Equipment
Ingredients
Dairy Base
- 225 g cream cheese, completely at room temperature
- 60 g mayonnaise
- 60 g sour cream
Flavorings
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 ml gluten-free worcestershire sauce
- 1 g cayenne pepper
- 3 g garlic powder
- 2 g paprika
Mix-ins
- 250 g lump crab meat, drained and picked over for stray shells
- 100 g sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 20 g green onions, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 327 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 547 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 88 mg
- Potassium
- 228 mg
- Calcium
- 210 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 26 mg
- Phosphorus
- 234 mg
- Zinc
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 188 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.15 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 29 mcg
- Water
- 69 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Prepare a small baking dish by lightly greasing the interior.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Stir vigorously with a silicone spatula until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
Add the lemon juice, gluten-free worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and chopped green onions into the dairy base. Mix thoroughly to distribute the spices evenly.
Add the drained lump crab meat and half of the grated sharp cheddar cheese to the bowl. Gently fold the ingredients together using the silicone spatula, taking special care not to break up the crab lumps.
Transfer the crab mixture into the prepared small baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 50g of sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. The dip is ready when the cheese is completely melted, the edges are bubbling vigorously, and the top is lightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let the dip rest for 5 minutes before serving to prevent burning the palate. Serve warm alongside sturdy crackers or toasted baguette slices.
Chef's Notes
- Always pick through lump crab meat carefully before using to ensure no hidden shell fragments or cartilage remain, even if the packaging claims it is fully cleaned.
- Ensure your cream cheese is completely at room temperature before mixing. Attempting to mix cold cream cheese will result in an unappealing, lumpy texture that cannot be fixed later.
- For an extra luxurious texture, you can swap half of the sour cream for creme fraiche, which handles oven temperatures beautifully without splitting.
- Do not aggressively stir the crab meat into the base. Folding it in gently preserves the large lumps, providing a much better mouthfeel and visual appeal to the finished dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a 150°C oven until warmed through, or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.
Troubleshooting
Dip is excessively oily or the emulsion has separated
Cause: Using low-fat dairy products, mixing cold cream cheese, or overbaking past the bubbly stage
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely once separated, but stirring the dip vigorously in the baking dish immediately before serving can temporarily re-emulsify the fats.
Prevention: Use full-fat cream cheese and mayonnaise, ensure the cream cheese is fully at room temperature before mixing, and remove from the oven as soon as the edges bubble.
Cultural Context
Warm baked crab dips have been a staple of American coastal holiday entertaining since the mid-twentieth century, particularly around the Chesapeake Bay area. The combination of sweet crustacean meat with a rich, tangy dairy base and savory spices creates an indulgent communal dish that perfectly suits festive gatherings.
