Whole30 Gluten-Free Crab Cakes

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.

Three gluten-free crab cakes on a white plate with red peppers on the side

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 youve eaten your max of baked chicken, even if it is our BEST roasted chickenor ourInstant 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 arent 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 or homemade potato salad from Meaningful Eats.

How are these crab cakes different?

I love the fresh approach to eating that Whole30 provides. Since the plan doesnt include grains, I got creative with the ingredients. This made it easy to make them truly gluten-free crab cakes as well because we didnt 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!

Pro Tip: You can also use another nut flour likechestnut or tiger nut if you arent as fond of almond flour. You can also use coconut flour if youd 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.

Woman making crab cakes in a white kitchen

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).

Bowl of crab cake filling before they are mixed together

Add all other remaining ingredients and diced veggies into the flaked crab.Bowl of crab cake fillingThen form a small ball, about 2 T of crab filling, into patties.Add additional almond flour if needed to keep your patties together.

Hand holding a ball of crab cake mixture
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.Two crab cakes frying in a copper pan

Pro Tip: You can fry these gluten-free crab cakes in ghee or bacon grease for even more flavor.

A fork with a piece of crab cake on it and the rest on a plate

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!

Ive tried cucumbers as well and they also taste great. Chopped jalapeos 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 aStrawberries and Cream Paleo Fauxtmeal.

Three crab cakes on white plate with a lime in the back

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Whole30 Crab Cakes Gluten-Free

Im loving these Whole30 gluten-free crab cakes because they are such a decadent meal. Since startingWhole30, I feel fantastic! I love the fresh approach to eating that it provides. Since the plan doesnt include grains, I got creative with the ingredients in these gluten-free crab cakes so that they both taste fantastic and hold up.

  • 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
  1. Drain the crab and flake it using a fork
  2. Add all ingredients and form into patties
  3. Add additional almond flour as needed to keep your patties together
  4. Press both sides of the gluten-free crab cakes in more almond flour
  5. Meanwhile, heat 1 T coconut oil over medium heat
  6. Once the oil is hot, fry 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown
  7. Enjoy with more fresh squeezed citrus juice

These both taste fantastic and hold up well while frying. We found that almond flour and an egg worked fantastically together to achieve this.

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.

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.

Pro Tip: To ensure your crab is truly gluten-free, only use real crab meat and not imitation.

Pro Tip: You can also use another nut flour likechestnut or tiger nut if you arent as fond of almond flour. You could also use coconut flour if youd prefer.

Pro Tip: You can fry these gluten-free crab cakes in ghee or bacon grease for even more flavor.

Video by: Amie Pendle

The post Whole30 Gluten-Free Crab Cakes appeared first on This Vivacious Life.


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