Savory Tooth

Simple Tasty Recipes

Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

Updated Published Dec 28, 2017 By 6 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
This crab dip appetizer is served hot, with a delicious creamy texture and a golden brown crust. It's made with crab claw meat and cream cheese; no mayonnaise needed.
scooping up crab dip using a cracker

Crab Dip

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound crab claw meat (Note 1)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (Note 2)
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (Note 3)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (Note 4)
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Toppings:

  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (Note 3)
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Prepare: Preheat oven to 350 F. Verify that cream cheese is softened to room temperature, or microwave in 10-second intervals until soft and pliable.
  • Combine Ingredients: Add all ingredients except toppings to large bowl. Beat with electric hand mixer until well-mixed, occasionally pausing to scrape down beaters and bowl. Resulting mixture should be smooth and thick, without clumps of cream cheese or crab (Note 5).
  • Bake: Transfer mixture to baking dish (Note 6), spreading out evenly. Bake uncovered at 350 F until heated through and puffy, about 30 minutes.
  • Broil: Remove baking dish from oven, and evenly top with mozzarella cheese, paprika, and sliced scallions. Transfer back to oven and broil uncovered until surface is golden brown, a few minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning cheese. Serve hot (Notes 7-8).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 370 (62% from fat)  
Total Fat 26g 39%
   Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Cholesterol 180mg 60%
Sodium 1140mg 48%
Net Carb 3g  
Total Carb 3.5g 1%
   Dietary Fiber 0.5g 1%
   Sugars 0g  
Protein 33g  
Vitamin A 20% · Vitamin C 1% · Calcium 41% · Iron 9%

PHOTOS

scooping up crab dip using a cracker
step by step on making crab dip
scooping up crab dip using a cracker

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Crab Claw Meat. The weight refers to crab meat only, without shells. If you’re using crab canned in water, squeeze dry and use the drained weight to measure the amount. I use claw meat because it has a strong flavor and is a good choice for appetizers where the crab flavor needs to be prominent. The amount of crab used here is higher than most other recipes; this higher ratio of crab meat to other ingredients yields a heartier and richer crab dip.
(2) Cream Cheese. One standard 8-ounce brick. I use regular, full-fat cream cheese from the brand Philadelphia, not reduced fat or light versions.
(3) Mozzarella Cheese. I use a bag of pre-shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, which means the cheese has been dried out for a longer shelf life and better browning.
(4) Parmesan Cheese. This is finely grated parmesan that has a sandy or almost powdery texture, not shredded, often available in pre-grated bags in the refrigerated section of U.S. grocery stores. This can be substituted with similar cheeses like pecorino romano or asiago.
(5) Combining Ingredients. It’s essential that the crab mixture is well beaten and smooth before baking, or you won’t end up with a cohesive dip. To do so, you’ll need cream cheese that has been softened to room temperature and an electric mixer to beat everything together. I’ve tried making this dip without a well-blended mixture, and the results are nowhere near as good.
(6) Baking Dish. Use a baking dish with 1.5 to 2 quart capacity. I use a 1.8 quart porcelain oval baking dish.
(7) Serving. Serve this crab dip with homemade almond flour crackers, in a bread bowl, or with vegetable dippers like baby carrots, mini bell peppers, or celery sticks. It’s a great party appetizer, both easy to make and fancy enough to bring to a nice reception.
(8) Make Ahead / Leftovers. Follow the recipe to assemble the mixture in the baking dish (without baking), then cover and refrigerate. About an hour prior to serving, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to warm up while the oven is preheating, then proceed with the baking step.

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About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site.

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newest oldest most voted
RobynG

Do you prefer smoked paprika? Or just regular?

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4 years ago
Julia

Smoked paprika is my preference, but any kind of paprika will work here.

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4 years ago
Julie

No garlic?

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5 years ago
Julia

Hi Julie! That’s right, no garlic. I didn’t find that it was needed. But it never hurts to add a few minced cloves!

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5 years ago
mimi

Wow that looks so good! It’s beautiful baked!

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5 years ago
Dana Rodriguez

YUM! That looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I pinned it.

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5 years ago
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