CRAB CAKE BITES. And the best part is they don’t require as much work as frying off individual crab cakes; one batch of these bites makes 24 at once, and yet they taste very similar. We start with a parmesan and panko bottom, top it off with a seasoned crab and cream cheese mix and when they’re hot out of the oven, a small dollop of a lemony cajun dipping sauce that will make you and your guests go nuts! Around the holidays, I love having a nice baked brie, homemade seasoned pretzels, saltine cracker toffee, and my firecracker meatballs to snack on in the evenings while we’re watching a movie, playing board games, or just hanging out with friends in the backyard. Of course my hot chocolate bar also usually makes an appearance this time of the year, but lately, I’ve been making it for two. It also happens that all of these snacks double up as the perfect munchies for New Year’s Eve. And you can bet on it that I’m adding these deliciously mini crab cake bites to my menu for counting down this year. Nevermind the fact that it’ll probably be just the two of us; we can still polish off two dozen of these things on our own, TYVM.
What do you need to make mini crab cake bites?
Breadcrumbs: I used panko for this recipe, which is a Japanese breadcrumb. I haven’t tried using any other type of breadcrumb and am afraid that these crab cake bites wouldn’t hold their shape properly if you were to swap them out.Parmesan cheese: the panko and parmesan work together with the butter to make the crust for these little crab cake bites.Butter: the butter is the binder that holds together the panko and parmesan for these bites’ crust portion.Cream cheese: Be sure to use softened cream cheese for this recipe; it’s part of the crab filling base.Lump crab meat: you can use claw meat or lump crab meat for this recipe. I usually purchase tubs of crab meat from the refrigerated seafood section of the grocery store. However, you could certainly steam or boil crabs and use the meat from that as well. Canned crab would also work. Just be sure to drain well, and remember that if it comes packed in liquid, you’ll want to make sure that you have 8 ounces of crab meat after draining the cans!Egg: the egg, cream cheese, and mayo act as binders to bring these ingredients together.Mayo + Sour cream: the mayo and sour cream add flavor to the bites. Mayo also is a binder in holding the filling together.Lemon: You’ll need both the zest and juice for this recipe. It’s best to remove the zest first using a zester before squeezing out the juice. You’ll also need a bit of juice for the dipping sauce (if you make it), so be sure to squeeze out a little extra for that too.Herbs and seasonings: you’ll need some salt, white pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and old bay seasoning. I also use a tablespoon of freshly chopped chives for the crab cake batter.
How to make mini crab cake bites in the oven:
How do you ensure you get the mini muffins out of the pan without them breaking?
You can run an offset spatula or a pairing knife along the edges to help loosen them and pop out the bites.
Is there a dipping sauce you’d pair with these?
I would never leave you without one! My favorite is a bit of mayo, with chopped chives, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning (such as this or this), and a bit of horseradish – which you can leave out if you aren’t a fan!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Crispy Coconut ShrimpTexas Green Chili Queso DipGruyere, Mushroom, & Caramelized Onion BitesSticky Mongolian Beef MeatballsHerb Garlic Baked BrieParmesan Garlic Ranch Seasoned PretzelsAddicting Jalapeño Popper DipCheesy Wild Rice Chicken fritters with Garlic Herb SauceHow to Make an Epic Holiday Cheese Board
