Step 1

PANKO: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix together the panko, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Place roughly 2 teaspoons of the panko mixture in the bottom of each muffin cup using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring teaspoon (or tablespoon) gently pack into a tight shape.

Step 2

CRAB MIXTURE: Combine the crab meat, cream cheese, mayonnaise, egg, sour cream garlic powder, smoked paprika, old bay seasoning, lemon juice + zest, chopped chives, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spoon roughly 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture into each mini muffin cup.

Step 3

BAKE: Until the edges begin to turn golden, 14-18 minutes. Allow the crab cakes to cool in the pan for several minutes before attempting to remove them. You can run an offset spatula or a pairing knife along the edges to help pop out the bites. Serve crab bites warm or allow them to cool to room temperature before serving. I like to top them with more chopped chives before serving and serve with lemon wedges and prepared sauce.