RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
December Pick: Snacks

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Cremini caps roasted, filled with lump crab, cream cheese, lemon, and chives, and baked under a golden almond flour and parmesan topping.

Why you'll love Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab-stuffed mushrooms are the bite everyone looks for on a holiday party table, and they are easy to make at home. Cremini caps roast until they turn meaty and savory, a filling of sweet lump crab bound with cream cheese, lemon, chives, and a little Dijon gets mounded inside, and a buttery topping of almond flour and parmesan bakes into a crisp, golden cap.

Roasting the caps on their own first is the step that keeps them from turning soggy. Mushrooms are about 90 percent water, and if they go into the oven already stuffed, that water pools under the filling. Ten minutes upside down on a hot pan lets the liquid run out and the caps brown, so the filled mushrooms come out firm and juicy instead of wet.

The chopped stems go into the filling, cooked in butter with shallot until dry. They add an earthy flavor and bulk out the crab, and folding the crab in last and gently keeps the lumps whole, so every mushroom has big, sweet pieces.

Quick overview: This Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms takes 25 min of hands-on time and about 55 min in all and makes 6 servings, each 4 mushrooms. You'll need a skillet and a sheet pan.

Jump to recipe

Crab-stuffed cremini mushrooms with golden topping and parsley
Prep 25 minCook 30 minTotal 55 minServes 6Serving 4 mushroomsYou'll need Skillet, Sheet pan

Ingredients

  • 24 cremini mushrooms about 2 inches across (about 1 1/2 lb)
  • 3 tbsp butter, divided, 2 tbsp of it melted
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened Label: milk, cream, cultures, and salt, with no gums
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan, divided
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • a pinch of cayenne
  • 8 oz lump crabmeat, picked over for shell
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Prepare the caps: Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel and twist out the stems. Finely chop the stems and set them aside. Brush the caps all over with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, sprinkle the insides with a pinch of the salt, and set them hollow side down on the baking sheet.
  3. Roast the caps: Roast the caps for 10 minutes, until they have shrunk slightly and released their liquid. Flip them hollow side up and let them cool on the pan while you make the filling, pouring off any liquid on the sheet. Getting the water out now keeps the finished mushrooms firm.
  4. Cook the stems: Melt the remaining unmelted tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped stems, shallot, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the pan looks dry and the stems start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Let it cool for a few minutes so it does not melt the cream cheese into a thin filling.
  5. Mix the filling: In a bowl, stir the cream cheese, half the parmesan, the Dijon, lemon zest, lemon juice, chives, cayenne, and the remaining salt until smooth. Stir in the cooked stems, then fold in the crab gently with a spatula, keeping the lumps as whole as you can.
  6. Fill and top: Mix the almond flour, the remaining parmesan, the paprika, and the remaining tablespoon of melted butter until it looks like damp sand. Mound the filling into the caps and press a pinch of the topping onto each.
  7. Bake: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is hot all the way through, 165°F (74°C) in the center of one. Scatter the parsley over the top and let the mushrooms cool for 5 minutes before serving, since the filling holds its heat.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C).

To get ahead for a party, roast the caps and make the filling up to 1 day ahead, keeping them separate and refrigerated. Fill, top, and bake just before guests arrive, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the bake since everything starts cold. These do not freeze well.

Variations

  • Shrimp: Use 8 oz cooked shrimp, finely chopped, in place of the crab.
  • Spinach and crab: Fold 1 cup wilted, squeezed, and chopped spinach into the filling.
  • Herb swap: Use chopped fresh dill or tarragon in place of the chives.
  • Portobello: Fill 4 large portobello caps for a lunch-size version, roasting the caps 15 minutes before filling and baking 18 to 20 minutes.

Notes and tips

  • Choose the crab: Lump crabmeat from the refrigerated seafood case has the sweetest flavor and largest pieces. Look for a label of crab and nothing else, or crab and salt. Pick through it for bits of shell before mixing.
  • Pick even caps: Mushrooms of the same size cook in the same time. Two-inch caps are about two bites each.
  • Wipe, do not soak: Mushrooms absorb water, so a damp towel cleans them without making them soggy.
  • Soften the cream cheese: Cream cheese at room temperature mixes smooth in seconds. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy and breaks up the crab as you stir.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Crab brings protein along with zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12, and its natural sweetness carries the whole filling.
  • Mushrooms add an earthy, savory depth and fiber, and they are one of the few foods that carry some vitamin D.
  • Cream cheese, butter, and almond flour are the real fats here, and they turn a small bite into one that satisfies.
  • Protein and fat together make four of these a snack that holds you between meals rather than one that leaves you hungry for more.
  • As you eat, notice the sweet crab against the earthy mushroom and the crisp top, and check in afterward: four mushrooms should hold you 2 to 3 hours, even with a long evening of party food ahead.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Can I use canned crab?

Yes. Use canned lump crab with a label of crab and salt, drained well and picked over. The flavor is milder than fresh refrigerated crab.

Can I use white button mushrooms?

Yes. Cremini have more flavor and hold their shape a little better, but white mushrooms of the same size work the same way.

How many does this make for a party?

24 mushrooms, enough for 8 to 10 people as one of several appetizers, or 6 as a snack.

Why do you pre-roast the caps?

To drive out their water before filling. It keeps the mushrooms firm and the filling creamy instead of sitting in a pool of liquid.

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Tags: December Pick, Snacks, American, Gluten-Free Swap