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Maryland Hot Crab Dip Recipe

This rich and cheesy Crab Dip is the perfect party food! Creamy and absolutely full of lump crab meat, it is delicious served hot or cold with your favorite crackers or crostini.

crostini with crab dip and green onions

Hot Crab Dip

Are you a seafood fanatic? My husband sure is! He’s particularly in love with the Gulf coast but the Northeast is next on his list.

He loves my Old Bay Shrimp and Oven Baked Mini Crab Cakes but this crab dip really had him drooling and asking for more. Even more than my Crab Rangoon which is saying a lot.

Thank goodness it comes together quickly and is extra cheesy. It’s hearty so I serve it with toasted baguette slices. Those little guys are sturdy so you can pile on tons of this cheesy and crabby dip.

Why this recipe is awesome

  • Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with crab!
  • Easy to prep ahead of time.
  • Full of seafood flavor.
labeled picture of ingredients

Ingredients Needed

Crab – Lump crab meat is best, use Blue Crab for real Maryland style, or imitation crab meat in a pinch.

Cream cheese – Use regular, reduced fat, or fat free softened cream cheese.

Mayo – I prefer Duke’s for it’s creaminess. I don’t recommend Miracle Whip. The flavor is not the same.

Sour cream – Use regular, reduced fat, or fat free. Substitute plain Greek yogurt if needed.

Cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese works best. Shred your own for better melting!

Seasoning – Chesapeake Bay Seasoning will be great. Or a Creole seasoning if needed.

Kitchen staples – Lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce,

Garnishes – Parsley, green onions.

For more insider tips & tricks, and a candid behind the scenes look follow me on social media! Check use out on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter (yes, people still use Twitter, LOL!)

How to make Hot Crab Dip

First: Preheat oven to 375F. Grab a 8×8 oven safe baking dish.

Second: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, 1 cup cheddar cheese, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.

Third: Gently fold in the crab meat. Spread into the baking dish. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Fourth: Remove and top with remaining shredded cheese. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove and garnish with sliced green onions or parsley. Serve warm.

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

square dish full of maryland crab dip recipe

What are the best dippers for Crab Dip?

  • Baguette slices
  • Butter or club crackers
  • Tortilla chips
  • Saltine crackers are my fave!!

Pretty much whatever cracker is your favorite is the best one to dip in.

How long does Crab Dip last in the fridge?

You can store any leftover dip you may have wrapped in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Reheat in a baking dish in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes or until warmed through and bubbly. You can also reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

If you want to make this in advance, you can put it together the day before, wrap tightly in the fridge, and then bake when ready.

spoon scooping out dip

Freaky Friday

What is Freaky Friday? It’s a recipe exchange put on by Michaela over at An Affair from the Heart. There are about a dozen people each time that get assigned a fellow foodie website to make a recipe from to share with our readers.

It’s a win-win because we get to make a delicious recipe from a blogger friend and share it with our readers and you get to hear about another great food website we know you will love!

This time around I got Sam The Culinary Compass. Sam is science nerd like me even though we both hate physics! Science and food go hand in hand, probably why we love both so much.

Her blog shares amazing recipes that are so delicious and incorporate flavors from all over the world. Hence the name Culinary Compass:) Some of my favorites are her Bacon and Onion Crostini, these Bacon Mac and Cheese Egg Rolls, and this Peach Salsa that I love to make with fresh Georgia peaches.

Tapas Tips & Tricks

  • You can serve this crab dip cold if you prefer, but I think it is best served hot!
  • Gently fold in the crab meat last as not to break it up too much.
  • Garnish with sliced green onion or chopped parsley.
  • For more spice, sprinkle the baked dip with more Old Bay Seasoning and salt and pepper.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

crostini with crab dip

This quick and easy crab dip recipe is the perfect party food! Serve it with toasted baguette slices or crispy tortilla chips.

See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes

Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart
  1. An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Lemon Pull-Apart Bread
  2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Baked Asparagus with Parmesan
  3. The Carefree Kitchen – Carrot Cake
  4. The Culinary Compass – Dunkaroo Dip Recipe
  5. Devour Dinner –Fruit Charcuterie Board
  6. Family Around the Table – Fresh Strawberry Milkshake 
  7. Feast + West – Frozen Grasshopper Martini
  8. Home Cooked Harvest – Rocky Road Brownies
  9. Hostess at Heart – Honey Bun Cake
  10. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog –Homemade Sour Cream Funfetti Cupcakes
  11. Off the Eaten Path –  Beer Margarita Recipe
  12. The Speckled Palate – Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon and Walnuts
  13. Sue Bee Homemaker – No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
  14. The Wimpy Vegetarian – Texas Trash Dip Warm Bean Dip
square dish of hot crab dip

Hot Crab Dip

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This rich and cheesy Crab Dip is the perfect party food! Creamy and absolutely full of lump crab meat, it is delicious served hot or cold with your favorite crackers or crostini.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces lump crab meat
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded, divided)
  • 2 green onions (sliced, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Get out a 8x8 oven safe baking dish.
  2. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, half the shredded cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Bay seasoning. Mix to combine.
  3. Gently fold in the crab meat and stir just to combine. You don't want to break up the crab too much. You want it to be lumpy.
  4. Spread into the 8x8 dish.
  5. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and garnish with sliced green onions or chopped parsley.
  8. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You can serve this crab dip cold if you prefer, but I think it is best served hot!
  • Gently fold in the crab meat last as not to break it up too much.
  • Garnish with sliced green onion or chopped parsley.
  • For more spice, sprinkle the baked dip with more Old Bay Seasoning and salt and pepper.
  • Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 283Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 521mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 14g

    This nutrition information was generated via a third party. I can not be held liable for any discrepancies in the information provided.

    TakeTwoTapas.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

    Brandi Burgess

    Friday 6th of May 2022

    This is the best crab dip recipe!!!!! So delicious!

    Sam

    Friday 6th of May 2022

    Ah you made my Maryland heart so happy when I saw that you made this! It looks so, so delicious and I'm glad you enjoyed!

    susan | thewimpyvegetarian

    Thursday 5th of May 2022

    I absolutely love crab dips!! And this hot version topped with cheese. I'm definitely making this one!!

    Ellen

    Wednesday 4th of May 2022

    Every party needs a good crab dip and this is that dip! It's so creamy and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.

    Susannah

    Tuesday 3rd of May 2022

    I really cannot wait to make this for a party soon. It is perfect for summertime!

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