Paleo Maryland Crab Dip
This Paleo Maryland Crab dip is a delicious dairy free & gluten free version of the classic Chesapeake appetizer. It is packed with jumbo lump blue crab, almond milk cream cheese, mayo, a cashew sour cream, and lots of Old Bay! Perfect for serving over the holiday season!
Cheesy, gooey crab dip was my go-to at restaurants growing up. Nothing better than a heaping scoop on some crusty bread! Unfortunately that combo won’t fly with me anymore, so it was time to come up with a dairy free & gluten free version. In my humble opinion, this Paleo Maryland Crab dip is just as delicious. And a little healthier, too!
What You Need to Make This Paleo Maryland Crab Dip
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious dip!
- Lump crab meat – I highly recommend using fresh lump crab meat if you have access to it. Canned crab will work, but fresh is preferred. I got a 1 lb container from the seafood counter.
- Mayo – I like Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayo
- Raw, unsalted cashews – I get these at Trader Joe’s or on Amazon
- Lemon
- Nutritional yeast – This is inactive yeast (it’s gluten free and paleo) and it gives stuff a “cheesy” flavor. You can find it in many grocery stores or on Amazon.
- Ground mustard
- 1 tub of Kite Hill dairy free cream cheese (I used chive)
- New Bae or Old Bay seasoning
- Coconut aminos
- Paprika
- Salt
You can use regular cream cheese if you tolerate dairy!
How To Make This Paleo Maryland Crab Dip
First, preheat your oven to 400. Spray a 2-3 qt baking dish with cooking oil. This is my all time favorite dish for dips!
Combine the cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp of salt, paprika, and water in a high speed blender. If you don’t have a high speed blender, I would suggest soaking the cashews for 30 minutes in hot water (boil first then pour over the cashews in a bowl). I love my Vitamix if you’re looking for a great blender!! Blend everything on high for 30 seconds or until extremely smooth and creamy.
Add the cashew mixture to a large bowl along with the cream cheese, mayo, ground mustard, New Bae (or Old Bay), and coconut aminos. Stir well until combined. Then, gently fold in the crab meat. You can either break up the meat or leave it in large chunks – up to you!
Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and use a spatula to smooth it out and make it even. Bake for 20 minutes. Broil for 2-3 additional minutes until the top begins to brown.
I served it with Simple Mills almond flour crackers, carrots, and celery! To keep this Whole30 friendly, omit the crackers. I consider Kite Hill cream cheese to be Whole30 friendly, but you do what works for you!
You could also serve this with gluten free toast or any crackers you want. It would also be delicious on top of grilled or baked chicken breast to make it a complete entree!
If you make this Paleo Maryland Crab Dip, make sure to tag me on Instagram @maryswholelife so I can see your creations!
Here are some other delicious Paleo dips!
Enjoy!
xo,
Mary
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Paleo Maryland Crab Dip
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh lump crab meat
- ¾ cup mayo, I like Sir Kensington's Avocado Oil Mayo
- 1 tub Kite Hill chive almond milk cream cheese , regular works too
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- 2 tsp Primal Palate New Bae Seasoning, or Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 2-3 qt baking dish with cooking oil. Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and paprika to a high speed blender (like a Vitamix). Blend on high for 30 seconds or until it's very smooth and creamy. There shouldnt be any cashew chunks remaining.
- Add the blended cashew mixture into a large bowl along with the mayo, Kite Hill cream cheese, coconut aminos, ground mustard, and New Bae (or Old Bay) seasoning. Mix well until combined. Gently fold in the crab meat. Transfer the mixture into the casserole dish and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven to Broiling and broil (while watching closely) for 2-3 minutes or until browned to your liking. Serve with grain free crackers, carrots, and celery. Enjoy!
14 Comments on “Paleo Maryland Crab Dip”
Can you make this ahead of time? I’ve made it a million times and it is amazing. Just trying to get ahead of the game
Yes you should be able to!
We made this for our super bowl party. It is delicious and reminds me of the one my mom made growing up but without the dairy. I’ve already eaten a fourth of it before the game has started. We used soy free veganaisse because I’m also egg free and it turned out really delicious. Feels amazing to have such a great comfort food back in my life with all the allergy restrictions.
Could you prep this ahead of time and freeze it?
Additional question/clarification…would you prep, cook, freeze, thaw and reheat OR prep, freeze, thaw and cook? Thank you!!
Made this crab dip for the first time and it is so delicious! You would never know it was paleo. All of Mary’s recipes are amazing! Ok
Yes. Make this. Trust. I made it for a kid-free date-night dinner and my husband and I sat and ate half of the dish with no regrets. This is delightful and I will be making it again!Â
As soon as I stumbled upon this recipe, I just knew it was what my dairy free life has been missing and had to make it immediately. And boy, was I right! This dip is AMAZING!!! I made it for my family and even the ones who regularly enjoy dairy couldn’t stop eating it. It is so delicious and flavorful, plus super easy to boot! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Will coconut milk work instead of cashews?
It won’t be as thick but it might work!
Hi Mary,
Is there something else to use in place of cashews?  I’m allergic.
Thank you! My mom loved it!
I made this today for a football party at my house. I made it ahead and kept it in the fridge for about 5 hours before baking. Holy moly it’s awesome! Even my non-paleo/ Whole30 friends said it was the best crab dip ever!
Thank you Nicole!!