Slow Cooker Crab Dip
5 Comments Aug 02, 2022
Updated Jun 16, 2025
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This Slow Cooker Crab Dip is a crowd favorite for parties, game days, and holidays. It’s creamy, savory, and packed with crab flavor. No oven, no fuss, and the results are always impressive.
Crockpot crab dip is the ultimate way to enjoy a decadent appetizer with the convenience of slow cooking. This cheesy dip melts to perfection, creating an indulgent treat Just add your favorite dippers, and you’ve got a party-ready appetizer that’s sure to impress!
Have even more crab to use up? Try my Cream of Crab Soup recipe for a light and easy dinner.
Key Ingredients
- Crab Meat: Use any crab you like—fresh, canned, snow crab, or even Dungeness for a splurge.
- Cheese: Four cheeses melt together to create a rich, gooey base that perfectly complements the sweet crab.
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: These add smoothness and balance to the cheese and crab.
- Onion: Sweet Vidalia onion gives flavor without overpowering.
- Seasonings: Old Bay, garlic, onion powder, and minced garlic bring the bold flavor.
- Extras: Lemon juice, scallions, Worcestershire, and a few dashes of Tabasco add brightness and depth.
How to make Crockpot Crab Dip
- Mix up a creamy, cheesy base with plenty of flavor packed in.
- Gently fold in the crab—you don’t want to break it up too much!
- Let it bubble away in the slow cooker until hot and melty.
- Scoop, serve, and snack with your favorite dippers.
Variations
- If you’d like a browned top, pop the dip in the oven for a few minutes.
- Consider adding diced red bell pepper for added color (and texture).
- Add extra Tabasco sauce or finely chopped jalapenos for an extra kick of heat.
- For a seafood medley, mix in 1/2 pound of cooked, chopped shrimp or scallops along with the crab meat.
- This recipe can be halved. However, the cooking times in the slow cooker would remain the same.
- Add horseradish to the dip to make it a bit spicy and to add flavor.
What to serve with crab dip
- This crab dip can be served hot with ritz crackers, crostini or soft french bread.
- Other optional dippers could be tortilla chips and pita chips.
- Veggies also make great dippers, such as cut bell peppers, broccoli, celery, carrots, and cucumbers. You can also serve the crab dip in fluffy baked potatoes.
- This also makes a great steak topper (think leftovers!)
Slow Cooker Crab Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz. cream cheese, (two 8-oz. packages)
- 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 cup sour cream
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup Vidalia onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. scallion, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 5 dashes tabasco sauce
- 1 Tbsp. old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 lbs. lump crab meat, (can use 1-2 pounds)
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese in the microwave in a glass bowl for 30 seconds.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, combine all the ingredients except for the crab meat. Mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the crab meat.
- Add the crab mixture to your slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours or 4 hours on low until bubbling.
- When done cooking, if desired brown the top of the dip in the oven (optional!).
- Serve hot and enjoy with ritz crackers, crostinis or fresh cut celery.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Dip Recipes
Slow Cooker Beer Cheese Dip and Rotel Dip are always a hit for game days or parties.
Try Slow Cooker Pizza Dip, White Pizza Dip, or Sausage Dip if you’re craving something cheesy and hearty.
For something a little different, Texas Trash Dip and Hot Shrimp Dip bring bold flavors and creamy textures.
This dip is great, but requires a lot of ingredients. And MUST something spicy be an ingredient in most every dish? At any rate, good as it is, this recipe cannot be prepped in 10 min. It takes longer than that to measure out and prep all those ingredients. I will make this again probably.
Can I freeze leftovers?
For this one, I would say no. I don’t think you want to freeze crab after it’s been cooked twice.
Can I prep this the night before and add it to the crockpot the next day??
Yes! I have done that before and it works great.