If you’ve ever lived in Maryland, you’re probably pretty stoked right now! Crab pretzels are a regular where I live. You can find them on nearly every bar or pub menu. Kevin and I order them all the time and wash them down with a cold beer. They’re a Maryland classic. Comfort food at its finest. The best darn appetizer you’ll ever taste. And they’re quite overpriced. So let’s just make them at home. Crab pretzels served at your favorite Maryland restaurant are typically the size of a large dinner plate. It’s a giant chewy and super soft pretzel, topped with warm crab dip (made with pricey lump crab meat, if done right) and topped with cheese. And of course, Old Bay seasoning. Broil it in the oven until the cheese is nice and crispy. It’s like crab cakes, but with pretzels and lots of cheese. 🙂 I took it upon myself to make a homemade version of our favorite snack. I used our family’s recipe for soft pretzels, then whipped up a homemade cheesy crab dip for topping. I’ve also published solid recipes for Maryland crab soup as well as crab dip! First, start with some quality crab meat. This luxurious crab meat will be the base of your homemade crab dip, which must be made before the pretzels. It doesn’t take long, don’t worry. Along with the crab, you’ll need cream cheese, mayonnaise, grated parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, hot sauce, old bay, and garlic. Sometimes I throw a few Tablespoons of finely minced onions in there too, but I left them out this time.
Baking with Yeast Guide
Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions. Now bake the crab dip for about 30 minutes, which is about 10 minutes less than the amount of time it should be baked. This is because it will go back into the oven on top of your homemade soft pretzels. If you’re only making this hot crab dip (and not putting on top of pretzels), make sure to bake for 30 minutes, throw some cheddar cheese on top, and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve with veggies, pita bread, crackers, or soft pretzel bites! Now, you’ll make my homemade soft pretzel dough. You’ll want to add flour just until the dough is no longer sticky. Adding any more than that could create tough (not soft) pretzels. Knead the dough for just about 3-4 minutes. Shape into a ball and cut off 12 even pieces, which is about 1/3 cup or 75g of dough each. Roll into long, thin ropes—about 20-22 inches in length. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape. Working with one pretzel at a time, lower them into a pot of boiling water & baking soda. Give them a nice dunk for 20-30 seconds. Raise them out and let some of the water drip off. Place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels. This very quick baking soda “bath” will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color while keeping the inside white and fluffy. Don’t be nervous, the baking soda bath is so easy! Bake your pretzels for 10 minutes. Remove the pretzels from the oven and top with your semi-baked crab dip. Just spoon it on top. Trust me, it doesn’t have to look perfect. Depending how much you pile on top, you may have leftover crab dip. Leftover cheesy crab dip is something I’ve never heard a complaint about though. Now, top with some cheddar cheese: Bake for 8 more minutes until the pretzels are golden and the cheese on top has browned. I sprinkled a little bit more Old Bay on top of the pretzels when I removed them from the oven. Fluffy, plump, soft pretzels smothered in homemade hot crab dip. Slightly spicy (you can control the spice!), salty, ultra cheesy, and filled with fresh lump crab. This east coast favorite is so good! I’m just going to to throw it out there… this homemade crab pretzel is life changing. Want to try more flavors? You’ll absolutely LOVE these jalapeño cheddar soft pretzels, too!
