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Creamy and cheesy Baked Spinach and Crab Dip is serious comfort food that also happens to be the best holiday and party food! You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to throw together. Read on for more!
The last time I threw a REALLY big Christmas party, I made a double batch of this dip. I put one pan out on the table (with at least a dozen other dishes if not more, fyi) and kept one in the oven on warm until I needed it.
Which was about 12 minutes later. Seriously. The second batch was gone in about the same time and then I had to rearrange a bit to cover the hole left by the devoured dip.
There’s just something about hot dips, am I right? They just seem to satisfy in a way that no chilled dip ever could.
And, like my Baked Artichoke Dip recipe, this one is a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
With lots of spinach and crab meat at its core, this creamy and decadent baked dip gets its richness from a combo of cream cheese, heavy cream, mayonnaise and shredded jack cheese. Green onions, fresh lemon juice, worcestershire and hot sauces, dry mustard and Old Bay round out its flavors. Then, the whole thing gets topped with some crispy panko breadcrumbs and butter and baked until bubbly.
For as rich as it is, this dip is actually pretty veggie-forward with a dense presence of spinach–a great balance of nutrients and naughty!
Perfect for holiday get-togethers, game watching, dinner parties, cozy movie-watching Saturday nights and comfort food cravings, this restaurant-style dip recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and just needs some time in the oven to become bubbly and ready for your favorite dipper.
So grab a baguette or box of crackers and get dipping. Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
To make this crab and spinach dip recipe, we’ll need:
- Crab: There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this dip, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for this recipe (and I used it here).
- Frozen Spinach: I love keeping bags of chopped frozen spinach on hand for last minute soups and dip emergencies. It’s perfect in this recipe. The only thing you need to do is thaw it and then squeeze as much liquid out of it as possible. Excess moisture will likely cause a make a watery dip.
- Cream Cheese, Mayonnaise, Heavy Cream: The trifecta that makes the oh-so-creamy and decadent dip base. Just make sure that the cream cheese is completely softened at room temperature to make mixing seamless.
- Monterey Jack Cheese: A mild, white, cow’s milk cheese that melts well. It adds meltability without overwhelming the flavors of the other ingredients. Be sure to grate or shred the cheese yourself using a box grater. I don’t recommend pre-shredded cheese as it has an unpleasant anti-caking film on it and will not melt as well.
- Lemon Juice: Adds acidity and tanginess and helps to cut the richness of all the dairy a bit. Lemon also goes really well with seafood, so it’s a natural pairing with the crab.
- Worcestershire Sauce, Old Bay Seasoning, Hot Sauce and Dry Mustard: These seasonings combine to add savoriness, tanginess and a bit of sharpness to the otherwise rich and creamy dip.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: The crispy topping! If you’d prefer a gluten-free dip, you can just leave them out.
How to Make Spinach and Crab Dip
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
- PRO-TIP: Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the thawed spinach.
- Mix cream cheese, green onions, heavy cream, mayonnaise, Monterey jack cheese, lemon juice, worcesterchire and hot sauces, dry mustard, Old Bay seasoning, paprika and black pepper in a large bowl until well-combined. Then, fold in the spinach and crabmeat. Transfer the dip mixture to greased pan or pans and spread it out in an even layer.
- PRO-TIP: Make sure the cream cheese is completely at room temperature or this step will be a bit more difficult.
- Top the dip with panko breadcrumbs, then several pats of butter, then a sprinkling of paprika.
- PRO-TIP: If you have extra crab leftover, you can add that to the top, too!
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling. After it comes out of the oven, let the hot dip rest about 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with baguette slices, breadsticks, crackers, tortilla chips, pretzels or raw veggies. That’s it!
More Great Appetizers
- Baked Artichoke Hearts Oreganata
- Baccala Mantecato (Whipped Salt Cod Spread)
- Roasted Vegetable Caponata
- Sausage Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
- Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- Italian Baccala Fritters
- Crispy Baked Calamari
- Fried Butterflied Shrimp
- Sausage-Stuffed Long Hot Peppers
- Roasted Peppers
- Zucchini Bruschetta
- Baked Panko Crusted Zucchini
If you love crab, check out these recipes: Crab Mushroom Soup, Spaghetti and Crabs, Easy Pasta with Lump Crabmeat.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this dip, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for this recipe (and I used it here).
It depends on the dip! While focaccia or something rustic is a great option for dipping into olive oil, something more sturdy, like sliced baguette, sourdough, pita or even pretzel bread, is best for a creamy, rich dip like this crab spinach dip. Toasting the bread is definitely a good idea, but not necessary.
And, of course, most crackers and even crudité (raw vegetables) would be great to dig into this creamy hot spinach dip! I also love pairing this dip with breadsticks, tortilla chips and crispy pretzels.
Yes, you can definitely make this recipe with fresh spinach. It just requires the extra steps of cooking, cooling and chopping it.
Use regular or fresh baby spinach and blanch it briefly in salted boiling water until it’s wilted and tender. Then, drain it and run cold water over it to cool it and immediately stop the cooking process. Once it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Then, chop it. It’s now ready to add to the recipe and mix with the other ingredients.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Truthfully, this dip is just a little different every time I make it as there are so many great variations for it. Here are some of my favorites:
- Turn this into a classic spinach artichoke dip by simply substituting half the spinach for chopped artichoke hearts. Or, alternatively, substitute ALL of the spinach with artichoke.
- Make it spicy! I love adding finely-diced fresh jalapeño peppers, red pepper flakes or some Calabrian chili paste to the mix for a spicy kick. Very dynamic!
- You can replace mild Monterey jack cheese with a bolder cheese, such as a sharp cheddar or gouda (plain or smoked) or another melty, cow’s milk cheeses, such as gruyere, fontina, taleggio or mozzarella. You can also add in some parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
- If you’d like to lighten things up a bit in this decadent dip, you can use a light cream cheese and substitute half the mayonnaise with light sour cream.
- And, if you’d like to keep this dip, gluten-free, just leave the breadcrumb topping off.
TOP TIPS FOR SPINACH AND CRAB DIP
- Crab: There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this dip, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for this recipe (and I used it here). Gently pick through the crab meat before using to check for shells.
- Spinach: Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the thawed spinach. Excess moisture may result in a watery dip.
- Cream Cheese: It should be completely softened at room temperature so that you can mix all the ingredients very easily.
- Prep in Advance: You can mix/assemble the dip mixture 1 to 2 days in advance (without the breadcrumbs and butter topping), if necessary, and hold it in the refrigerator. Remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. (Or, allow about 10 minutes more baking time if baking right from fridge.) Then just transfer the spinach and crab dip mixture to a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs, butter and paprika and bake.
- Baking Time: The time in the recipe is an estimate, but just make sure the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown. You can use a stem thermometer to check the center if desired (but not necessary). Make sure it’s about 165°F.
- Serving Suggestions: This dip was made for partying! Pair it with your favorite dippers (sliced baguette, breadsticks, crackers, tortillas chips, raw veggies) and serve it alongside other party food and watch it disappear quickly!
- Hold Back up in Oven: Based on experience, this dip goes VERY quickly at parties. Like, faster-than-you’d-think-blink-and-it’s-gone quickly. So, here’s my suggestion: break up the dip mixture into two smaller baking dishes (like I did here), serve one and hold the second in a warm/low temperature oven covered until you need it.
- Leftovers: Leftovers actually hold up really well for up to 5 days. Either reheat them in the microwave or covered in a 350°F oven until heated through. Stir the reheated dip gently before serving.
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If you’ve tried this Spinach and Crab Dip recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Creamy Baked Spinach and Crab Dip
Equipment
- Casserole Dish (or Cast Iron Pan)
- Cast Iron Pan (or Casserole Dish)
Ingredients
- Butter to grease pan + more for topping
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
- 8 ounces crabmeat (See Notes.)
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 cups chopped green onions, both white and green parts (about 2 bunches)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese or mild white cheddar (about 1½ cups shredded)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1½ Tbsp hot sauce (use more or less, as desired)
- 4 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp Old Bay seafood seasoning
- 1½ tsp paprika + more for topping
- 1 tsp black pepper
- To taste salt
- About ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- PREP: Prep and gather all ingredients. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Use the convection setting if you have that option. Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the thawed spinach. Gently pick through the crab meat to check for shells. Find a casserole dish or cast iron pan that will hold about 6 cups (or use 2 smaller ones like I did here) and rub the bottom and sides with butter.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)1 pound frozen chopped spinach,, 8 ounces crabmeat
- MIX: Combine the following in a large mixing bowl: cream cheese, green onions, heavy cream, mayonnaise, cheese, lemon juice, worcesterchire and hot sauces, dry mustard, Old Bay, paprika and black pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are well-combined. Make sure the cream cheese is completely at room temperature or this step will be a bit more difficult.(I used my hands, as in making a meatball mixture, but a large spoon will do. You can also put it in a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment if you are so inclined.)12 ounces cream cheese,, 2 cups chopped green onions,, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, 4 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1½ Tbsp hot sauce, 4 tsp dry mustard, 2 tsp Old Bay seafood seasoning, 1½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp black pepper
- Then, fold in the spinach and crab. Don’t worry too much about over mixing. Just make sure all ingredients are well-incorporated.8 ounces crabmeat, 1 pound frozen chopped spinach,
- TASTE TEST: Then, taste it and see if the mixture needs any salt. It might not. (I used ½ tsp salt, fyi.) If it does, mix it in.
- PLACE IN PAN: Next, transfer the dip mixture to the greased pan or pans and spread it out in an even layer.
- TOP: Top the dip with panko breadcrumbs, then several pats of butter, then a sprinkling of paprika. If you have extra crab leftover, you can add that to the top, too!
- BAKE: Place the baking dish/dishes on the middle rack of the 375°F preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling. If you’re not sure if the dip is hot enough in the center and want to use a stem thermometer, insert it into the center and make sure it reads at least 165°F.
- REST & SERVE: After it comes out of the oven, let the hot dip rest about 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.Serve with baguette slices, breadsticks, crackers, tortilla chips, pretzels or raw veggies. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- This recipe makes about 6 cups dip. I figured about ½ cup per person but adjust accordingly. Since it’s very rich, though, and will likely be served with other dishes, it would probably feed more than 12 people.
- There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this dip, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for this recipe (and I used it here).
- Gently pick through the crab meat before using to check for shells.
- Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the thawed spinach. Excess moisture may result in a watery dip.
- Also, even though this recipe calls for one pound of spinach, you can use up to 20 ounces since many bags of frozen spinach are packed in this size.
- The cream cheese should be completely softened at room temperature so that all the ingredients mix up very easily.
- Be sure to grate or shred the cheese yourself using a box grater. I don’t recommend pre-shredded cheese as it has an unpleasant anti-caking film on it and will not melt really well.
- You can mix/assemble the dip mixture 1 to 2 days in advance (without the breadcrumbs and butter topping), if necessary, and hold it in the refrigerator. Remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. (Or, allow about 10 minutes more baking time if baking right from fridge.) Then just transfer the spinach and crab dip mixture to a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs, butter and paprika and bake.
- The time in the recipe is an estimate, but just make sure the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown. You can use a stem thermometer to check the center if desired (but not necessary). Make sure it’s about 165°F.
- Based on experience, this dip goes VERY quickly at parties. Like, faster-than-you’d-think-blink-and-it’s-gone quickly. So, here’s my suggestion: break up the dip mixture into two smaller baking dishes (like I did here), serve one and hold the second in a warm/low temperature oven covered until you need it.
- Leftovers actually hold up really well for up to 5 days. Either reheat them in the microwave (individual servings) or covered in a 350°F oven until heated through. Stir the reheated dip gently before serving.
