Crab Cake Bites Appetizer Recipe (2022) (2024)

This is a very flavorful mini crab bites recipe, sure to please. The recipe has just the right amount of binders to allow the flavor of the crab meat to be the focal point. The result is very tasty baked crab bites.

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Let’s have a party! I’m always looking for a killer appetizer. This crab cake bites appetizer recipe is delicious, as well as killer. It’s full of crab meat with creamy parmesan cheese and fresh chives. It bakes up perfectly to give you bite-sized mouthfuls of flavor! And the recipe makes 24 pieces of party-pleasing goodness. And look….the recipe got featured in Southern Living magazine, Savory Crab Recipes for your next Party.

It’s also an appetizer that can be baked ahead of time and reheated just before serving…10 or so minutes in a 350° oven should do it. The panko crumbs become nice and crispy leading to a mouthful of creamy crab meat.

Ingredients Needed to Make the Crab Bites

• 1/2 Pound Crab Meat, (Lump crab meat grade or Special grade). Here are Phillips Foods crab meat grades.
• Cream Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Egg
• Sour Cream
• Lemon Zest
• Fresh Chives
• Kosher Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Panko Bread Crumbs
• Butter
• Chopped Chives for Garnish

Special Equipment Needed

You will need a Mini Muffin Pan to make this appetizer. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one here from Wilton Products (#ad). These come in either 24 or 12 muffin sizes and this recipe makes 24 crab cake bites.

Preparing The Mini Crab Bites

To make the crab mixture, place the room-temperature cream cheese into a medium-sized bowl and use a hand mixer to beat it until it is smooth. Then add the cheese, sour cream, egg, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of chopped chives, salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.

Add the crabmeat a little at a time, feeling for any shells. There usually aren’t any but it is best to check. Fold the crabmeat in using a rubber spatula.

In a separate bowl, add the Panko bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of chopped chives, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Then drizzle in the melted butter and mix the bread crumbs around to coat them all a little with the butter.

Spray the mini muffin pan well with cooking oil like Pam. Then use a teaspoon to place 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the bread crumbs into each hole. Use your fingers to form an indent in the crumbs to make room for the crab mixture.

Fill each hole with the crab up to the top of the muffin tin. Then place a bit more of the bread crumbs over the crabmeat.

Baking The Mini Crab Cakes

Bake the crab bites in a pre-heated 350° F. oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crispy crab bites to cool for 5 minutes.

Use a butter knife to loosen the bites from the muffin tin and they generally will easily pop right out.

MaryJo and I actually had these for supper tonight with a nice salad. I cook it…I get to eat it!

Make a simple remoulade sauce to have with the crab cake bites. I made one using about 1/2 cup of mayo, a teaspoon full of chopped capers, and a bunch of Cholula hot sauce. You could also make a tartar sauce or a sauce made with Old Bay Seasoning.

Special-grade canned crabmeat is what I used. While it was baking, you could smell the sweetness of the crab, which is something that can make you start to drool.

This mini crab bites recipe is really easy to make and you’ve got to try it for your next get-together.

Also, try my How to Make Crab Cakes. These are super crabby and delicious too. Or maybe one of these appetizers:

• Smoked Salmon Dill and Capers
• Instant Pot Chicken Wings
• Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
• Caribbean Salt Cod Fritters
• Pepper Jelly with Cream Cheese

(In the newer photos, I made a half batch of the crab bites appetizer recipe. A half recipe made exactly 12 crab bites. To get one-half of an egg, beat the egg well in a bowl, then pour approximately half of it into the cream cheese mixture).

This crab bites recipe has been updated on October 28, 2022.