We've taken the frying and fuss out of crab cakes by shaping and baking them in muffin tins. For the best taste, look for pasteurized crabmeat in the refrigerator case at your market's fish counter, a better choice than canned varieties. Make It a Meal: Try these cakes with some tangy tartar sauce and coleslaw.

Makes 6 servings, 2 cakes each

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 pound crabmeat
2 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
10 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 lemon wedges for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Generously coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix crab, breadcrumbs, bell pepper, scallions, mayonnaise, eggs, egg white, hot sauce, celery salt and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake until crispy and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 183 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 124 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 6 g fiber; 562 mg sodium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Zinc (20% dv), Calcium & Vitamin A (15% dv).

TIP: Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until a coarse crumb forms. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup crumbs.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or serve cold.

RELATED RECIPES: Crab Cake Burgers | Crab Salad with Pimiento Mayonnaise | King Crab & Potato Salad | Grilled Lobster Rolls | Easy Salmon Cakes

I made this recipe for New Years Eve and everyone thought they were very good. The hot sauce gave them just enough tang, but was not too spicy.

Anonymous

Absolute best way to make Crab Cakes. No mess with oils. The Crab Cakes don't fall abart. Best of all are the ingredients which make for the best tasting Crab Cakes.

Ed O, Palm Coast, FL

These were great--kept all week in my fridge. I had them for lunch with light mayo one day and thawed homemade tomato sauce another day. Excellent.

Barbara, Chicago, IL

This is a great, quick and easy technique for making crab cakes, with the added benefit of lowering the fat content, which I will definitely try with other crab cake recipes, too! I made this with panko bread crumbs but otherwise as is and we thought it was quite good. I served them with a chili garlic mayo (1/2 cup light mayo or Miracle Whip, 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (Asian), 2 teaspoons lemon juice, blend), and it made them extra good. A keeper!

Valerie, Sugar Land, TX