Fall in love with my grandmother's cherished recipe for Crab Puffs, a delightful appetizer that has been passed down through generations. These delectable bites are a perfect blend of creamy crab filling a buttered bread crust, creating a tantalizing treat that never fails to impress. Whether served at family gatherings or special occasions, these Crab Puffs are sure to become a favorite in your home, just as they have been in ours for years.
For as long as I can remember, these Crab Puffs were ALWAYS present at our family's Christmas Eve gathering. A single bite of this easy-to-make appetizer and you KNEW the holidays were here! Make my Crab Mashed Potatoes for a close second to the taste of this amazing delicacy!
Try my Creamy Cranberry Jalapeno Dip, Jalapeño Cranberry Meatballs for more Appetizer ideas! Prepare more seasonal baking with my Cranberry Shortbread Bars!
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Ingredients to make Crab Puffs
Use canned crab meat and an affordable sandwich loaf, to unlock the familiar flavors of this amazing appetizer. Find a long sandwich loaf, usually with a square shape for the best results. I have made it with both white, and whole wheat bread, but the key is to have the extra soft sandwich loaf.
- White Square Sandwich Loaf (24 slices)
- Butter
- Milk (or milk alternative)
- Flour
- Onion
- Lemon Zest
- Fresh Parsley
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Dijon Mustard
- Canned Crab Meat
- Grated Cheddar
- Salt and Pepper
- Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Prepare the Bread Cups
TIP: Make sure to not let your bread slices dry out too much while making the toasted cups. Because this recipe makes 24 Crab Puffs, I recommend processing 6 at a time, so that the bread does not crack when placing it inside of the muffin tin.
Start by preheating your oven to 400F. Save time by using two 12-cavity muffin tins. You can make this recipe in 2 batches if you only have one muffin tin.
1. Use a drinking glass, big enough to get right up to the crusts. You want to try and make the rounds as big as possible.
2. Use a rolling pin, or your fingers, to flatten out the bread rounds.
3. Brush the top of the flattened bread round with melted butter. Gently press it into the muffin tin, by folding in the edges to help it get to the bottom.
4. Bake off the bread cups for 5 minutes in the preheated 400F oven. This prevents them from becoming soggy while baking with the filling.
Make the Filling and Bake
1. Start by making a roux. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter once the butter simmers. Cook until thickened and the roux has formed.
2. Pour half the milk into the roux while whisking non-stop. When the sauce is smooth again, whisk in the rest of the milk.
3. Continue whisking and cooking the bechamel sauce until thickened and it can coat the back of a spatula.
4. Remove the bechamel from the heat. Add the rest of the filling ingredients into the sauce pan and stir until well combined.
Fill the 24 bread cups with the prepared Crab Puffs filling. Return the filled Crab Puffs to the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until nice and golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool until the filling has started to set and remove from the pans.
Store your Crab Puffs
Store the baked-off Crab Puffs in the freezer for up to 2 months. They heat up great in a toaster oven or air fryer. You can store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, knowing that the crust will absorb moisture and softened.
Recipe
Crab Puffs
Ingredients
- 24 slices Sandwich Bread (long square loaf)
- ½ cup Butter divided
- ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1½ cup Milk
- 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
- ¼ cup White Onion minced
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
- 340 grams Canned Crab Meat
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the middle position. Have two 12-cavity muffin tins ready. Using 1 muffin tin works, making the recipe in 2 batches.
Making the Bread Cups
- Melt down ¼ cup of the butter in a small dish and have a pastry brush ready.
- Using a round cutter (or a drinking glass), cut out as big of a circle as you can from each slice of bread.
- Flatten out each bread round with a rolling pin or by pressing it down with your hand.
- Brush one side of each flattened bread round with melted butter. Gently press each buttered round in the muffin tin cavities. Gently do so by folding in the edges to prevent any cracking while pressing the round into the molds to create a cup. The sides will not reach the top of the mold cavity, this is ok.
- Place the prepared bread cups into the preheated oven for 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. When ready, remove from the oven and reserve.
Making the Crab Filling
- Start by making the white sauce. In a large saucepan on medium heat, add the remaining ¼ cup of butter.
- Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour to create a smooth mixture. Proceed by whisking in the milk. Whisk consistently until the sauce thickens and starts to simmer. Turn off the heat.
- Add the grated cheese, prepared onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, parsley, seasoning and crab meat. Fold everything together until combined.
Assemble the Crab Puffs
- Divide the filling evenly between the 24 toasted bread cups.
- Place back into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until nice and golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. The filling will still be somewhat liquid, and very hot, when coming out of the oven.
Anglea says
These crab puffs are delicious. Thank you for providing this holiday recipe for these delectable treats - my Mom made the in the early 1970's.