I’m a sucker for a good dip. Whether hot or cold, what’s not to love about food being used as a vehicle to eat more food? This hot crab dip will be a new fan favorite.
My mom has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember – around the holiday season, for parties, and for game day watching. Our family is obsessed with it and everyone loves it whenever she takes it anywhere.
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I tweaked her recipe some to lighten it up, but the small changes do not sacrifice flavor. Instead of using all cream cheese, I added some greek yogurt for a little more protein. I also added some more spices to up the flavor.
While you could totally eat this cold, we bake it till it’s golden brown and bubbly. It’s rich and creamy and absolutely delicious.
Why we love this hot crab dip
- easy to make – simply mix and bake
- will be a crowd-pleaser! – my mom has been making this recipe for years and it’s always a hit
- lightened up – we are using a mix of greek yogurt and cream cheese instead of mayonnaise and sour cream. It has the same creaminess but adds more protein and less fat.
- can be made ahead of time and then just baked the day of
Ingredients
- jumbo lump crab meat – look for fresh crab meat at the seafood counter or refrigerator section in a plastic container at your grocery store. I like to break it up a little to get more crab.
- cream cheese
- plain greek yogurt – I suggest full-fat for the best flavor
- green onion
- horseradish
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- slivered almonds – they add a nice crunch to the recipe
- salt and pepper
- butter, oil, or cooking spray – for greasing
How to make hot crab dip
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a small baking dish with butter.
- Mix together ingredients. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, yogurt, scallions, horseradish, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper and mix well combined, making sure cream cheese is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. Fold in crab and slivered almonds, saving some slivered almonds to sprinkle on top. Add the mixture to your greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle with remaining slivered almonds.
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
- Enjoy! Top with some sliced green onion and serve with crackers, chips, or bread. Enjoy right away!
Do I need to use lump crab meat?
This baked crab dip will work with jumbo, lump, or backfin crab meat. Jumbo and lump will give you bigger pieces of crab and more texture in the dip. Backfin meat will be small and thinner pieces. The flavor is pretty similar for them all though. I do not suggest imitation crab meat for this recipe as the taste is quite different.
How long is crab dip good for?
Crab dip will last up to 4-5 days in the fridge in a tightly sealed glass dish.
Make it ahead of time
To make crab dip ahead of time, simply follow the instructions as written until baking, except leave out the almonds. They will get soggy if they are mixed in and sit for some time and no longer give the dip a little crunch. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove, let warm up a bit (it makes it easier to stir in the nuts), and mix in the slivered almonds. Bake according to the directions.
What goes good with crab dip?
- bread
- crackers
- tortilla chips
- pretzels
- Melba toast – my mom’s favorite to serve with it
- veggies – carrots, celery, bell peppers
Storage and reheating
- fridge – let crab dip cool completely. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed glass dish for up to 4 days.
- reheating – to reheat, place crab dip in an oven-safe dish, cover with tin foil, and reheat for 30 minutes until warmed through.
Substitutions and additions
- lump crabmeat – I like jumbo lump crab meat for this recipe as it has a nice delicate and sweet flavor. It is more expensive though. You can use a mix of lump and backfin crab meat as well (what my mom usually does), which is a little cheaper. I do not suggest imitation crab meat for this recipe.
- cream cheese – you can use reduced-fat cream cheese, but it won’t be as rich and creamy.
- plain greek yogurt – I do not recommend 0% fat greek yogurt as it is tangier and will change the flavor.
- slivered almonds – you can leave them out if you don’t like nuts. Sliced almonds also work, but they are more delicate and tend to break easily when mixing up the ingredients.
And here are some additions to make this crab dip your own:
- old bay seasoning – for a Maryland crab dip
- cheese – mix in some cheddar cheese to make it cheesy
- hot sauce – for a little kick
More healthy appetizer recipes
- sweet potato pizza
- chicken enchilada dip
- bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates
- grilled cilantro lime shrimp
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Hot Crab Dip
ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened/room temperature (3/4 cup)
- 6 ounces full-fat greek yogurt (3/4 cup – I used 4% fat)
- 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
- 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 ounces jumbo lump crab
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- salt and pepper, to taste
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a small baking dish with butter.
- Mix together ingredients. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, yogurt, scallions, horseradish, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper and mix well combined, making sure cream cheese is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. If using jumbo lump crab meat, break it up a little to get more pieces. Fold in crab and slivered almonds, saving some slivered almonds to sprinkle on top. Add the mixture to your greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle with remaining slivered almonds.
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
- Enjoy! Top with some sliced green onion and serve with crackers, chips, or bread. Enjoy right away!
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Love it
So good! Thanks, Dan!