Crab Dip is one of the best hot appetizers, perfect for parties!
Crab meat is mixed with cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, then topped with melted cheddar and served hot and bubbling.
Enjoy this hot and hearty dip served from a crock pot to keep the party going for hours!
Hot Crab Dip Made Easy
- This crab dip is easy to prep and oven ready in minutes.
- It’s a great way stretch pricey crab meat to feed a crowd.
- For occasions that call for hearty appetizers, this hot or cold dip is just the ticket. It’s filling enough to keep partygoers happy and satisfied all day long!
- Serve along with other party favorites, like spinach artichoke dip or the ever-popular crack dip.
Ingredients for Crab Dip
Crab – Use fresh jumbo lump crab meat or frozen lump crab meat if possible. Canned crab meat is a close second. In a pinch or for a budget-friendly option, choose imitation crab meat, also known as surimi.
Cream Cheese – A block of full-fat cream cheese is mixed with sour cream for great flavor and to make the dip easy to scoop.
Seasoning – Old Bay seasoning is great with seafood including this crab dip. Spice it up more with your own favorite additions like a splash of hot sauce or a squeeze of lemon juice. You can use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder or stir in fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, dill, or chives.
How to Make Crab Dip
This dip is so easy to prepare. Just mix and heat!
- Mix softened cream cheese with sour cream, mayonnaise, and seasonings with a hand blender until fluffy.
- Fold in the crab meat, onions, and half the cheddar.
- Transfer to a baking dish, top with the remainder of cheese, and bake until hot and bubbling.
- Serve with a selection of sturdy dippers.
Dipping Delights
Hot crab dip deserves the best dippers! Crostini or baguette slices rounds are ideal. Soft pretzels, tortilla chips, or pretzel bites are other favorites. Keep it low carb with celery, carrots, or other veggie dippers if you’d like.
Storing Crab Dip
Keep leftover dip for 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, top with fresh cheddar cheese and heat in the oven or microwave until bubbling. Freezing is not recommended.
Perfect Party Dips
Did you make this Cheesy Hot Crab Dip? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 8 ounces lump crab meat
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- sliced baguette for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, old bay seasoning, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
- Gently fold in the green onions, crab meat, and half of the cheddar cheese.
- Spread the crab mixture into a 1 to 1 ½ QT dish (8×8-inches). Top with remaining cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until melted and bubbly.
- Serve with toasted baguette.
Notes
- Choose lump crab meat if possible. Canned or imitation crab can be used in place.
- Use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese, this keeps the dip fluffy and easy to scoop.
- The cheese mixture can be replaced with a crumb topping if desired. Combine ½ cup Panko crumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and sprinkle overtop before baking.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dip, Party Food, Snack
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I will be making the crab cakes tomorrow night for supper.
can this crab dip be baked and then freeze?
I haven’t tried freezing it so I can’t say for sure Jean. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Hi,
I love your page!
What other cheeses can go in this crab dip, not a cheddar fan
Ty
Millie
You can substitute your favorite cheeses such as mozzarella or Monterey jack, and while it will change the flavor it will still be delicious Millie!
Made this back in July and it was delicious. Froze half, defrosted in the fridge, and heated up in the oven tonight…still delicious! 4 months frozen in a freezer-safe bag and it didn’t change the flavor at all.
Thank you for coming back and letting us know! So glad you loved it.
I made this last night. I must confess to using more cheddar than the recipe called for – probably 1 1/2 cups divided. Also, substituted a package of Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese for part of the cream cheese. My final cheat was to double the crab, because we were out crabbing the day before and I had a 500 ml (2 cup) container absolutely stuffed with crab meat and I used it all. Your idea to whip the cheese/mayonnaise/sour cream & spices together is brilliant and really lightens things up. For dipping, I served with thin Chinese carrot rounds (the huge carrots), curly snow peas from our garden (great for scooping), mushroom slices, radish slices, Ritz crackers, and nacho cheese Doritos. My favourite? The radish slices. Next time, I’ll buy a daikon. Four of us ate up every morsel of that dip. No question that I’ll make it again.
So happy to hear that, Laurel! Your substitutions sound delicious but I love all the fresh veggies you served it with.
Can’t wait to make this Cheesy Hot Crab Dip for a pre-Christmas dinner party in three days. Can this recipe be prepared in advance and refrigerated until ready to cook?
Yes, it can be refrigerated until you are ready to cook it!
This sounds fab. Can you use shrimp in this recipe?
Sure you can! You’ll want to ensure the shrimp is cooked before adding to the dip.
I have made this recipe probably at least 15 times. I cut the recipe in half, using a can of crab meat. It makes two servings that I bake in little appetizer casserole dishes. My adult son comes here on his dinner break, and he loves the recipe. He is very picky about his crab dip!
What kind of chips or crackers do you eat it with?
Tortilla chips are great! Any kind of crackers work well too (Ritz are a fave).
Could this be cooked in a cob loaf?
We have never tried making this recipe in a cob loaf but I bet that would be delicious Shelley!
Well you have officially made my life harder. My wife LOVED IT!!!!
LOL! So glad she loved it!
What is exactly OLD BAY???
It is a seasoning commonly used for seafood that is made with celery salt, a variety of pepper and paprika to name a few seasonings. You can find it in the spice aisle. Where I live it is in a little yellow can. I hope this helps Marie!