Crab cakes can easily be made keto with a simple swap for bread crumbs, but today we are going even further to make a keto crab cake that is crab-less! That’s right, a vegetarian-friendly crab cake with absolutely zero meat that still achieves that flakey interior and a crisp buttery crust!

The secret ingredient in these crabless cakes is hearts of palm. This vegetable is harvested from the core of many different varieties of palm trees and is nutrient dense yet low in net carbs. Its flavor could be compared to an artichoke in that it’s mild and slightly briny but pairs well with cheesy dips or a buttery crumb coating. The texture of this vegetable is very similar to lump crab meat when carefully broken apart with a fork or gently with clean hands.

Because there is some moisture in the hearts of palm, this recipe calls for almond flour in the crab mixture as well as a bit more to coat the cakes. This keeps them from falling apart while giving you a beautifully browned and crisp coating. Pan frying is also crucial to keeping them together and gives the cakes the proper texture.

Serve these crabless cakes with your favorite dipping sauce or as a patty on a bed of lettuce! These cakes are best served immediately but will hold up to reheating for up to three days. These crabless cakes make a great option for lunch or even a keto dinner.

Yields 3 servings, 2 cakes per serving, of Vegetarian Keto “Crab” Cakes

The Preparation

"Crab Cake Filling":

14 ounces can hearts of palm
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup almond flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 medium onion, diced

"Crab Cake" Coating:

3 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons avocado oil

The Execution

1. Drain the hearts of palm. Using a fork, shred the pieces until they resemble crab meat.

2. Mix in the Old Bay, mayonnaise, almond flour, beaten egg, and parsley to combine.

3. In a skillet heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the diced onion until translucent then gently fold into the hearts of palm mixture.

4. Place the almond meal and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Mix together. Separate the mixture into six equal balls roll. Press into the mixture so that each ball is flattened into a patting and covered with the coating.

5. Place each patty on a baking sheet, top with any remaining coating.

6. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil. Fry each patty, two at a time, turning carefully to brown each side. Serve hot.

This makes a total of 3 servings of Vegetarian Keto “Crab” Cakes. Each serving comes out to be 412 calories, 38.1g fats, 5.4g net carbs, and 10.7g protein.

NUTRITION	CALORIES	FAT	CARBS	FIBER	NET CARBS	PROTEIN
14 ounce can hearts of palm	111	2.4	18.3	9.5	8.7	9.9
2 tablespoon mayonnaise	187	20.6	0.2	0	0.2	0.3
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning	3	0.2	0.4	0.2	0.3	0.1
1 tablespoon fresh parsley	1	0	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1
1/4 cup almond flour	162	14	6.2	3.6	2.5	5.9
— salt and pepper	0	0	0	0	0	0
1 large egg	79	5.2	0.4	0	0.4	6.9
1 teaspoon butter	34	3.8	0	0	0	0
1/4 medium onion	9	0	2.2	0.4	1.8	0.3
3 tablespoon almond flour	122	10.5	4.6	2.7	1.9	4.4
2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese	54	3.6	0.5	0	0.5	4.8
4 tablespoon avocado oil	482	54.5	0	0	0	0
Totals	1244	114.8	32.9	16.6	16.4	32.8
Per Serving (/3)	415	38.3	11	5.5	5.5	10.9