Creole Crab Au Gratin is a creamy dip loaded with flavorful crab meat (fresh or imitation crab meat), creole seasoning, sauteed veggies, a creamy egg mixture, white wine, melted butter, and a mixture of shredded cheese. Perfect for any party, all year round!
Once assembled in a baking dish, this irresistible dip is topped with more shredded cheese and panko bread crumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly.
Serve it with crispy slices of baguette, crackers, breadsticks, and sliced vegetables!
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🗝️ Recipe’s key points
- Enjoy crab dip regardless of your budget. It’s delicious whether you use fresh crab meat or imitation crab meat.
- Serve this delicious dip hot or cold.
- Make it ahead of time. Assemble the dip and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bake it just before serving!
Creole crab dip is a hit with most people and can be enjoyed regardless of the season or budget since you can make it with fresh or imitation crab meat!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Lump crabmeat – or use imitation crab meat sold as surimi.
- Vegetables – Red Bell Pepper, celery, green onions
- Dairy -Whole milk, heavy cream, eggs
- Lemon juice from a fresh lemon
- Seasonings – Fresh garlic, Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, black pepper
- Dry white wine
- Cheese – Parmesan, Gruyère, Sharp Cheddar
- Panko crumbs – Italian-seasoned
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, placing a rack in the upper third of the oven, and grease a medium baking dish with butter.
- Whisk the egg yolks, milk, and cream in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Combine the bread crumbs and parmesan in a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Combine garlic, onion whites and light greens, celery, and bell pepper. Saute until softened and lightly browned in some spots, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).
- Add creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, cayenne, and white wine. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring until the wine nearly evaporates.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the flour.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously until the flour is golden brown and smells nutty. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the crabmeat and lemon juice.
- Stir in the creamy egg mixture, half of the cheddar, and half of the gruyère until melted.
- Transfer the crab au gratin mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar and gruyère or Swiss cheese. Sprinkle the dish evenly with the parmesan cheese mixture.
- Bake the crab au gratin for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on the top. Garnish with the remaining dark green onions, and serve with bread for dipping into.
🥫 Storage
Store crab dip in the baking dish, covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. While it’s possible to freeze this dip, the creamy dairy ingredients could split or alter in texture as a result of freezing and thawing.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or the oven.
📚 Variations
- Use real lump and flake crab meat for a decadent creole crab dip.
- I’ve baked this crab dip in a medium baking dish, but you could get creative and serve it in bread bowls instead.
- You can make this recipe as a cold dip by assembling it as directed and then not baking it. Alternatively, make it ahead (including the baking time) and allow it to cool to chill in the fridge before serving if you prefer a cold dip. Personally, I love the gooey cheese from the heat of the oven.
- Change the seasoning in this crab dip. Old Bay seasoning is great.
- Add extra heat to this dip with hot sauce.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Leftover crab dip is great as a spread for sandwiches, as a filling for wraps, or an ingredient for making crab cakes, and other seafood dishes or appetizers.
- The fresher the crab meat used in crab dip, the better the flavor and texture of the dip.
- Add ¼ teaspoon more salt to the dish if the creole seasoning used is salt-free.
- If you use canned crab meat, make sure that you drain it properly to avoid a runny dip.
🤔 FAQs
Apart from the crab meat, crab dip typically consists of creamy ingredients, such as heavy cream, sour cream, or cream cheese. It’s seasoned with a mixture of salt, black pepper, cayenne, and paprika.
It often includes a mixture of shredded cheese in the dip mixture and as a topping. Other ingredients can include mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and hot sauce.
Crab dip is perfect to serve with crusty baguette, crackers, celery sticks, other sturdy cut vegetables, or pita wedges.
Crab meat can be a good source of protein if made with fresh crab or fish. Imitation crab meat is processed and contains other ingredients that won’t make it as healthy. It also depends on the other ingredients included in the recipe and what your dietary requirements are.
Imitation crab dip consists of surimi (a mixture of white fish), mayonnaise, green onion, celery, and shredded cheese.
Surimi is a mixture of white fish that’s been minced and reduced to a paste. It’s then shaped (and sometimes colored) to mimic the meat of lobster and crab.
- Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip – Get a dose of veggies in this incredibly creamy hot spinach artichoke dip. It’s another perfect dip for parties and social gatherings.
- Baked Taco Dip – This Tex-Mex dip is loaded with taco flavor. Easily adapt it with your favorite taco-inspired toppings!
- Baked Goat Cheese Marinara Dip With Caramelized Onions – This dip is a creamy and decadent baked goat cheese dip. It has a herbal flavor, surrounded by spicy marinara sauce. Enjoy it spread across toast, crackers, or with a side of sliced veggies and breadsticks.
🍽 What to serve with Crab Au Gratin Appetizer
Make genuine French baguettes to serve along with the crab spread. Or, if you prefer, smear it on an English Muffin for a light lunch or dinner.
Serve a tray of crudités along with the bread dippers for an assortment of flavors. You’ll be a hero any way you go.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- baking dish
- dry measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
If there’s one dish that can bring warmth and comfort to any gathering or family dinner, it’s a flavorful Creole Crab Au Gratin Dip or Casserole. Imagine indulging in a creamy blend of succulent crab meat surimi infused with the rich flavors of Parmesan, Cheddar, and Gruyere cheese, all topped off with a crispy Panko crumb topping. With every bite, your taste buds will e transported to a place of pure delight and satisfaction. This dish is a true crow-pleaser and is sure to elevate any occasion to a whole new level of culinary bliss.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
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📖 Recipe
Creole Crab Dip Au Gratin Recipe
Creole Crab Dip is a creamy and flavorful dip, loaded with chunks of crab meat, creole seasoning, softened veggies, and gooey shredded cheese – baked to golden perfection!
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 258kcal
As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 cup
heavy cream
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 4 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 4 green onions thinly sliced, whites and dark greens separated
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and finely diced
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 pound imitation lump or flake crab meat see notes
- 2 tablespoons
lemon juice
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup Gruyère or Swiss cheese shredded
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
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Grease a medium baking dish with butter. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, and heavy cream. Set aside.
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In a separate small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan. Set aside.
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In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
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Add the garlic, onion whites and light greens, celery, and bell pepper. Saute, occasionally stirring, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
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Add the creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt (add ¼ teaspoon more if the creole seasoning is salt-free), black pepper, cayenne, and white wine.
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8 Cook, frequently stirring until the wine nearly evaporates, about 2 minutes.
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Reduce to low heat and add the flour. Cook, stirring continuously, until flour is golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes (it won’t darken like a roux). Remove from heat.
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Stir in the crabmeat and lemon juice.
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Stir in the cream and egg mixture, half of the cheddar, and half of the gruyère until melted (return to low heat if needed to incorporate the cheese fully).
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Transfer the crab au gratin mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar and gruyère or Swiss cheese.
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Sprinkle the dish evenly with the parmesan mixture.
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Bake the crab au gratin until bubbly and golden brown on top, 20–30 minutes.
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Garnish with the remaining dark green onions, and serve with bread for dipping.
Notes
NOTES: For a really decadent casserole, use real lump and flake crab meat.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1123IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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