Though I have lived in many places, Maryland is where I spent my adolescence. And in Maryland, Crab Cakes and Old Bay are staples. In my mid-late teens, Old Bay became a spice I dabbled with and once I left for college it was the only one I used. 90% of my savory recipes involve Old Bay in someway—still here waiting for that sponsorship!

Then they came out with Old Bay Hot Sauce. I swoon! I bought 64 oz and now it’s added a whole new category to my Old Bay cooking. In our latest grocery order box, babe added in a pound of pre-cooked crab meat and our first instinct was crab cakes. I never get to eat crab cakes unless I make them because they always have gluten in them, so it’s a real treat!

I chose to bake these a) because I didn’t want to clean up the mess that is frying in oil and b) I only have avocado and olive oil and that’s too expensive to fry with for me! They turned out absolutely delicious, still crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

In a small bowl, whisk together two eggs, a tablespoon of mustard, a quarter cup of mayonnaise—I used Primal Kitchen’s Chipotle Lime Mayo—, and two tablespoons of Old Bay Hot Sauce. If you don’t have the hot sauce, I would add additional mayo, and use a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning instead.

In a large bowl, add one pound of crab meat—you can find this many places i.e. your local fish market, farmers market, grocery store, or grocery order box, prices will vary. Depending on the type of crab meat, there may be large chunks and you can decide what size chunks you want to leave. Pour in the whisked mayo mixture and combine. Juice one lemon and add to crab mixture along with three-quarters of teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Combine. Add one cup of gluten free bread crumbs and a quarter cup of gluten free all-purpose flour. Stir until fully combined.

Old Bay Crab Cakes with a side of greens, lemon, and Garlic Potato Wedges

Using an ice cream scoop, form patties out of the mixture and set on a plate. This recipe should make 10-12 medium size patties unless you’re making big boys. Place the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. During that time you can preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once the patties have rested in the fridge, remove and place on the baking sheet. Either drizzle or brush the tops lightly with EVOO. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, flip the crab cakes and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until there is a golden brown crust on the outside.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy! Serve with whatever sides you like, though I recommend my Garlic Potato Wedges.

Baked Old Bay Crab Cakes

Gluten Free/Dairy Free

Makes approx. 10-12 Crab Cakes - 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup chipotle lime mayo (or regular mayo)
2 tbsp Old Bay Hot Sauce
1 lb pre-cooked Crab Meat
1 lemon
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, and Old Bay Hot Sauce.
In a large bowl, add crab meat. Pour in the whisked mayo mixture and combine.
Juice one lemon and add to crab mixture along with salt and pepper. Combine.
Add gluten free bread crumbs and gluten free all-purpose flour. Stir until fully combined.
Using an ice cream scoop, form patties out of the mixture and set on a plate.
Place the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. During that time you can preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the patties have rested in the fridge, remove and place on the baking sheet.
Either drizzle or brush the tops lightly with EVOO.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, flip the crab cakes and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until there is a golden brown crust on the outside.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!