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This cold crab dip is one of my fastest, easiest recipes. It also happens to be my oldest dip recipe (2017!), one I threw together on a whim in my early food blogging days. I’ve made it dozens of times since then when I’ve needed something on short notice, because it only takes 5 minutes and doesn’t require any actual cooking. And it disappears so fast at every gathering I bring it to. So when you need something quick for your party, make this easy crab dip recipe with me!
Why You Need My Cold Crab Dip Recipe
- Creamy and flavorful, with real crab meat – Some crab dip recipes use imitation crab meat, but mine uses the real thing and you’ll taste the difference. The combo of cream cheese and sour cream give it a creamy texture, but my recipe has more crab than most I’ve tried. And there are just enough spices for flavor without overpowering the seafood.
- Quick and easy – While I love hot crab dip, making this crab dip recipe cold is even faster. You need just 6 ingredients and literally 5 minutes! It’s pretty much the fastest dip I’ve ever made, yet feels like something you’d order from a restaurant.
- Lighter than most creamy dips – This one has just 82 calories per generous 1/4 cup serving, and it’s packed with protein.
- Perfect for entertaining – This dip is the perfect quick starter at parties, and versatile for any season. It’s light enough for spring, avoids heating up my kitchen in the summer, and gives me more time to focus on other dishes during the busy fall holidays.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my easy crab dip recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Crab Meat – I highly recommend jumbo lump crab meat over kinds just labeled “canned crab meat”, as it will get you the best texture in your crab dip. Make sure to squeeze it to get rid of extra water. This recipe needs 8 ounces, so when I can’t find that size and end up with extra, I use the rest for crab salad. But if you’re lucky enough to have leftover crab legs, this dip is amazing with the fresh crab meat.
- Cream Cheese – I use regular, but light works, too.
- Sour Cream – Feel free to swap in Greek yogurt for a lighter, more protein-packed cold crab dip, or replace half of the sour cream with mayonnaise for different flavor.
- Lemon Juice – I always love the flavor of lemon with seafood. You can throw in a teaspoon of lemon zest for even more of it.
- Old Bay Seasoning – This is a spice blend of celery seed, salt, paprika, red pepper, black pepper, and around a dozen others. I love the convenience of using it premade. If you like some heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a splash of hot sauce. I also made this crab dip with Cajun seasoning once when I was out of Old Bay.
- Fresh Chives – For a pop of flavor and color. Green onions (which I used in my video below), finely minced shallots, or even simply parsley would make good substitutes.
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How To Make Crab Dip
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, and salt, until smooth.
- Fold in the crab and chives. Use a spatula and fold gently.
- Refrigerate (optional). You can enjoy your cold crab dip right away, but I like to chill it for at least an hour to let the flavors develop. Give it another gentle stir before serving, and I like extra chives for garnish!
My Recipe Tips
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. It won’t mix well if it’s cold, and you’ll end up with little pieces instead of a smooth texture. When I forget, I just microwave it for 20 seconds to soften.
- Squeezing the crab meat is crucial. You probably know to drain the can, but that’s not enough. I squeeze it with my hands over the sink to get rid of even more liquid, otherwise the crab dip turns out watery.
- This crab dip recipe is very crab-heavy. Which is how I like it. If you prefer more creaminess, reduce the amount of crab to 6 ounces, or add an extra couple tablespoons of sour cream.
- Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the crab meat so you keep those nice, chunky pieces. No one wants crab mush!
- Wondering about the food processor mentions in the comments? This is one of my oldest dip recipes and I used to blend the first step in a food processor, but recently I found that a bowl works just as well as long as the cream cheese is soft. You can do either, but I now prefer a bowl so I don’t have to wash my blender or food processor.
- Refrigerating is optional, but gets you a better flavor. I skip it if I’m making this cold crab dip last-minute, but am always happy I didn’t when I manage to plan ahead.
- Can you make it warm? You can, but in my opinion the hot version needs melty cheese! I recommend using my hot crab dip recipe (which is based on this one but has cheese added) if that’s what you’re looking for.
- Want extra flavor? Sometimes I replace some of the crab with sauteed shrimp or lobster, add 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce for an umami flavor, or toss in a mashed clove of roasted garlic.
Serving Ideas
I used these organic sweet potato crackers, mini bell peppers, and cucumber sticks as dippers in my pictures above. This crab dip also goes well with flaxseed crackers, almond flour crackers, carrot sticks, celery, or baked tortilla chips.
If you’re having an appetizer party, this cold crab dip recipe is great for a dip spread alongside onion dip, spinach dip, or queso. A little something for everyone!
Cold Crab Dip Recipe (5 Minutes)
By
Learn how to make crab dip in just 5 minutes! My easy cold crab dip recipe is creamy, simple, has real crab meat, and perfect for your party.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, seasoning, and sea salt, until smooth.
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Fold in the crab meat and chives using a spatula. (Do this gently and don't over-mix. You want some lumps of crab throughout.)
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You can serve right away, but if you have time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors develop.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get a creamy texture that isn’t watery with lumps of crab throughout, ways to get more flavor, and my recommendation if you want it hot.
- Storage or meal prep: Keep the dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Just give it a quick stir before serving again. I don’t recommend freezing, as the texture will be ruined.
- Note on nutrition info: I updated the serving size in 2025 from 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup, as I think this is more reasonable. This is why the numbers have changed, as the serving size is double from before.
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Cold Crab Dip Recipe
More Easy Dip Recipes
Nothing like a dip to complete a party! Try one of my other easy dips next, or even make a spread with them:
81 Comments
Randi
0Can the calorie count only be 29 or is that a misprint?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Just an update on this for anyone reading — the recipe card now says 82 calories because I doubled the serving size from 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Randi, It’s 41 calories per serving, which is 2 tbsp.
Randi
0Thank you very very much, I love it!
Janette
0Crab is such a delicate flavor. I find, for me, too much seasoning ruins the subtly of this dish. I loved it the way it is. Thank you for sharing this.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Janette! Have a great day!
Michael D Woods
0Rather bland. Perhaps Maya is Swedish like Mom, who hardly seasoned anything.
Try this: Increase Old Bay to ½ tsp+, add ½ tsp+ Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere’s or Zatarain’s) and maybe a dash of sea salt–or try some black pepper for some of the other seasonings. I wish I had thought of the horseradish others mentioned since I Iike that too, but you don’t get the color of Old Bay or Cajun. I didn’t have chives but finely chopped celery also gives color and a little crunch besides. It may seem peppery when sampled but that becomes diluted on crackers. I saved my mods to my own recipe file and will use this a lot!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michael, Sorry to hear you found it bland. I’m not Swedish and do love to use seasonings. 🙂 Sometimes I balance seasoning a lot with a more mild taste that a greater majority will like, and here I felt that the flavor of the crab should shine, but you can easily add seasonings to your liking. I thought the Old Bay was pretty flavorful. Thank you for sharing your version with us.
eileen bartel
0I would maybe add 3/4 tsp horseradish for a little zip
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Great idea, Eileen! Thank you!
Stanley Yudys
0As an added extra try pouring shrimp cocktail sauce over the crab cheesecake and serve with low carb pretzels. Delicious!!!
Eileen Bartel
0Seafood sauce drizzled over top would be a nice addition.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Stanley! I’ll have to try that sometime!
Melia Diva
0Can this be heated in the oven? Or is is best served cold?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, it’s good both hot and cold!