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Home » Appetizers » Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

By Valerie · December 29, 2018 · Updated May 13, 2020 57 Comments

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Cheesy Hot Crab Dip in a white bowl with text overlay.

This Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is the ultimate party snack! Lump crab meat is baked into this luxurious dip with cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and few dashes of hot sauce.

An over the top shot of Cheesy Hot Crab Dip in a white serving bowl with a spoon.

We are just 3 days away from the new year, friends. We made it!

Just as we are recovering from the food coma that is Christmas, it’s time to plan what we’ll be consuming as the ball drops on New Year’s Eve and when I think New Year’s Eve I think crab dip.

It’s decadent, cheesy, but at the same time a bit elegant. It also pairs perfectly with champagne, cocktails, or whatever you happen to be imbibing to welcome the new year.

For me that may be iced tea so I won’t fall to sleep before the countdown. Sad but true.

An over the top image of the dip in a white serving dish with Ritz Crackers in the background.

How to Make Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

Lump crab meat comes canned and you also may find it at the butcher counter in some grocery stores. Don’t confuse it with imitation crab products, this stuff is the real deal and you want the real deal for this dip.

The bonus to buying it canned is you can pick it while it’s on sale and stash it away until you need it.

Two cans of Chicken of the Sea Lump Crab Meat, Worcestershire Sauce, Cream Cheese, Tabasco, Lemon, and Parsley.

My local store carries Chicken of the Sea Lump Crabmeat but there are many other brands available so it may differ where you shop. It consists of small chunks of jumbo lump crab and other nice quality pieces of crab meat and it is perfect for dips, crab cakes, and salads.

Be sure to drain the cans well before adding them to the rest of the dip ingredients.

The rest is easy, It’s just a matter of combining all of the ingredients and transferring the mixture to a small baking dish. You can cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight or bake it right away.

Kitchen Tip

Use a cheese grater to grate onion when you want to add onion flavor to a recipe without adding too much texture. A great choice when making dips, spreads, and meatballs.

A white bowl filed with crab dip with a spoon.

How to Serve Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

You can bake this dip in a small serving dish like I did here or in a small bread bowl with the added bonus that the serving dish will be edible! Once most of the dip has been consumed you can tear off chunks of dip soaked bread and eat the whole gosh darn thing. Most grocery store bakery departments carry small bread bowls over the holidays.

I like to serve this dip with Ritz crackers but it is also delicious with sliced baguette or tortilla chips for dipping.

A close up shot of the Cheesy Hot Crab Dip in a white serving dish.

The “Hot” in the recipe title refers to the fact that this dip is served warm from the oven. Although it calls for a few shakes of Tabasco, it’s not a spicy dip. However, if you want to spice it up, feel free to add as much Tabasco as you’d like. You could even throw in a diced jalapeno for good measure.

I like to keep things on the mild side when serving a crowd but if you know your group likes it hot, go for it!

A white serving bowl filled with the dip and a small spoon with crackers and dip around it.

I hope you add this one to your party menu this New Year’s Eve or tuck it away for Super Bowl Sunday. It’s just around the corner.

Enjoy and Happy New Year, friends!

A spoon lifts some of the dip from the serving dish.

More wonderfully cheesy dips I think you’ll love:

Cheesy Artichoke Dip
Warm Cheesy Bean Dip
Easy Queso Verde
Southwestern Ranch Dip
Buffalo Chicken Dip

A white bowl filed with crab dip with a spoon.

Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

This Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is the ultimate party snack! Lump crab meat is baked into this luxurious dip with cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and few dashes of hot sauce.
4.99 from 72 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 213kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce package cream cheese or Neufchatel (light cream cheese), softened
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup light or regular sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon grated white onion
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans lump crab meat
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning, I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
  • a few shakes of Tabasco to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • crackers baguette slices, or tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Oven Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a medium mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and stir again until well combined. Transfer to a small baking dish and transfer to oven.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and bubbly.
  • Serve with crackers, baguette slices, or tortilla chips.

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Add the ingredients to a small (3- to 4-quart) slow cooker, stir to combine, and set it on LOW for 2 hours. It needs to cook until the cream cheese melts completely. Stir the dip and then let it cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
  • It should keep well for up to an hour on the KEEP WARM or LOW setting. Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning or separating.

Notes

If you want add some spice to this dip, add a diced jalapeno and/or increase the amount of Tabasco, as desired.
Make-Ahead Instructions:
Once you transfer the mixture to a serving dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow to sit out for 15 or 20 minutes before baking. You may need to increase the baking time a bit to compensate if the dip is very cold when going into the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 776mg | Potassium: 168mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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Categories: Appetizers, Christmas, Holidays, New Year's Eve, Recipe

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Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
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  1. Tina says

    December 31, 2020 at 11:32 am

    Are you able to use fresh imitation crab instead of canned??

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 31, 2020 at 11:37 am

      Hi Tina. I haven’t tried it with anything but lump crab meat but I’m sure it would work. I do think the flavor is best with the lump crab though!

      Reply
  2. Emily says

    December 25, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    Made for Christmas appetizer.. it was delish! Kids all the way down to the toddler loved it.

    Reply
  3. Alicia Shaw says

    December 24, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    4 stars
    Hold the lemon!! The lemon is overwhelming, would have loved the dip without it.

    Reply
  4. Heidi Bizon says

    December 24, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    5 stars
    Making this for the third time. I follow recipe to a T. It’s absolutely fabulous! I slice a baguette into 1/4″ slices. Using a pastry brush i brush each slice with melted butter and bake on cookie sheet in 375 over for 10-11 minutes. The creamy, cheesy dip served with crunchy, buttery baguette chips is divine. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  5. Torri Bowen says

    December 24, 2020 at 6:11 am

    Can I make it in advance and out in the refrigerator and pull out when it’s time to cook (like 4 hours in advance)?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 24, 2020 at 2:48 pm

      Sure! See the Notes section on the recipe card for the make-ahead instructions.

      Reply
  6. Joe Harrington says

    December 23, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    5 stars
    3rd time I have made this and excellent every time I use 1lb crab 🦀 and 1tablespoon of old bay and 2/3 cup of mayo and sour cream just to make it a little bit my own

    Reply
  7. Laura Fortier says

    December 23, 2020 at 9:37 am

    Can I make this the day before and keep it in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 23, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      Absolutely! Mix everything together, cover, and chill it overnight before baking. Just let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes or so before pop it in the oven. It will probably need a little more time in the oven if it is chilled.

      Reply
  8. Pat McComb says

    December 20, 2020 at 11:45 am

    Could you make this in a small crock pot to keep it warm?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 21, 2020 at 8:20 am

      Hi Pat. I have a similar dip in my slow cooker cookbook and it yes, it does work just fine. Add the ingredients to a small (3- to 4-quart) slow cooker, stir to combine, and set it on LOW for 2 hours. It needs to cook until the cream cheese melts completely. Stir the dip and then let it cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. It should keep well for up to an hour on the KEEP WARM or LOW setting. Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning.

      Reply
  9. Nancy says

    November 26, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good! Easy to make and a great addition to the appetizer selection for Thanksgiving!!!

    Reply
  10. Nancy Kuula says

    November 23, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    I have a 16 ounce can of crab, would that be too much?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      November 24, 2020 at 9:31 am

      It will be fine. Just add a touch more mayo if you feel it the ratio isn’t right.

      Reply
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