Hey there peeps! Here’s something cool that most of you don’t know about me – I’ve cooked on television!
Yup, it’s true, I used up my fifteen minutes of (dubious) fame when I competed on The View’s Next Food Network Star (a precursor to the popular show currently on the Food Network) back in 2004.
Sadly, I didn’t win, though I did come in 3rd out of 16, and I had a GREAT time doing it. I went to NYC several times and got to meet Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and Rocco DiSpirito in the process.
My favorite round was crab cakes, which I love, and Bobby Flay was our celebrity chef guest judge. I did a trio of crab cakes (Maryland, Southwestern, and Asian) which were pretty awesome (she types modestly) if I do say so. Bobby (who was very nice in person BTW) must not have hated them, because I’m happy to say I made it to the next round.
I’d love to share those crab cake recipes with you – but along with the tapes of the shows, they got lost somewhere in our travels. But not to worry, since none of those recipes were low carb or gluten free, and they certainly weren’t Whole 30 compliant, I put together a crab cake recipe that meets all of those criteria.
Are they as good as my competition crab cake recipes? No. Those had lots of decadent ingredients in them that I couldn’t use for these (like a yummy tequila mango sauce, nom nom nom!) However, while these low carb crab cakes might not be winning me any contests, they are still pretty delicious – and so much healthier for you!
I’d venture to guess that even Bobby Flay would approve, since the minimal ingredients highlight the delicately sweet flavor of the crab. Which is as it should be because good crab meat doesn’t really need anything to make it taste amazing. Except this roasted red pepper sauce – which tastes great with almost everything!
Low Carb Crab Cakes w/ Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Yield: 8 crab cakes 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
A delicious low carb and gluten free crab cake recipe that is simple to make but impressive enough for special occasions!
Ingredients
- 1 cup lump crab meat
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1.5 Tbsp coconut flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Gently pick through the crab to make sure there are no shells or cartilage in the meat, and add to a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the egg, lemon juice, and dijon mustard, mixing until smooth. In a third bowl, combine the old bay, parsley, and coconut flour, mixing thoroughly. Gently add the egg mixture to the crab, folding until combined. Then add the dry ingredients to the crab mixture and gently mix in. Try not to break up/shred the pieces of crab too much.
- Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a nonstick saute pan. Form 8 small cakes and place carefully in the hot oil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt, squeeze half a fresh lemon over them and serve with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per crab cake: 65 calories, 4g fat, .4g net carbs, 6g protein
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Description
A delicious low carb and gluten free roasted red pepper sauce that is Whole 30 compliant and can dress up chicken, seafood, and even vegetables!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
- 1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh avocado
Instructions
- Blend all of the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per 2 Tbsp of sauce: 30 calories, 3g fat, .7g net carbs, 0g protein
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: American
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You’ll get over 75 original recipes that can’t be found here on the blog for less than 15 cents each! And it’s some of my best work yet if I do say so! Need some low carb side dish recipes to complement your ham or turkey? Or some decadent low carb dessert recipes to WOW your guests??? I’VE GOT YOU COVERED!
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Mary-Jo Banish says
June 13, 2018 at 8:31 amI’ve missed crab cakes! Will be making these very soon!
Amanda says
January 14, 2017 at 7:57 pmI just made these with a couple variations. No parsley because I don’t like it and a different sea food seasoning because it’s what I had on hand and I fried mine in butter. But this was seriously sooooo delicious and I love this roasted red pepper sauce. I’m going to eat it in all the things!!!! I will be making these a lot! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Kathleen Kelly says
December 24, 2016 at 10:43 amI love crab cakes..thanks for sharing!
Vicki says
October 22, 2016 at 1:46 pmI am taking all this except the coconut flour and stuffing it into mushroom caps- i used a bit of cream cheese to make it all stick together a little more, and I didnt have fresh parsley so i finely diced a green onion – the raw mixture tastes delicious, and the smell of it roasting in the oven is divine! I am going to make the sauce to drizzle over them and I expect this to be a favorite! Thanks for the base idea and inspiring me to create!
★★★★★
Teresa says
May 3, 2016 at 7:53 pmNew to your blog. Tried out this recipe for dinner. Great crap cakes and very filling. I made a meal off them and added a salad.
Ca says
April 24, 2016 at 10:08 pmMy husband made a pretty large batch of smoked salmon, enough that I had to think of a way to use some besides just eating it. I decided to use it instead of crab for this recipe and they were AWESOME! I served it with lemon cauli rice. This is a keeper!
★★★★★
Judith says
September 18, 2015 at 8:59 pmI read through the comments and made a mental note of the Old Bay amount. I used 1/2 tsp and it was perfect with no other seasoning at all. I used fresh Dungeness crab meat at about 1 1/4 cup since this is not a big recipe. I made four cakes and my husband ate them and gave them a thumbs up.
★★★★
Deb says
August 7, 2015 at 9:56 pmcan I substitute almond flour?
Low-Carb Andy says
July 27, 2015 at 9:19 amThis is the first time I hear about this recipe, but I have to say I absolutely love it. :) Looks amazing, and it probably tastes really good too. Going to make this as soon as I have some free time.
★★★★★
Sheila says
May 5, 2015 at 4:04 pmHi! I made these yesterday, and I wonder if there is a mistake in the ingredient list for the crab cakes. Is 2 tsp of Old Bay correct for only one cup of crab meat? This is the first time I ever made crab cakes, so I didn’t question it, but they came out incredibly salty and over seasoned., to our taste. I have since looked up other recipes online, and none of them used anywhere near that much Old Bay. I wonder if it was a misprint, and should have been 1/2 tsp of Old Bay. The Roasted Red Pepper sauce was wonderful; the only change I made was to substitute well-drained artichoke hearts for the avocado because we don’t like avocado. Mixed the leftover sauce in with some mayo today and used it on turkey sandwiches today. It was very tasty.
Please let me know about the crab cake recipe. Would love to keep them low-carb!
Thank you,
Sheila
Suzanne says
December 15, 2014 at 11:47 amI am sorry to say that the “World Vision” advertisement is covering up half the recipe. Is there some way to change how it is displayed?
rachel says
October 20, 2014 at 1:58 pmIs the 1 cup of meat per cake?
Sandy says
October 4, 2014 at 8:32 pm:( so bummed. These fell apart before they even made it to the pan.
Sherri says
September 2, 2014 at 7:49 pmafter mixing everything, refrigerate for an hr so the cakes will not fall apart
Monica says
August 11, 2014 at 1:26 pmGreat flavor but they didn’t hold together even using lump crab……gotta figure out how to make them bind better
Cheryl says
October 13, 2013 at 5:13 pmThis looks yummy
Mellissa Sevigny says
October 14, 2013 at 11:40 amThanks so much Cheryl, they are really tasty! Hope you try them out and like them!
Megan says
August 16, 2013 at 6:31 pmI made this and it turned out horrible! I was so disappointed! The coconut flower did not help keep the crab cakes together and of anything made more of a mess. The coconut oil was plenty hot enough, but I think I should have added more eggs. Not very much flavor either. :/ Oh well.
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 16, 2013 at 8:55 pmSorry you didn’t like this one Megan, it’s a personal favorite of mine, so I’m not sure what went wrong. What kind of crab meat did you use? Usually most of the flavor comes from the crab meat, so if it was flavorless then maybe it just wasn’t great crab. I know even when I buy the same brand sometimes it’s sweet and awesome, and others just kind of “meh.” Also if it was primarily claw meat, which is really small pieces, it can fall apart easily. Just a thought!
Carolyn says
July 7, 2013 at 9:14 pmOkay, so weird. I made LC crab cakes tonight too. Swear I am not copying you (which you will be able to tell from the ingredients, mine were quite different!).
Mellissa Sevigny says
July 8, 2013 at 9:02 amThese are from last year anyway Carolyn – and I’m pretty sure you don’t need my help to make crab cakes (or anything else) to taste awesome! :) Looking forward to checking out your recipe!!!!
Laura says
April 20, 2013 at 3:14 pmWe made these today for lunch and loved them! I had a pound of crab which meant I ended up tripling the recipe, but it worked great. Mine stayed together really well and were almost like “crab burgers” (we made 7 patties total, so they were large!). Really tasty. Will use your recipe again! Thanks!
Mellissa Sevigny says
April 20, 2013 at 5:20 pmGlad you liked these Laura, it’s been awhile since I’ve made them and your comment reminded me of how much I loved them! I’ll have to put them on our menu again soon! :)
Beverly Hoover says
March 17, 2013 at 9:04 pmThese crab cakes are great. My Husband and I enjoyed them and the roasted red pepper sauce is awesome. Shhh, don’t tell him it was made with avocado. Going to buy you book for my kindle!!
Jenny says
March 16, 2013 at 10:43 pmI was so inspired to try these but I’m sad to say that, despite being extra careful handling them in the pan, the cakes completely fell apart. I ended up serving the cake parts over spinach with the sauce as dressing. Not a bad dinner, but I’m bummed. Is there anything I can do to help firm these guys up so they stay together in the pan?
Nicole says
February 27, 2013 at 4:42 amWe were talking about dinner tomorrow night and surf n turf came up. Nice alternative for the surf. I look forward to making this. Just started following your site and I am so pleased I found you. You are our food network star. Congrats for getting through and thank you for all your work. Do you also have a recipe book for those people who don’t have computers? Would make a great gift.
Mellissa Sevigny says
February 27, 2013 at 10:07 amThanks Nicole and welcome to IBIH! I do not have a hard copy cookbook out yet, but hopefully that will happen someday! :) Hope you enjoy the crab cakes – this is one of my favorites!
ashleamarcelle says
February 12, 2013 at 9:46 pmI used parm cheese delish
Lee Kirsten MacKenzie says
February 12, 2013 at 3:05 amThese look absolutely delicious. Also, I am hungry right now. I love your writing, recipes, and food photography! WOW! I have really been enjoying this website, and am bragging about you on FB and my blog. Can’t wait to try these. Yeah, coconut flour hasn’t shown up here in Northern Oregon. Although, I am sure I can order it online, or find a better health food store.
Mellissa Sevigny says
February 12, 2013 at 12:16 pmThanks so much Lee! I get my coconut flour online – it’s cheapest that way! Try Nuts.com – they had the best price last time I bought it and they have a lot of other great products as well.
Suzan cox says
January 24, 2013 at 10:51 amPlease subscribe me via email
Milena says
January 5, 2013 at 7:20 pmI don’t have any coconut flour. Any substitutions?
Thanks!
Mellissa Sevigny says
January 5, 2013 at 7:29 pmYou can try almond flour if you have it – you just need something to give it a little crunch on the outside. You could also try ground flax if you have it, or even parmesan cheese but it would definitely alter the flavor a bit.
Anonymous says
September 23, 2012 at 9:59 amThese look great! And here I thought I’d struck gold after finding 4 net carb crab cakes at the grocery store (at over $8 for a box of TWO!). Thank you!
Debbie says
September 8, 2012 at 2:26 pmWhat is Old Bay seasoning?
Julie says
September 16, 2012 at 9:26 amDebbie, Old Bay seasoning is a spice blend. If you are crazy like me, here’s a link to make your own: http://busycooks.about.com/od/homemademixes/r/oldbaymix.htm. Its a pretty good one; hope that helps!
Mellissa Sevigny says
September 18, 2012 at 8:14 pmThanks for sharing this link Julie! I’m going to try making my own since I think buying it is kind of a ripoff since it’s marked up so high.
Mandy says
September 8, 2012 at 1:24 amCould you give the actual carb count instead of the net carbs? This recipe looks fabulous…might try it this weekend :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
September 18, 2012 at 8:13 pmSorry Mandy, I didn’t keep the numbers, I’ll try to remember to come back and post it but I doubt it will be much different – the coconut flour has some fiber carbs in it but that’s all that would have been subtracted and it can’t be more than another .5 grams per cake.
Javelin Warrior says
August 24, 2012 at 9:10 amThese crab cakes look so moist and delicious – and I love that there’s so much crab meat without a crazy amount of filler! I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and thanks for the inspiration…
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 24, 2012 at 6:24 pmThanks so much JW!
Unknown says
August 21, 2012 at 6:59 pmSuper good, but I was only able to make 4 cakes from this recipe. :(
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 24, 2012 at 6:23 pmThe only reason I can think of is that yours were bigger than mine – glad you liked them though!
Marie @ Not Enough Cinnamon says
August 18, 2012 at 7:43 amNom nom nom gonna try those beauties ASAP!
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:46 pmThanks Marie, hope you like them!
LowCarbOneDay says
August 18, 2012 at 12:02 amWow! That’s really cool that you got to cook on TV. And those crab cakes look great! I hope your Whole30 is still going well!
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:45 pmStill going strong on my Whole 30 Karen but looking forward to the end now if I’m being honest!
Patty says
August 17, 2012 at 11:47 amI declare this recipe a winner!! I hate that you lost those videos, but what a cool experience Mellissa.
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:44 pmThanks so much Patty! I think my mother probably has copies of it somewhere but it would be like finding a needle in a haystack! Next time I’m in CT I might see if I can locate a copy so I can post them here just for fun!
CJ - Food Stories says
August 17, 2012 at 11:39 amThese look amazing … I just had crab imperial, last night, so I kind of have crab on the brain. Got to try these … Happy Friday :-)
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:43 pmThanks CJ – I love crab imperial too! Pretty much anything with crab and you can count me in! Except soft shell crabs – I just can’t get past the texture!
Alie says
August 17, 2012 at 6:15 amThese look great! I’d be tempted to take the sauce/spice profile in the chili-lime direction, as a nod to the coconut. Yum!
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:42 pmSounds delicious Alie, I like the way you think! Might try that with my next batch!
Debby@Just Breathe says
August 16, 2012 at 5:49 pmThose look yummy!
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:41 pmThey were Debby, I’m planning to make them again as soon as I can get some more crab!
Kaye Haun says
August 16, 2012 at 5:10 pmOh my gosh!! I pinned the recipe and cannot wait to try it! It looks delicious!
Mellissa Sevigny says
August 20, 2012 at 12:41 pmThanks Kaye – let me know how they come out!
amber says
February 6, 2015 at 6:11 pmI made them but they didn’t stick together just fell right apart
pam says
December 12, 2016 at 5:18 pmMine too. Couldn’t even turn over. Pepper sauce was OK. Very disappointed.