Mini crab cakes are a classic for a reason - they're bite-sized, full of flavor, and always the first thing gone at a party. This version skips the frying entirely and uses a mini muffin tin to bake them up with perfectly crispy edges and zero mess. No falling apart in the pan, no standing over a hot stove. Just consistent, beautiful little crab cakes every single time.
We use a maryland-style recipe with just enough saltine crumbs to bind the mixture which means maximum crab in every bite! But, rather than shallow frying, we’re baking them right in a mini muffin tin. Once you try the muffin tin method, you'll never go back to pan-frying them!
With just a handful of ingredients and about 10 minutes of bake time, these are the move when you want something that feels special without spending your whole afternoon in the kitchen. They're bite-sized, flavor-packed, and genuinely foolproof.
This is the kind of recipe I reach for when I need something that feels upscale without a ton of effort. And, I love a mini individual bite. Serve them up alongside some goat cheese bruschetta, steak crostini, kielbasa bites, or stuffed mushrooms. These are ones I always come back to for easy entertaining that tend to vanish fast!
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Why We Love It!
- No frying required - The muffin tin method means no hot oil, no splatter, and no crab cakes falling apart in the pan. The tin holds everything together while they bake up perfectly.
- Bite-sized and party-ready - One recipe makes 24 little cakes, which makes them ideal for a crowd. Everyone gets a few bites and nobody is stuck trying to cut something in half.
- Packed with flavor - Dijon mustard, worcestershire, scallions, and a hit of hot sauce bring serious depth to every bite without overpowering the crab.
- Easy to transport - Because they bake in a tin, they hold their shape beautifully, making them easy to bring to a party or serve on a platter.
We really love a fun and shareable appetizer recipe around here, so if you're building out a full spread, be sure to check out more options while you're at it!
Ingredients
- Crabmeat. Special or lump crabmeat both work here. Lump will give you bigger, more defined pieces of crab, while special crabmeat is finer and blends into the mixture a bit more. Either is delicious - use what you can find or what fits your budget!
- Saltine crackers. These get finely crushed and act as the binder. They keep the cakes light and tender without making them dense or bready. Don't swap for breadcrumbs - the saltines give a specific texture and subtle salt that's really great here.
- Scallions. Grab a bunch of scallions and give them a fine chop! This adds a ton of extra flavor to the crab cakes.
- Mayonnaise. The base of the binding sauce. Use a full-fat mayo for the best flavor.
- Egg. Just one egg further helps bind the crab mixture to prevent them from falling apart!
- Dijon mustard. Adds a sharp, tangy note that pairs so well with crab.
- Worcestershire sauce. A little goes a long way here - it adds a savory depth in the background.
- Tabasco. Just enough heat to make things interesting. You won't find these spicy, just well-seasoned.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the saltines for Ritz crackers for a slightly buttery, richer flavor.
- Use a different hot sauce in place of Tabasco - any vinegar-based hot sauce works.
- Add a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley or dill to the mixture for an herby twist.
- Serve with remoulade, aioli, or cocktail sauce instead of (or alongside) lemon wedges. A sprinkle of Old Bay or J.O. Seasoning is also great!
- Make them in a regular muffin tin for larger crab cakes (or stuff them into portobello caps) - just increase the bake time by a few minutes and check for doneness.
- Use imitation crab if that's what you have on hand - just chop it into small pieces first. My imitation crab dip uses it beautifully and proves it can absolutely hold its own.
📸 Step By Step Overview
This is a quick visual overview. See the recipe card for full, detailed instructions.
- Step 1: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Step 2: Mix it into the crab, saltines, and scallions.
- Step 3: Add heaping scoops to a greased mini muffin tin.
- Step 4: Gently push down (not too much!), then spray the tops with oil before baking.
Pro tip
Simulate frying
Adding an extra spritz of oil to the tops of the crab cakes allows for maximum browning while they bake in the oven.
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Tips for Success
- Crush the saltines as finely as possible. Big chunks can make the mixture harder to hold together.
- Rest the crab mixture in the fridge while the oven preheats. This helps it hydrate slightly, which makes it easier to scoop and hold its shape while baking.
- Don't skip greasing the muffin tin generously. Every well needs a good coat of cooking spray, to help them brown and easily release from the pan.
- Press each portion down gently in the well - just enough to compact it slightly, not so much that you crush all the texture out.
- Use the two-rack baking method as written. Starting on the lower rack gets the bottom cooking, and finishing on the upper rack gives the tops a beautiful golden color.
- Serve these hot and fresh. They're at their very best right out of the oven when the edges are still crispy, though you can reheat them and they're still very delicious.
Testing Notes
- This base recipe is one that my family has been enjoying for years, originally based on this Andrew Zimmern recipe. It works every single time as long as you measure the mayo correctly.
- I’ve always shallow fried these in a light coating of oil, so I thought why not blast them in a hot oven and use a muffin tin to easily cook them? It worked flawlessly!
- I used a “special mix” crab for these because I wanted to make sure it was a slightly finer mixture (rather than lump). This helped them stay together.
Common Questions
Yes! Mix the crab cake mixture and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before scooping and baking. You can also bake them fully, refrigerate, and reheat in a 375°F oven for about 5 minutes to warm through and re-crisp.
Either special or lump crabmeat works well. Lump crabmeat has larger, more defined chunks, while special is finer in texture. Both taste great - lump just gives you a slightly more dramatic, chunky bite.
Both work. Fresh or refrigerated pasteurized crabmeat from the seafood counter will give the best flavor. Canned crab is totally fine in a pinch - just drain it very well before using.
The mini muffin tin is really the key to this recipe working so easily. It holds the crab cakes in shape while they bake, so you don't have to worry about them falling apart. A regular muffin tin can work for larger cakes - just add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Yes, but your crab cakes will not get crispy on the bottoms and sides, only the top. I recommend a metal muffin tin for this recipe.
Storage
Store leftover crab cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 5-7 minutes until warmed through and the edges crisp back up. I don't recommend the microwave - it makes them soft and a bit rubbery.
These can be frozen after baking. Allow them to cool completely, then arrange on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to one month. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven for about 10-12 minutes.
Note that freezing crab meat does slightly affect the texture. It becomes a bit more spongey, but delicious, nonetheless.
General Tid Bits
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Mini Muffin Tin Crab Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound crabmeat special or lump
- 20 saltine crackers finely crushed
- 6 green onions whites and greens finely chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon tabasco
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, lightly toss the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs and scallions.1 pound crabmeat, 20 saltine crackers, 6 green onions
- In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the egg, mustard, worcestershire sauce and tabasco until smooth.½ cup mayonnaise, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon tabasco
- Gently fold the mayonnaise mixture into the crab until evenly combined. Rest the mixture in the fridge while the oven heats up.
- Preheat the oven to 450℉ and arrange a rack in the upper third and lower third of the oven.
- Grease a 24-well mini muffin tin generously with cooking spray (olive oil or neutral oil works).
- Add a heaping tablespoon scoop of the crab mixture into each well, then gently push down to compact the crab cake a bit. Spray all of the tops with cooking spray.
- Bake in the lower third of the oven for 5 minutes, then in the upper third for 5 minutes.
- Use a butter knife to remove each crab cake, then serve with lemon wedges, or a sprinkle of Old Bay or J.O. seasoning!Lemon wedges for serving
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