Maryland Crab Pretzel
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Maryland is all about crabs and Old Bay and this creamy, cheesy crab pretzel is a classic appetizer. It bakes Maryland crab dip together with a soft pretzel or pretzel roll to make a delicious snack makes the perfect game day party food!
Table of contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Crabmeat – We use blue crab meat just like we do for our Maryland Crab Dip. However, when it comes to the crab meat for this recipe you use the less expenseivee backfin crab meat, which has smaller broken-up pieces of the body meat. This crab meat has more of a shredded texture which makes it easier to spread over the pretzel.
- Cream cheese – This is the base of the crab dip. Make sure it is softened before adding it to your dip so it is easy to combine with the other ingredients.
- Mayonnaise – Mayo combines with the cream cheese to make a creamy, cheesy dip that melts smoothly on top of your pretzel.
- Old Bay Seasoning – Old Bay seasoning is the perfect complement to any seafood dish. This is the signature spice of a Maryland crab pretzel!
- Ground Mustard – just a little sprinkle of ground mustard adds a boost of flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – this sauce adds a tangy, salty, flavor that makes all of the ingredients sing.
- Shredded Cheddar cheese – You can never have too much cheese! Some cheese goes in the dip and the rest of sprinkled on top to melt perfectly over the pretzel.
- Soft Pretzels or Pretzel rolls – The pretzel provides a chewy, slightly salty base that complements the crab. We use fresh or frozen soft pretzels or pretzel rolls. If you’re using a frozen pretzel, make sure you cook it before adding the dip.
What is Old Bay Seasoning?
If you’ve never had it Old Bay is a perfectly blended bold and zesty combination of 18 herbs and spices that cannot be duplicated and has no substitute.
It’s savory, with just the right amount of heat, a hint of sweetness, and an undercurrent of complexity from the herbs and spices. It’s the kind of seasoning that invites you to experiment – it’s famous for seafood, sure, but why stop there? Sprinkle it on potatoes, stir it into soups, or even add a dash to your popcorn.
Other Recipes with Old Bay:
- Maryland Crab Dip
- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
- Cheesy Shrimp Casserole
- Easy Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Salad
- Air Fryer Shrimp
How to Make a Crab Pretzel
Sep 1 – Prepare oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 – Mix cheese. In a large bowl place cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir together until combined.
Step 3 – Crab. Add crab meat and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
Step 4 – Prepare pretzels. Place the fully cooked pretzels on a baking sheet. DO NOT add the pretzel salt to the pretzels. We found this made the finished product too salty.
Step 5 – Add dip. Scoop crab dip onto the fully baked pretzels and sprinkle each with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Step 6 – Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crab dip is warmed through.
Step 7 – Season. Sprinkle with a little more Old Bay before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maryland crab meat, particularly from the famous Blue Crabs, is known for its exceptionally sweet flavor and tender texture. The Chesapeake Bay, a prime habitat for these crabs, imparts a unique taste to the meat that’s highly sought after in culinary circles. This distinct flavor profile is what sets Maryland crab meat apart from others, making it a prized ingredient in dishes like the Maryland Crab Pretzel.
The key to preventing a soggy pretzel is in the crab dip preparation. Make sure to drain the crab meat well to remove excess moisture. Also, avoid overloading the pretzel with too much dip.
Where to Buy Crab Pretzels
We’ve given you everything you need to know to make your crab pretzels at home but you can also buy crab pretzels and have them delivered to your home!
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Crab Pretzels
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Backfin blue crab meat
- 8 ounces Cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups Shredded Cheddar cheese
- 6 Fully cooked Pretzels or Pretzel rolls (do not add the salt), See Note #1
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl place cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar. Stir together until combined.
- Add crab meat and gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Place the fully cooked pretzels on a baking sheet. Do not add the pretzel salt to the pretzels!
- Scoop approzimately 3 tablespoons of crab dip onto the fully baked pretzels and sprinkle each with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crab dip is warmed through.
- Sprinkle with a little more Old Bay before serving.
Notes
- We use pretzel rolls, pre-packaged soft pretzels, or frozen pretzels. If you use frozen pretzels make sure they are fully cooked BEFORE topping with the crab dip.
I would use it on bruschetta.
Yes, that would be delicious too!
I would make shrimp scampi #IdOldBayThat #Sweepstakes
I love to use old bay in my homemade crab dip! But I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Definatelly a comfort food. They should sell these pretzels at the mall! They were so good, the kids keep begging me to make them again. We used fresh lump crab meat and they were killer.
They made these where I work and cut them up. Let’s just say by the time our break was over which is 10 minutes the whole plate was demolished.
So glad you and your coworkers liked it. It’s one of my favorite Maryland foods! 🙂