Crock pot crab dip is how I serve hot Maryland crab dip when I’ve got a houseful of people. It’s lump crab, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, sharp cheddar, and Old Bay, stirred together in about 10 minutes and cooked on LOW for 2 hours in a little 1.5-quart slow cooker. A layer of melted cheddar goes on at the end, then you switch it to Warm and everybody helps themselves with crackers, crostini, pita chips, or veggies. One batch makes about 20 quarter-cup servings, plenty for game days and holiday buffets.
We’ve had crab legs every Christmas Eve for the past 30 years, and there are usually leftovers. So everybody pitches in to finish cleaning them, and we set aside the crab meat to make this dip on Christmas evening while everyone sits around and relaxes. The rest of the year, I make it with canned lump crab because it’s so much more economical than fresh.
I was born and raised in Southern Maryland. We are very particular about our Chesapeake Crab dishes. This is the BEST crab dip recipe I have found!
—JACKIE
Main Ingredients Needed For Crock Pot Crab Dip
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Lump crab meat: three 6-ounce cans get you the pound you need. The 6 ounces on the label includes the liquid, so drain it really well, or your dip will turn watery. At Christmas, I use snow crab meat picked from our leftover crab legs, and if we come up short of a pound, I just add a can to make up the difference.
- Cream cheese: full-fat gives you the richest, creamiest dip. Let it come to room temperature first so it beats up smooth without lumps.
- Sour cream and mayonnaise: these loosen up the cream cheese so the dip is creamy and scoopable instead of stiff.
- Sharp cheddar: my favorite cheese for this dip. Most of it gets stirred in, and the rest melts on top at the end.
- Old Bay seasoning: this is what makes it taste like Maryland crab dip. That Chesapeake seasoning and sweet crab just belong together.
- Fresh lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce: a little fresh lemon brightens up all that richness, and Worcestershire adds a savory depth you’d miss if it weren’t there.
Canned vs Fresh Crab: Making Maryland Crab Dip on a Budget
Here’s why I buy canned lump crab most of the year. Three cans of lump crab came to $20.97 for a pound, while fresh lump crab from the refrigerated seafood case was $59.98 a pound. That’s about a third of the price for the same amount of crab, and Walmart carries canned lump crab for about $6.50 a can. When you’re feeding a crowd, that difference adds up fast.
How To Make Crock Pot Crab Dip
This is the creamy, cheesy, crab-loaded dip my family digs into every Christmas evening, and it only takes a few minutes of mixing before the crock pot takes over.
Tips and Variations for Slow Cooker Crab Dip
I’ve made this slow cooker crab dip enough times to learn a few things:
- Drain the crab really well: the liquid in those cans is what turns a crab dip watery.
- Fold, don’t stir: I take my time folding the crab in with a spatula so it stays in big, tender chunks.
- Stick with LOW: HIGH burns the cheese around the edges, so I always cook this one low.
- Stir right before the cheese goes on: give it a good stir with 10 minutes of cook time left, then add the cheddar layer.
- Switch to Warm for serving: it stays creamy and scoopable for about 2 hours on Warm.
- Use a little dip crock: I have a small 1.5-quart crock pot just for dips, and this batch is the right size for it.
Once you’ve made it the classic way, here are two ways I change it up:
- Add a little heat: stir in ½ teaspoon of cayenne with the Old Bay.
- Christmas crab legs version: use a pound of snow crab meat picked from leftover crab legs, and top it off with a can of lump crab if you come up short.
If your crowd loves a hot dip from the crock pot, try my Rotel Sausage Dip and Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip next. And for a crab dip you serve straight from the fridge, there’s my Cold Crab Dip.
Making Maryland Crab Dip Ahead for a Party
You can mix this crock pot crab dip a full day before your party, crab and all. Keep it in the fridge in a tightly sealed container so no air gets in and dries it out. Then, right before I start my party prep, I spoon it into the crock pot and turn it on LOW. Since it’s starting out cold, give it about 20 extra minutes of cook time. The bowl and spatula are washed and put away long before anybody rings the doorbell, so all that’s left is setting out the crackers. You’ll find this dip on my list of Crockpot Ideas for Potluck Dinners, too.
Kitchen Essentials I Use In This Recipe
My little 1.5-quart dip crock is in here, along with the other party slow cookers and hosting tools I reach for when I’m having people over.
Party Slow Cookers & Hosting Tools
Questions About Crock Pot Crab Dip
Sharp cheddar is my favorite, and it’s the one I use every time I make this dip. It melts smooth into the creamy base and makes that golden, gooey layer on top that everybody goes for with the first chip.
Yes, and that’s how I make it most of the year. The crab gets folded into a creamy, cheesy base and heated through, so canned lump crab works great here. Look for cans labeled lump crab meat, since some cans mix in other kinds of crab meat.
If you make this crock pot crab dip for your next get-together, I’d love it if you’d come back and leave a star rating in the recipe card below.
Crock Pot Crab Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, full-fat, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided: 1 cup in dip and 1/4 cup for topping
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, ground
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound lump crab meat, three 6-ounce cans, drained, or 1 pound picked snow crab leg meat
Instructions
Make the creamy base
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.8 ounces cream cheese
- Spoon in the mayonnaise and sour cream, then add the cheddar for the dip along with the Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, and dry mustard. Save the rest of the cheddar for the topping.1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- Mix until everything is creamy and well combined.
Add the Crab Meat
- Drain crab meat well (if canned, remove any paper liner at the bottom of the can).1 pound lump crab meat
- Gently fold the crab into the cream cheese mixture. Don't overmix, so the crab stays in big chunks.
Cook in the Slow Cooker
- Spoon the mixture into a small slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
Finish with cheese
- With 10 minutes of cook time left, give the dip a good stir.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top.
- Cover and cook until melted.
Serve
- Once done, switch the slow cooker to the "warm" setting to keep the dip creamy without drying it out.
- Serve with crackers, crostini, pita chips, or fresh vegetables.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Mix the whole dip, crab and all, up to 1 day ahead. Keep it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge so no air gets in and dries it out.
- Spoon it into the slow cooker and cook as directed, adding about 20 minutes to the cook time since it starts cold.
- LOW: 2 hours (about 2 hours 20 minutes when starting cold from the fridge).
- HIGH: not recommended. It burns the cheese around the edges.
- Warm: keeps the dip creamy and scoopable for about 2 hours.
- For a little heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon cayenne with the Old Bay.
- Refrigerate: let the dip cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this dip. It comes out watery.
- Microwave small portions in short 30-second bursts until warm.
- Keep the dip on Warm while serving. Once it’s off the heat, don’t leave it out longer than 2 hours.
Equipment
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality With Hot Crab Dip
A Christmas Night Leftovers Spread is how we wind down the holiday at our house, with whatever’s left from the big dinner set out on the counter and this hot crab dip warming in its little crock pot right in the middle of it all. Since everybody helps pick the leftover meat from our Christmas Eve crab legs, the dip is ready to go with almost no work, and nobody has to cook another full meal. I put out a stack of small plates and a basket of crackers and crostini, then let folks graze and go back for more while we all finally sit down. Ecclesiastes 3:13 says it’s God’s gift that we eat and drink and take pleasure in all our toil, and I feel that most on Christmas night, when the cooking is done and the people I love are piled up together in the living room. If you know a neighbor spending the holiday alone or a family from church with no relatives in town, invite them over for leftovers, because a relaxed evening around the crock pot is an easy place for them to feel like part of the family.
5 Stars from a Crab Snob!
I was born and raised in Southern Maryland. We are very particular about our Chesapeake Crab dishes. This is the BEST crab dip recipe I have found!
I will mention that I added a modest amount of ground cayenne pepper, and some chopped green onions. As with any savory recipe, I also add a small amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. This is just my personal preference, YMMV.
Jackie, you made my day! Thank you for your review. I used your kind words in a reader’s star review at the top of the post. Again, thanks for sharing.
I made this for a Christmas party. It was quick, easy and delicious.
Glad you enjoyed it Mary.
Being a Marylander I have been making this dip for 50 years, It’s a request by my family all the time and the first thing to vanish at a gathering! I have never followed a recipe but all the ingredients you have listed is exactly what I use in my dip.
Carol, I love hearing that are recipes are the same! We spent a week up in Main (Captain Nichols Inn) Each day we would visit some place new and try a local restaurant. That adventure is what prompted me to try my hand at creating a recipe for “real” crab dip. Thanks for sharing.