!
So glad you enjoyed them!