Warm Crab Dip. A warm baked crab-and-cream-cheese dip with lemon, scallions and a little cheddar for a small party bowl. The formula and timing below are working estimates for a future kitchen trial, not a claim that a batch has been made.
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A hot, scoopable seafood appetizer
Cooked lump crab is folded into a cream-cheese base with lemon and scallions, then baked under a restrained cheddar layer. It is a party dip, not Chefly's existing seafood-boil dipping sauce.
This eight-portion formula is a working proposal. The crab-to-dairy balance and final volume need a kitchen trial.
Check the crab first
Even packaged cooked lump crab may have small shell fragments. Pick through it gently and drain liquid before folding so the dip does not turn watery.
The card specifies cooked crab. A raw-crab substitution changes both method and endpoint; do not present it as interchangeable.
Ingredients for 8 appetizer portions
| Ingredient | Amount | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cream cheese, softened | 8 ounces | Creamy base. |
| Sour cream | 1/4 cup | Creamy base. |
| Mayonnaise | 1/4 cup | Creamy base. |
| Fresh lemon juice | 1 tablespoon | Dip acidity. |
| Old Bay-style seafood seasoning | 1 teaspoon | Check salt and label. |
| Scallions, finely chopped | 2 scallions | Dip. |
| Cooked lump crab meat, drained and checked for shell | 8 ounces | Fold gently. |
| Shredded sharp cheddar | 1/2 cup | Top before baking. |
Step-by-step method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Check 8 oz cooked lump crab meat for bits of shell and drain any excess liquid. Stir 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp seafood seasoning and two chopped scallions until smooth.
- Fold crab gently into the creamy mixture without pulverizing the lumps. Spread in a 1-quart baking dish and top evenly with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar.
- Bake approximately 20–25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and hot throughout, then rest five minutes before serving. The crab is already cooked; do not substitute raw crab without a separately measured and checked method.
- Divide into eight small portions. Crackers or vegetables are separate serving options, not ingredients in the dip. Record actual volume, salt level and whether the crab stays distinct in a kitchen trial.
Mix the base, then fold
Softened cream cheese mixes more easily with sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon and measured seasoning. Taste the dairy base before adding more salt; crab and seafood seasoning differ by brand.
Sally's Baking has a warm crab dip reference, but the measured scallion and cheddar version here is independent and untested.
Bake to a hot center
Spread the mixture in a one-quart dish, then scatter cheddar on top. Bake until the edges bubble and the center is hot, resting five minutes so the first scoop is manageable.
If a trial yields liquid around the edge, document crab drainage and dairy brand before thickening the recipe with an unmeasured ingredient.
Serve and label
Crackers or raw vegetables can be offered separately, but they are not counted in the eight dip portions. This is a crustacean-shellfish dish with dairy and typically egg-containing mayonnaise.
No exact buffet hold or refrigerated shelf life has been established for this proposed batch. Photo prompts show crab, not shrimp cakes or a lobster gratin.
Crab dip questions
Is the crab raw?
No. The measured ingredient is cooked lump crab meat, drained and checked for shell.
Are crackers in the recipe?
No. They are optional separate dippers.
What size dish?
A one-quart baking dish is the working size; check its fill during the trial.
Further reading and related Chefly recipes: Sally's Baking crab dip. These are relevant references and other dishes, not evidence that this proposed formula was tested.
Recipe-card handoff — preview, not a native plugin card
Warm Crab Dip. Category: Appetizers. 8 appetizer portions. Prep approximately 15 minutes; cooking approximately 25 minutes; additional cooling/chilling approximately 5 minutes; total approximately 45 minutes excluding preheat. Not kitchen-tested; nutrition not calculated.
Ingredients: 8 ounces Cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup Sour cream; 1/4 cup Mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Old Bay-style seafood seasoning; 2 scallions Scallions, finely chopped; 8 ounces Cooked lump crab meat, drained and checked for shell; 1/2 cup Shredded sharp cheddar.
Instructions: Heat oven to 375°F. Check 8 oz cooked lump crab meat for bits of shell and drain any excess liquid. Stir 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp seafood seasoning and two chopped scallions until smooth. Fold crab gently into the creamy mixture without pulverizing the lumps. Spread in a 1-quart baking dish and top evenly with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar. Bake approximately 20–25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and hot throughout, then rest five minutes before serving. The crab is already cooked; do not substitute raw crab without a separately measured and checked method. Divide into eight small portions. Crackers or vegetables are separate serving options, not ingredients in the dip. Record actual volume, salt level and whether the crab stays distinct in a kitchen trial.
Allergens: Crustacean shellfish; Milk; Egg in mayonnaise; Check packaged crab, seasoning and dippers for cross-contact. Review packaged ingredients and cross-contact before serving.
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Warm Crab Dip
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Eight small appetizer portions of warm crab dip.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup Sour cream
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay-style seafood seasoning
- 2 scallions Scallions, finely chopped
- 8 ounces Cooked lump crab meat, drained and checked for shell
- 1/2 cup Shredded sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Check 8 oz cooked lump crab meat for bits of shell and drain any excess liquid. Stir 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp seafood seasoning and two chopped scallions until smooth.
- Fold crab gently into the creamy mixture without pulverizing the lumps. Spread in a 1-quart baking dish and top evenly with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar.
- Bake approximately 20–25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and hot throughout, then rest five minutes before serving. The crab is already cooked; do not substitute raw crab without a separately measured and checked method.
- Divide into eight small portions. Crackers or vegetables are separate serving options, not ingredients in the dip. Record actual volume, salt level and whether the crab stays distinct in a kitchen trial.
Notes
Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.
Additional chilling, resting or cooling time: 5 minutes, included in the total.
Untested estimate: 20–25-minute bake and five-minute rest; preheat excluded.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chilling, resting or cooling: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately one quarter cup, pending measured baked yield