Crabbies (Crabby Snacks / Crab Meltaways)

Crabbies with melted cheese and crisp browned edges piled on a platter.

5 from 1 vote

Crabbies (Crabby Snacks / Crab Meltaways)

Crabbies are such an easy, craveable appetizer. Although they contain crab meat, they are quite humble with simple English muffins as their base and a zesty mixture of cheese and butter crisped over the top.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

1 (5-ounce) jar Kraft Old English cheese spread room temperature
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons mayonnaise
½ teaspoon garlic powder
6 to 8 ounces crab meat drained and picked free of shells
6 English muffins split

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl combine the cheese spread, butter, mayonnaise and garlic powder until smooth. Gently fold in the crab meat.
Spread the mixture evenly over the 12 English muffin halves. Cut each English Muffin half into either 4 or 6 wedges (you could also leave them whole if you prefer).
If serving immediately, arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are browned and crisp and the top is bubbly and golden. For even crisper crabbies, broil them for an additional minute or two if desired (recommended).
To make ahead, freeze the assembled and portioned but unbaked crabbies on a baking sheet or tray until frozen solid, 1 to 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. Bake them from a frozen state, arranged on a parchment-lined sheet pan, for about 15 to 17 minutes or until crisp and bubbly. For even crisper crabbies, broil them for an additional minute or two if desired (recommended).

Notes

Use plain English muffins, split into halves for this recipe. Wheat or multigrain English muffins have a different texture, and I’m not sure they would yield the same results if you swapped them in. I have seen others use different kinds of bread so you could get a bit creative here if you want, but I like to stick with the classic English muffins. They offer the perfect combination of chewy and crispy.
Variation: If you're not into crab, here's a fun variation on crabbies that you can try! Swap the crab meat for browned crumbled breakfast sausage or Italian sausage. Let the cooked sausage cool to room temperature before combining with the cheese and butter so the mixture doesn't melt. The result is a completely different flavor profile but is also really savory and delicious.

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