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  • Writer's pictureRock Rousseau

New England Crab Cakes

Updated: Aug 16, 2022


In New England, eating homemade crabs is practically a religion. You can also make these for your kids as "Crabby Patties", which are inspired by their favorite undersea cartoon series. 

The most important thing when you’re making crab cakes is to use fresh, good quality lump crab meat- don't use canned or imitation crab meat in this recipe. For Vegans and Gluten-Free diets, we have some ingredient alternatives you should try!

These crab cakes will send you looking over the dock of the Bay and want to put your feet in the sand.

​- 1 lb. (16 oz.) lump crab meat 

FOR VEGANS: Blend together 4 oz garbanzo beans and 12 oz hearts of palm. 

- 2 large eggs

FOR VEGANS: Use a "Flegg" mixture of 2 tbsp whole raw flax or chia seeds mixed with 6 teaspoons water.

- 2 teaspoons creamy dijon mustard (I don't recommend using the Grained or Seed-style.)

FOR VEGANS: Use a dijon mustard that does not contain white wine

- 1 1/2 cup Ritz-style crackers, crushed (Keto diets use a Keto-friendly breadcrumb alternative)

GLUTEN FREE: use Ritz-style that are gluten free. 

- 3 TBSN mayonnaise (I recommend Hellmann's or Duke's. Vegans use preferred Vegan mayonnaise)

- 2 oz. cream cheese, softened 

- 1 TBSN Old Bay® Seafood seasoning

- 1 TBSN minced garlic 

- 1/2 cup green onion, diced

- 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt

- 1/4 cup celery, finely diced

- 2 TBSN fresh parsley, finely chopped

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

- (optional) tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, lemon wedge

Baking sheet, aluminum foil, mixing bowl, mixing spoon, large non-stick pan, silicone spatula, spatula, (optional) burger patty press- see our post for DIY PERFECT BURGER PATTY PRESS.  PREP: 10 min, 1 hr. refrigerate COOK: 6-10 min READY: 1 hr. 10 min SERVES: 6 Crab Cakes


Before you handle any food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Clean your kitchen work area and pull back your hair or wear a cap. You want to avoid contaminating your meal with harmful bacteria that could cause food illness.



TO MAKE NEW ENGLAND CRAB CAKES: 

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, cream cheese, salt, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley. Mix well.

3. Add crab meat to mixing bowl. Be sure to remove any hard and sharp cartilage.

4. Add crumbled Ritz crackers to the mixture.  

5. Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the mixture together until combined. Try not to overly shred the crab meat.

6. Shape mixture into six baseball-size balls- each consisting of ½ cup of mixture. Flatten each of them into 5” patties. 

You can also use a burger patty press to form patties - see our post for DIY PERFECT BURGER PATTY PRESS. 

7. Place patties on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with Old Bay seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hour.

8. Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium-high heat and coat with vegetable oil. Use a pan cover to help avoid oil splattering. 

9. When the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes in the pan, cover and cook until golden brown- 3 to 5 minutes per side. Use spatula to flip crab cakes and be careful as hot oil may splatter. Enjoy that savory aroma of cooking crab meat! 

10. Serve hot with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or a squeeze of lemon.



2 crab cakes: 300 calories, 15 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 275 mg cholesterol, 1140 mg sodium, 32 g protein, 1 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 10 g carbohydrates.


Crab meat is an excellent source of dietary of protein available without anywhere near the same levels of saturated fat, which is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.The protein in crab is of high quality and, because of a lack of connective tissue, very digestible for people of all ages.

Crab is also rich in vitamins and minerals, low in fat and contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids which helps provide protection from heart disease and aid brain development. Some research suggests that Omega-3 also inhibits aggressive behavior. it’s not just any old Omega-3 – it’s the long chain variety. These are more beneficial to our health because they can be used immediately, unlike short-chain Omega-3 found in vegetables and oils; they need to be converted to the long chain form first which our bodies aren’t very good at doing. 

Crab meat, as most shellfish, are a good source of Selenium, but crab meat is particularly rich in it. Selenium plays a key role in the human’s antioxidant defense system, preventing damage to cells and tissues. Selenium also plays an important role in the function of the immune system, in thyroid hormone metabolism and synthesis in reproduction.  Crab meat contains nearly 30 times the copper found in cod and 56 times that found in salmon, chicken and beef. Even though iron usually gets the spotlight, copper is involved in the absorption, storage and metabolism of iron. It is important in the formation of red blood cells and keeps bones, blood vessels, nerves and the immune system healthy.

Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body, next to calcium. It is a principal mineral of bones and teeth and is, therefore, important in skeletal health and development. Phosphorus is involved in most metabolic actions in the body, including kidney functioning, cell growth and the contraction of the heart muscle. It is also involved in converting food to energy.



Need DINNER MUSIC?

Check out our Playlists on YouTube for perfectly themed music to set the ambiance of your meal! For this recipe, we recommend:

Playlist: Tales from the Sea


VEGGIE CELEBRATION CRABBY PATTIES

Replace crab meat with a blended mixture of 4 oz garbanzo beans and 12 oz hearts of palm. Replace eggs with a "Flegg" mixture of 2 tbsp whole raw flax or chia seeds mixed with 6 teaspoons water. Use creamy dijon mustard that does not contain white wine.

CAJUN CORNBREAD CRAB CAKES

Replace Ritz crackers with 2 cups of finely crumbled prepared cornbread. Add 2 TBSN preferred Cajon seasoning. 

CRUNCHY CRAB CAKES. When forming crab mixture into balls, cover with Panko bread crumbs and flatten into patties allowing Panko to cover the entire patty. 

SPICY CRAB CAKES. Add 1 TBSN cayenne pepper when adding salt to mixture. Add a splash of hot sauce when ready to serve. 


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