This Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is the ultimate party snack for New Year’s Eve or game day! Lump crab meat is baked into a luxurious, creamy dip with cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar, and a touch of hot sauce for just the right amount of kick.
Looking for more warm party dips? Artichoke Dip and Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip are excellent choices!
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Just as we’re recovering from the food coma that is Christmas, it’s time to start planning what we’ll be eating as the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. And when I think New Year’s Eve, I think crab dip.
This Hot Crab Dip is decadent, cheesy, and just a bit elegant — the perfect match for champagne, cocktails, or whatever you’re sipping at your celebration. (For me, that’s usually iced tea so I don’t fall asleep before midnight. Sad but true.)
Table of contents
Best Hot Crab Dip Recipe
This Hot Crab Dip is everything a party appetizer should be, warm, creamy, and irresistibly cheesy with real lump crab meat in every bite. It’s the kind of recipe that feels special but couldn’t be easier to make, and it’s always one of the first dishes to disappear.
Make it ahead, pop it in the oven before guests arrive, and serve it bubbling hot with toasted baguette slices or buttery crackers.
Ingredients for Hot Crab Dip
- Lump crab meat: My local store carries Chicken of the Sea lump crabmeat, but many other brands work well. If using canned crab, drain it very well before adding it to the dip.
- Cream cheese: Regular or Neufchatel (⅓ less fat) cream cheese both work beautifully.
- Mayonnaise: Adds richness and helps bind the creamy base. I typically use olive oil mayonnaise.
- Sour cream: Use regular or light; both yield great results.
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese: Choose a good-quality sharp cheddar for the best flavor and shred it yourself. No bagged shredded cheese here!
- White onion: Finely minced so it melts into the dip.
- All-purpose seasoning salt: I like Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds a savory depth to balance the creamy texture.
- Fresh lemon juice: A natural flavor boost for any seafood dish.
- Italian parsley: For color and freshness.
- Tabasco sauce: Just a few shakes add zip. Adjust to taste or leave it out if you prefer a milder dip.
- Freshly ground black pepper: To taste.
What is Lump Crab Meat?
Lump crab meat is made up of chunks of jumbo lump and body meat. It’s perfect for dips, crab cakes, and salads. Don’t confuse it with imitation crab — lump crab is 100% real crab, and you definitely want the real deal for this dip.
You’ll find lump crab meat both canned and fresh (sometimes at the butcher or seafood counter). The bonus to buying it canned is that it keeps well in your pantry, so you can grab a few cans when it’s on sale and and stash them away in your pantry until you need it
How to Make Hot Crab Dip
This recipe could not be any easier. It takes just minutes to assemble before it’s ready for the oven.
- Stir together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream until creamy.
- Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Transfer to a small baking dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
How to Serve Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
You can bake this dip in a small serving dish, as shown here, or go all out and bake it in a small bread bowl — the bonus being that your serving dish becomes part of the snack! Once most of the dip has been devoured, tear off pieces of the dip-soaked bread and enjoy every last bite. Most grocery store bakery departments carry small bread bowls during the holidays.
I like to serve this dip with Ritz Crackers but it is also delicious with sliced baguette or tortilla chips for dipping.
Valerie’s Tips
Grate your onion. Using a cheese grater is a great trick when you want the flavor of onion without noticeable texture. It works beautifully for dips, spreads, and even meatballs.
Not too spicy. The “hot” in Hot Crab Dip refers to serving temperature, not heat level. The few shakes of hot sauce add flavor, not fire.
Want it spicier? If your crowd likes things hot, go ahead and add extra hot sauce or even a little diced jalapeño. I usually keep it on the mild side when serving a group, but you can easily turn up the heat.
Make it ahead. Assemble the dip, cover, and refrigerate it overnight. When you’re ready to serve, bake as directed — it turns out just as creamy and delicious.
Slow cooker option. If you’d rather keep your oven free, you can make this dip in your slow cooker. See the alternate directions in the recipe card below.
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!
More Party Appetizers You’ll Love
- Shrimp Dip
- Antipasto Skewers
- French Onion Dip from Scratch
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Check out my entire collection of tasty appetizer recipes!
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Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
Video
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
- 12 ounces lump crab meat , from 2 6-ounce cans
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning salt, 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
- freshly 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
Sure would like to figure out an alternative to crab, since I have shellfish allergies
Any ideas for alternatives?? I know, but the hot cheesy goodness is calling. Just can’t use crab
I totally get the craving for a warm, creamy dip. Since crab is really the star of this recipe and I haven’t tested it with a non-seafood substitute, I wouldn’t recommend swapping it out here. Instead, I’d suggest choosing one of my other hot, cheesy dip recipes that’s naturally shellfish-free so you’ll get great results without any guesswork. Check out my Artichoke Dip, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip, and Easy Queso Verde for alternative warm, creamy dip ideas.
Can you use dehydrated onions instead of grated white onion.
Yes, you can use dehydrated onion if needed. Since it’s more concentrated, start with about 1 to 1½ tablespoons and let it hydrate in the mixture for a few minutes before baking. The flavor will be a little milder than fresh onion, but it will still work.
I made this dip yesterday to take for a ladies luncheon and it was a big hit! I used 2 cans of chunk crab and sprinkled a bit of paprika and garlic powder instead of using seasoned salt. I ended up taking out about a cup of the dip before baking to make it less deep in my baking dish which was about the size of a small pie plate. I definitely will make this dip again!!
I really wanted to love this recipe, however, to me, it tasted way too salty. If I made it again, I would leave out the Lawry’s seasoned salt to see if that makes a difference.
Thanks for the feedback. If you’re sensitive to salt, reducing or omitting the Lawry’s is an easy adjustment. I appreciate you sharing your experience.
I made this dish with high expectations, followed exactly but was horribly disappointed by the “fishy” taste of the crab and not even the cheese could save it. I even bought a $25 18 oz can of lump crabmeat that went to waste. Wish I never saw this recipe and the great ratings from people who must like the fishy taste of this. We sure didn’t. Would have preferred a bag of Doritos over this mess! Sorry not a fan!!!
I’ve never noticed a fishy taste from lump crab meat but if you’re not a fan of crab, I don’t think this is the recipe for you. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Jody -did you consider that maybe the can of crab you bought might be the culprit? You only paid $25 for 18oz! SMH
Delicious! I added some grated Parm and a squirt of Dijon and topped with sliced scallions
This is my Favorite Variation of This Recipe <3
What size baking dish is needed? 1 quart, 2 quart??
The baking dish you see in this post has a 3 cup capacity.
Followed the recipe exactly and wound up with soup.
I’ve made this dip countless times and have never had this issue. You can see the consistency of the dip in the video. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
I love this recipe. It was easy to follow.