Easy Light Crab Cakes

The last time Giant Eagle had a seafood sale, I found myself buying a giant can of lump crab. It was nearly half price, and I love anything crab (crab nachos! Crab quesadillas! Crab dip! even fake crab krab) tasting, so how could I go wrong?
It sat in my fridge for a month, and I had visions of trying so many new crab recipes and making a glorious summer dinner — and instead, by the time I decided to use it, I found myself using my same, favorite, old crab cake recipe from my recipe binder (what I used pre-Pinterest days).

I’ve been making this recipe for years – it’s easy, somewhat healthy (hey, it’s based off a Cooking Light  recipe), delicious and even its leftovers taste great. That’s why I’m sharing it with you. enjoy!

Easy Crab Cakes
Modified from Cooking Light
Here’s what you need:
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
  • 1/2 cup crushed crackers (about 12 crackers – I used Town House reduced fat buttery crackers)
  • 1 finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  •  1 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large egg whites (I used AllWhites Egg Whites)

Here’s what you do:

  1. Set broiler to 425.
  2. Combine everything in a medium bowl. Yes, everything. Crab meat through egg whites.
  3. Divide mixture into 4-5 equal portions, shaping each into small crab cake patty.
  4. Place cakes on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
  5. Broil 3 inches from heat for 10-12  minutes or until browned (I cooked mine about 6 minutes on each side).
  6. Serve with your favorite crab cake dipping sauce!

I tend to make a dipping sauce, and asparagus, to go with my crab cakes. My favorites are a sriracha mayo sauce and a garlic dijon aioli. This time I made both 🙂

light crab cake recipe

A perfect springtime meal – Crab cakes

The weather turned out relatively nice today, with the 5 + days of 40 degrees and rain coming to an end for a few hours, the sun coming out and 65 degree weather resulting. To celebrate, I decided to make one of my favorite summer/springtime recipes — crab cakes! I have a great, healthy recipe – modified from a Cooking Light recipe from ions ago.

The Cooking Light recipe is here:

I didn’t follow it 100%  — here’s how I changed it up:

  • It calls for green and red pepper but I just used extra red pepper.
  • I also added about the same amount (1/4 cup) thinly diced onion.
  • Also, it calls for 3 egg whites- I used 1/4 c. eggbeaters (the 1 egg equivalent).
  • Instead of Hungarian Paprika, I ended up using Cayenne Pepper 🙂 Yum!
  • I don’t know if I make small crab cakes, but when I make the recipe, it ends up with 8 (double what Cooking Light says)

Also, I broiled it a little longer- about 10 min on one side and then 6-7 min on the other side. Done!

For a dipping sauce, I mixed dijon mustard, mayo, garlic powder and tabassco sauce.

Mixing up the crab cake “batter” in our new awesome mixing bowl