Cocktail Crabcakes with Caper Remoulade

I can’t think of a more festive and crowd-pleasing way to kick off a holiday gathering than

with a platter of cocktail (a fancy way of saying “mini”) crab cakes. Over my two decades in catering, I’ve seen time and again that these cocktail-sized beauties are the go-to choice for holiday appetizers—and for good reason. They’re everything you want in a party nosh: delicious, easy to serve, easy to eat, festive and always a hit with guests. Plus, the timing couldn’t be better. Here in California, the holidays just so happen to align perfectly with crab season (or is it the other way around? You decide!), making this the ideal time to feature fresh crab in all its glory.

But when developing this recipe all those years ago, I quickly discovered that creating the perfect mini crab cake wasn’t just as simple as taking any recipe and making it into a mini size. This is because many crab cake recipes lack the structure to hold their shape as finger food - and no guest is interested in crabcake on their Ugly Christmas Sweater. While you could add more binder to solve this, that would defeat the whole point—crab cakes should be about the crab, not the filler.

I’ve always loved the delicate balance of a true Maryland-style crab cake, where there’s just enough binder to hold things together without overshadowing the sweet, briny crab. After many, many (many) messy batches, I finally landed on a formula that holds up beautifully for serving but keeps the crab front and center.

Another reason to love these? They’re a prep-ahead dream. You can form the crab cakes, freeze them, and fry them off as needed throughout the holiday season. Or, if you’re more of a day-ahead planner, you can assemble them the night before and fry them fresh the day of. Either way, they come out golden and crisp, ready to steal the show.

And don’t skip the caper remoulade. It’s the creamy, tangy counterpart that these rich little cakes deserve, with just enough of a tartar sauce vibe to feel familiar but dressed up for the occasion.

So, if you’re looking for something to wow your guests this holiday season—and really, who isn’t?—these mini crab cakes might just be your perfect party trick. They’re the kind of appetizer that makes everyone feel just a little more spoiled, and after all, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

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Some Notes On The Recipe:

• If you’re more in the mood for a full-sized crab cake experience, this recipe easily transforms into 8 large crab cakes. Just remember to adjust the cooking time to about 5–6 minutes per side to ensure they’re perfectly golden and cooked through.

• Before forming the crabcakes, I like to cook a very small test batch (just a spoonful) of crabcake mix to check for seasoning. This way if you feel it needs something, you can still add it.

• To keep things stress-free on the day of your party, you can prep ahead: make the caper remoulade and follow the recipe for the crabcakes through step 4 the day before. When it’s time to serve, all that’s left is a quick fry, and you’re good to go.

• The best way to keep the fried crabcakes warm is on a parchment lined sheet pan in a warm (170 F) oven.

• Unfried crab cakes freeze beautifully for up to 3 months, making them a handy little secret weapon for impromptu celebrations.

• Need a gluten-free option? This recipe works like a charm. I’ve had the best results using Schär brand gluten-free breadcrumbs—they deliver just the right texture without compromising flavor.