Hot Crab Dip (Easy & Creamy!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

Whenever I’m entertaining, I have to have at least one creamy, cheesy dip. They check two very important boxes: fast to prep and always a hit. And this hot crab dip recipe definitely fits the bill! I’ll admit, my oldest 5-minute cold crab dip is still my go-to when I’m in a major rush. But when I want a warm — and still easy — version, making that adjustment is super simple. You can have this on the table in less than half an hour!

Why You’ll Love My Hot Crab Dip Recipe

• The perfect texture – The smoothness, the creaminess, the cheesiness. Not to mention plenty of lump crab meat. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
• Easy prep – It takes just 5 minutes, all in one bowl. With my hectic schedule, this is one of those appetizers I can pull together last-minute.
• Make ahead – Hosting can be stressful (even for a food blogger like me!), so anything you can prep ahead really takes the edge off. If the ultra fast prep time isn’t enough, you’ll love that you can assemble this crab dip in advance. Just pop it in the oven right before serving.
• Crowd pleaser – Everyone loves a creamy dip! And this one tends to win over even my friends that aren’t big on seafood.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this crab dip recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Lump Crab Meat:

I highly recommend using jumbo lump crab meat, like this. It will make the best hot crab dip recipe with big crab chunks! If you don’t have any, here are some alternatives:

• Backfin crab meat, which is a combination of small pieces of lump crab meat and flakes of white body meat, is a cheaper alternative that is okay to use, but the texture of the dip won’t be as good as using only lump crab.
• Claw meat is the cheapest kind and you won’t get any chunks, but it does have a hearty crab flavor. Personally, I’m not a fan.
• If you have leftover fresh crab meat (such as from making crab legs), this is an excellent choice and tastes even better than the kind from a can. It’s always such a treat when I have some fresh for this recipe!
• Imitation crab meat works from a recipe standpoint, but the flavor and texture is completely different. Not my favorite at all!

Other Ingredients:

• Cream Cheese – The base of this hot crab dip recipe. I always use full fat cream cheese for best flavor, but light or neufchatel works fine, too. Make sure your cream cheese is softened at room temperature, so that it mixes in well.
• Sour Cream – If you want to lighten it up a bit, substitute Greek yogurt.
• Mayonnaise – Make my homemade mayo or use store-bought; either will work. You can also use only sour cream or only mayo instead of both, but combining them tastes better in my opinion.
• Lemon Juice – I always love adding lemon to seafood dishes, and this one is no exception. It really brightens the flavor! Fresh lemon juice tastes best, but not going to lie, I’ve been known to use bottled lemon juice as a convenient time saver.
• Old Bay Seasoning – This classic seafood seasoning makes an easy crab dip without messing with multiple spices individually. I love a good shortcut!
• Cheddar Cheese – We’re using shredded cheese, so buy it shredded to save some time or shred it yourself. Feel free to swap some of the cheddar for others, such as mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
• Chives – These add delicate flavor and a pop of color. You could also use thinly sliced green onions instead.
• Hot Sauce – This is called hot crab dip because it’s warm, and while I add a dash of hot sauce, it is not spicy. If you like some heat, add more hot sauce, simply black pepper, or even some finely diced jalapenos. Unfortunately that’s usually a no-go in my house because I have young kids!

How To Make Crab Dip

This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Mix the creamy base. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning, until smooth. Sometimes I use a hand mixer to make this easy (yay!), but it’s a tradeoff because then I have to wash it (nay!).
2. Add the cheese, chives, and hot sauce. Stir until uniform. Taste and adjust hot sauce and/or Old Bay seasoning if you like.

3. Add the crab. Fold in the crab meat using a spatula.
4. Bake. Spoon the mixture into a small baking dish (this one is the perfect size). Smooth the top. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake crab dip until hot. If desired, garnish the hot crab dip with more chives — I almost always do! Serve with your favorite dippers (see below for ideas).

Recipe Variations

As always, I like simple, and simple means few ingredients. But I also get bored and like to change things up! If you want to take this dip to the next level, try one (or more) of these additions:

• Garlic – Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Worcestershire Sauce – I decided not to include this due to the sugar content, but many crab dip recipes add this sauce for flavor depth and light sweetness. Feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons if you like.
• Salt – I don’t usually find it necessary to add any salt, since the cream cheese, cheddar, and Old Bay seasoning are already salty, but feel free to adjust to your taste.
• Bacon – Make bacon in the oven (my favorite method for crispy bacon), air fryer bacon, or microwave bacon. Crumble it and mix it into the dip.
• Spinach Artichoke – Stir about 1/2 cup drained frozen spinach and 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts to the dip, or simply add crab meat to my spinach artichoke dip.
• Jalapeños – Add 1-2 jalapeños, finely diced, for a spicy kick.

Storage Instructions

• Store: After cooling the warm crab dip to room temperature, keep leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days. If I have leftover crab meat, I often use it to make a crab salad, but if I have a lot of extra dip, it’s yummy to turn into crab stuffed salmon!
• Make Ahead: You can make the dip ahead, place in a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bake right before serving.
• Reheat: Bake crab dip in a 350 degree F oven, or heat gently in the microwave. (I recommend the oven if you can.)
• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dip, as the dairy will change texture during freezing/thawing process. It’s safe to eat, but the texture won’t be smooth.

What To Serve With Hot Crab Dip

I like to serve this recipe for crab dip hot and fresh with a variety of dippers, so everyone can find something they like:

• Raw Veggies – My favorite! Mini bell peppers, celery sticks, cucumber slices, and carrots are all great for scooping up dips. When I make this dip for only my husband and kids, I just set it out with some veggies and call it a day.
• Crackers – Any kind will do, but flax seed crackers or almond flour crackers are delicious, real food options.
• Breads – Sliced baguette is a common choice with hot crab dip, but I don’t usually have it around at my house. When I want this with bread, I make my lighter almond flour bread.
• Chips – You can use my regular tortilla chips, almond flour tortilla chips, light and crispy zucchini chips, or any other kind you like.
• Mushrooms – You could even use this dip to stuff portobello or cremini mushroom caps! That’s exactly what I did in my recipe for crab stuffed mushrooms.
• Appetizer Spread – Sometimes when I have guests over, I like to just make an appetizer spread. This dip pairs well with crispy air fryer chicken wings, simple steak bites (for a surf and turf spread), or my flaky salmon bites.

I like this small baking dish. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the perfect size for this dip and is beautiful enough to go from oven to table.