For the ultimate party indulgence, serve your guests this luscious Hot Baked Crab Dip that’s ready in under 30 minutes. Lump crab meat, cream cheese, and horseradish are baked together to make the perfect appetizer for your next dinner party or get-together with friends.
In my opinion, you just can’t have too many dip recipes in your collection. This is another one of those fabulous old recipes that we used to make for almost any occasion, or no occasion at all, really.
Any time you need to feed a group of people standing or sitting around while talking and eating — this is your go-to recipe. It’s decadent and cheesy enough to serve for a football game but elegant enough for New Year’s Eve. I’ve paired it with everything from beer to champagne, and it always gets rave reviews.
This old, reliable recipe for Hot Baked Crab Dip uses ingredients that you probably have on hand right now. There’s nothing exotic that you can’t find at any grocery store, no matter where you live.
It takes at most 10 minutes to mix up, and you can adjust the horseradish to suit your tastes. I keep it on the mild side for BeeBop and sometimes stir in a bit extra in a separate dish for me. Hope you enjoy this retro revival!
Some crab dips involve making a roux, but if you want to make things easy for yourself, you can just use cream cheese. Cream cheese adds that familiar flavor but also thickens the crab dip and helps everything come together.
“I have made this for several neighborhood get-togethers, and it goes like crazy!” — Ellen
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This Baked Crab Dip is made with everyday ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store. Here’s a quick rundown of the key components:
- Cream Cheese – Have the cream cheese at room temperature for best results. It melts and combines with other ingredients better than when cold.
- Canned Lump Crab – I’ve specified canned crab for this recipe only for convenience. You can easily use fresh crab meat. Whichever you use, be sure to drain it very well to prevent the dip from being watery.
- Prepared Horseradish – I keep the horseradish on the mild side. Use up to a tablespoon if you want a spicier version.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How I Store Leftovers
- Any leftovers can be refrigerated well covered for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. Freezing is not recommended.
- Bake the dip inside a hollow bread bowl. It makes a very pretty presentation, and the entire thing is edible.
- Cook and serve in a mini-slow cooker (cook 2 hours on high and then keep on low for serving).
- Add 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce to the dip if you’re sure your guests like the heat.
The Best Hot Crab Dip | Food Wishes
FAQ
What can I add to dip to thicken it?
How do you thicken shrimp dip?
How do you make a crab dip?
This easy Crab Dip recipe is meant to impress, made with fresh lump crab meat in a creamy dip that can be served hot or cold. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in mayo, sour cream, garlic, green onion, Old Bay seasoning, salt, Worcestershire, and lemon juice.
What is crab dip?
This luxurious Crab Dip is a mixture of buttery crab meat, cream cheese, sour cream, cheeses, Old Bay seasoning and a few splashes of Worcestershire, lemon juice and hot sauce all baked together into addicting splendor.
Can you make crab dip with cream cheese?
You can make baked Crab Dip with full-fat cream cheese or low-fat cream cheese. Full fat cream cheese obviously has more flavor and melts better, but low fat will still be tasty. Make sure you’re using a block of cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. Can I use Greek yogurt?
Can you use canned crab meat in a dip?
Jumbo lump crabmeat makes this dip decadent, although a bit pricey. You can use crab claw meat if you’re on a budget, but skip the canned crab. Cheesy base: Whipped cream cheese combined with tangy sour cream, rich mayo, and sharp cheddar cheese makes for an irresistible dippable base.