Cute Crab Croissants for a Beach Party

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Finding delicious appetizers for your beach party doesn’t have to be difficult! With the help of these cute crab croissants, you can whip up a delicious snack to serve your party guests in minutes. Each mini roll is filled with cold crab salad, making it perfect for a summer get-together. Just add some cute crab eye toothpicks to create a fun treat for your ocean themed celebration.

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Whether you’re hosting a beach party on the sand or an under the sea party at home, you can’t go wrong with these adorable appetizers! Since they’re cold snacks, there’s no baking involved. Just mix up the crab salad and spread it on the croissants.

That means that this easy beach party food idea comes together in minutes. And since everyone at the party — especially the kids — will love the cute crab eye decorations on top, they’re sure to be a hit!

Crab Salad Croissants

On top of looking like cute crabs thanks to the DIY toothpick decorations, these party snacks are also filled with homemade crab salad.

And since this simple recipe is so easy to prepare, you only need a handful of ingredients to whip it up for your next party. To make crab salad croissants, you’ll need:

• Crab meat
• Mayonnaise
• Old Bay seasoning
• Lemon juice
• Celery
• Fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Mini croissants

Since the star of this cold salad recipe is the crab, you’re probably wondering what type of crab meat you can use in crab salad. There are a few different options to choose from:

• Lump crab meat: Since this type of crab meat is pulled directly from the crab, it’s the most expensive option on the list. But it also tastes the best. You can find fresh lump crab meat in the meat/seafood section of your grocery store.
• Canned crab meat: A cheaper option that still allows you to use real crab meat in your sandwiches is to add canned crab meat. Keep in mind that canned crab meat has a slightly different flavor than fresh lump crab meat and it has more salt added.
• Imitation crab meat: Another budget-friendly option for your crab salad is imitation crab meat. While this type of crab meat looks and tastes similar to real crab meat, it’s actually made from pollock. You’ll need to chop up your imitation crab meat before mixing it with the rest of the salad ingredients.

In addition to the ingredients to make your sandwiches, you’ll also need a couple of craft supplies to turn them into cute crab appetizers. To create the eye toothpicks for your crabs, you’ll need:

• Toothpicks
• Googly eyes
• Glue (I used my hot glue gun)

How to Make Crab Croissants

You’re going to love how quickly this recipe and party craft comes together! Just mix up the ingredients and decorate it with the DIY party picks!

The first step to making your crab appetizers is to prepare the salad. Start by stirring together the lump crab meat, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, finely chopped celery, and fresh parsley.

Continue stirring until all the ingredients are smooth and well blended. Then, taste the salad and add salt and pepper to enhance the flavor, if needed.

Once you’re satisfied with the flavor of the seafood salad, cut each mini croissant in half and spread the salad over the inside of each roll. Then, return the top of the roll to the top of the crab salad.

Finish preparing your croissant sandwiches by making your eye toothpicks. Place a small drop of glue on the back of your googly eyes and attach the tip of the toothpick to the back of the eye. Hold the toothpick in place until the glue dries.

Once you have enough toothpicks to top each of your sandwiches, simply placed two toothpicks into the top of each croissant before serving.

Can I Make Crab Salad Ahead of Time?

Prepping recipes in advance is a great way to ensure you get all your snacks ready in time for your party. And the good news is that you can prepare the crab salad up to one day in advance. After you mix the salad, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container for safe storage.

It’s a good idea to wait until you’re ready to serve the sandwiches before you spread the salad onto the rolls.

How do I store leftover crab salad?

If you have extra crab salad after your party is over, it need to be refrigerated. Place the salad in an airtight container and it will stay good for up to 4 days.

It’s best to store the salad separate from the rolls. But if you have extra sandwiches when the party is through, you can also store the assembled croissants in the fridge. Make sure to cover the sandwiches and they’ll stay good for up to one day before the bread starts to get soggy.

While you should store the crab salad in the fridge, it’s not a good idea to freeze this recipe. The mayonnaise will begin to get gritty as it thaws, which means the recipe won’t taste very good after it’s been frozen.

Crab Salad Croissant Recipe Substitutions

This delicious sandwich recipe is perfect on its own. But that doesn’t mean you can’t change up the recipe if you want to mix things up! Try these substitution ideas to create a delicious appetizer for all of your summer parties.

• Use Cajun seasoning. Old Bay seasoning is a classic option when preparing crab recipes. But if you want to spice things up, you can also mix in some Cajun seasoning.
• Add some toppings. Dress up your crab salad with toppings, like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, or cheese slices.
• Try different breads. Mini croissants are a great option for a party because they’re perfect for snacking. But you can also serve this crab salad recipe on full-sized croissants, buns, sliced bread, or sliders. The spread can also be served with crackers.
• Add more seafood. Create a delicious seafood salad by mixing in some chopped shrimp along with the crab meat.

More Easy Gluten Free Recipes:

Easy Hot Crab Dip with Cajun Seasoning

Crab Rangoon Dip

Cold Crab Dip Recipe

Crab Cakes Recipe