Gluten-Free Mini Crab Puffs
By the Gluten Free Recipes team ·
These delightful gluten-free mini crab puffs offer a rich, savory filling encased in a delicate, flaky pastry. Each bite delivers tender crab meat complemented by creamy notes and fresh herbs, making them an irresistible appetizer.
At a glance: This easy party and appetizers recipe yields 8 servings in about 45 minutes (20 min prep, 25 min cook). It uses 10 ingredients — including lump crab meat, cream cheese, mayonnaise — and walks through 5 steps. Updated . Browse more party and appetizers recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.
Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Mini Crab Puffs: When preparing this party and appetizers recipe, in a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.
Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Mini Crab Puffs: This recipe relies on certified gluten-free puff pastry and carefully selected dairy and condiment ingredients to ensure it's free from gluten-containing grains.
Ingredients
- 8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 0.125 tsp black pepper
- 1 package gluten-free puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently unfold the thawed gluten-free puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface and cut them into 2-inch squares, aiming for about 12-16 squares depending on the sheet size. Place these squares onto the prepared baking sheet.
- 2
In a medium bowl, combine the lump crab meat, softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped fresh chives, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Gently fold these ingredients together until just combined, being careful not to break up the crab meat too much. You want to maintain some texture.
- 3
Spoon about one tablespoon of the crab filling onto the center of each gluten-free puff pastry square. Then, carefully bring the four corners of each square together over the filling and pinch them to seal, creating a small pouch. Ensure the seams are well-sealed to prevent the filling from escaping during baking.
- 4
Brush the tops of the sealed crab puffs with the beaten egg wash, which will give them a beautiful golden-brown sheen as they bake. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up, golden brown, and crisp to the touch.
- 5
Once baked to perfection, remove the gluten-free mini crab puffs from the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before serving. These are best enjoyed warm, allowing the creamy filling and flaky pastry to be at their most delicious.
Nutrition (per serving)
Tips & Notes
- Don't over-mix once cream cheese is incorporated or the texture can turn gummy.
- Roll the lemon firmly on the counter before cutting to get significantly more juice.
- Make and refrigerate these up to 24 hours in advance; bring to room temperature before serving.
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