Best Healthy Crab Cake Recipe
About the Author
Abby Campbell, BSc, SFN, SSN, CPT, is a leading professional fitness and nutrition expert, researcher, and published author of One Size Does NOT Fit All Diet Plan, one of Amazon's Top Gluten-Free and Weight Loss Diets. (You may read more about Abby at the bottom of this article.)
Gluten Free Crab Cakes
If you're a seafood lover, you may love this recipe as it contains crab meat as well as shrimp. It is also gluten free, as bread crumbs have been replaced with unsweetened shredded coconut. While cooked in coconut oil, you will find these cakes to be rich in flavor that will have you and your family begging for more!
Afraid of cholesterol? No need! Misconceptions about the cholesterol contained in seafood such as crabs and shrimp have been laid to rest. Several research studies have been conducted while finding that there is no danger to health when it comes to cholesterol levels. The University of Washington (2009) has reported that shrimp has no effect on cholesterol levels, and crabs have actually been shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1996) reported that shrimp is good for your health despite its cholesterol content. Rockefeller University in New York (1996), along with Harvard University, also conducted tests that fed people one-half pound of shrimp per day. Their findings concluded that shrimp consumption does not raise human cholesterol levels. The scientists behind the study don't know why cholesterol levels aren't raised but believe it's because shrimp is low in overall fat and high in fish oils. All in all, the studies report that seafood are good and necessary for a heart healthy lifestyle.
Make This a Top Rated Recipe!
Cooking Time
Ingredients
- 16 oz. real crab meat (lump or claw)
- 12 oz. cooked shrimp, chopped
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 Tbs. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) mayonnaise
- 1 Tbs. prepared mustard
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried mustard
- 1 tsp. seafood seasoning (low-sodium)
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients from refrigerator and pantry.
- Chop shrimp into small pieces. Shrimp can be fresh or frozen (thawed). Squeeze excess water from shrimp and place in large mixing bowl.
- Empty crab meat into a separate bowl from the shrimp bowl. You may use a small to medium mixing bowl. Real crab meat can be fresh, frozen (thawed), or refrigerated canned. Once in bowl, break into smaller pieces with fork.
- Add all ingredients, including crab meat, into the shrimp bowl and mix well.
- Heat large skillet on medium-high heat. You may use a stove-top skillet. However, you will be able to cook many more cakes in an electric skillet at the same time. Besides, it saves a lot of mess. Heat for about four to five minutes, allowing the skillet to get very hot. Cakes brown better and won't stick when the skillet is well heated. If you use a stove-top skillet, just don't allow it to smoke or burn.
- Once skillet is heated, drop about 3/4 of a tablespoon of pure coconut oil in skillet. Allow to heat for about 30 seconds before dropping cakes into pan.
- Drop a large tablespoon of crab cake mixture into heated skillet. You may even use a cookie dough scoop (see picture to your right) to perfectly even cakes. An electric skillet will cook approximately 12 cakes at a time. You will get three batches, or 36 cakes, from this recipe.
- Once scooped cakes are in skillet, pat or flatten each down with a large fork. Allow to cook for about three to four minutes on each side.
- Serve your cakes with a salad or cooked vegetables and a small side of rice for a well-balanced meal.
Crab Cake Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Serving size: 4 cakes | |
Calories | 205 |
Calories from Fat | 117 |
% Daily Value * | |
Fat 13 g | 20% |
Saturated fat 9 g | 45% |
Unsaturated fat 1 g | |
Carbohydrates 2 g | 1% |
Sugar 1 g | |
Fiber 1 g | 4% |
Protein 19 g | 38% |
Cholesterol 157 mg | 52% |
Sodium 275 mg | 11% |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. |
IS FAT YOUR ENEMY?
Please note that dietary fat is not your enemy. The "No Fat" or "Low Fat" diet is a diet of the past; it is a fad that came about during a time when packaged foods were preserved with unnatural fats called "trans" or "hydrogenated" fats. Unfortunately, these chemically processed fats wreaked havoc on the body causing heart disease.
Natural dietary fats, especially Omega-3 fatty acids, are an extremely important for:
- energy
- in the formation of your cell membranes, brain, and nervous system
- in the balance of hormones
- in the promotion of a healthy immune system
- to keep inflammation low
This three main categories of natural fats (i.e., saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated) are not created equal but are equally important to your body. Eating them in balance is key for a health.
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USDA Nutrition Errors
Because of the USDA daily values listed in the Nutrition Facts section of this recipe, an important note is being made. Future hub articles will be addressed regarding the USDA nutrition errors. For now, please note the following:
Nutrition facts have been added for this Best Healthy Crab Cake recipe. Though the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made great strides and positive changes in nutrition guidelines since 1992, a note should be made that the daily values given in this recipe are based on the USDA. Currently, the USDA fails:
- at providing recommendations for individuals with different goals.
- at recommendations for too much milk.
- to educate individuals on food types within food groups.
- to provide nutrition information relating to exercise.
- to provide information on supplementation value.
The reason this is mentioned is because the current daily values are actually meant for a population that is within a healthy and undernourished yet active weight range. The USDA currently recommends a macronutrient split of 15 to 20 percent protein, 50 to 55 percent carbohydates, and 25 to 30 percent fats. This is not acceptable for a society who is overweight and obese.
Since the majority of society is nearly 70 percent overweight and obese (and non-active), the macronutrient ratio should be set at a higher protein intake (two times the USDA recommendations) with a much smaller ratio for carbohydrates (one-fourth to one-third of the USDA recommendations). The USDA fat range is in good standing but can go up to 40 percent for someone who is trying to lose body fat. This Best Healthy Crab Cake Recipe has the right proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, when eaten with a side of vegetables, salad, and a small portion of starch. It is rich in taste, nutrient dense, but low in calories.
Please check out How to Eat a Good Diet hub for more information regarding healthy eating.

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About the author
Abby Campbell, BSc, SFN, SSN, CPT, is a leading professional fitness and nutrition expert, researcher, and published author. For the past 10 years, she has coached thousands of women locally and online to lose body fat and lead healthy lifestyles. Her clients have lost thousands of pounds, reclaimed health, and call her “Coach No Gimmick.” She is from Northern Virginia but now resides near Charlotte, North Carolina. Abby has been married for 20 years and has three grown daughters, one of which is autistic. She is a 19 year cancer survivor.
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