These crab canapés are topped with a juicy crab meat spread of cream cheese, mozzarella, green onions, and mayo. Perfect as finger food for your next get-together!
Piping hot crab mushroom canapés are always such a hit at a dinner party. I love having a huge tray out when guests arrive so they don’t have to grit through small talk with grumbling stomachs. The way the toasty slices of bread hold up the creamy crab mixture and melty cheese tops is just to die for.
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect appetizer spread for your next cocktail party or pot luck, look no further. These crab canapés are not only addicting, but they are also super simple to prepare. You can whip the crab mixture up in advance and assemble them right before serving so you can spend more time enjoying the party and less time fussing over the food.
What’s the Difference Between Canapés and Hors D’Oeuvres?
Canapés are characterized as appetizers made up of sliced bread or crackers topped with a spread, meat and cheese, or any other combination of goodies. On the other hand, hors d’oeuvres is a blanket term that refers to a variety of finger foods including canapés, kebabs, crudités, antipasto, and beyond. While all canapés are hors d’oeuvres, not all hors d’oeuvres are canapés. Now that you have the fancy lingo down, let’s get to cooking!
How to Make Crab Mushroom Canapés
Making crab canapés only requires a little mixing, assembling, and a low broil. Below, find a quick hitter overview of this foolproof appetizer recipe before you dive in.
- Chop the Crab & Veggies: Using a sharp knife, dice up the crab meat, green onions, and mushrooms. Toss the ingredients into a large bowl with the grated mozzarella cheese.
- Mix in Cream Cheese & Mayo: Mix in the cream cheese and mayo until the mixture is creamy and well-combined.
- Assemble the Canapés: Apply a spoonful of the crab mixture on top of the sliced baguette and assemble the pieces on a baking sheet.
- Toast the Canapés: Toast the canapés on a low broil until the cheese is bubbly. Enjoy straight out of the oven!
Tips & Tricks
Below, find a handful of pro tips and tricks to help you make the best crab canapés.
- Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature. The cream cheese will be so much easier to incorporate into the crab mixture if you let it soften first. Leave it on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour and you’ll be golden.
- Slice the bread into even-sized pieces. The more uniform your baguette slices, the more evenly they will toast in the oven. This will also make for a prettier presentation!
- Don’t overdo the topping. Although tempting, you’ll want to refrain from going overboard with the crab topping. Put just a spoonful on each slice so it doesn’t melt off the sides or make for too big of a bite.
- Prepare canapés just before you plan to serve them. These morsels are best eaten straight out of the oven. If you let them sit out too long, they will harden and turn stale.
Serving Crab Canapés
Canapés are best served alongside other hors d’oeuvres at a get-together, dinner party, or potluck. If you can’t get enough of these tiny, little sandwiches, make a huge tray with different variations. Some other great ideas include eggs and sprats, hummus and eggplant, mushroom and bell peppers, and chicken and bacon.
Storing Crab Canapés
Toasty canapés should always be served right away! However, if you want to prep them ahead of time, simply whip up the crab mixture and cover it with plastic wrap in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, quickly assemble the canapés and pop them in the oven.
FAQ
How many canapés should I make per person?
As a general rule of thumb, plan to prepare 4-6 canapés per guest.
What kind of bread should I use?
Baguette is the best kind of bread to use for canapés.
How can I prep canapés ahead of time?
Prep canapés ahead of time by whipping up the crab mixture and popping it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and bake them.
How long will canapés keep for?
Canapés will only stay good for about 30 minutes before they start to turn stale and harden. You’ll want to serve them right away and encourage your guests to gobble them up!
If my oven doesn’t have a low broil setting, what heat should I set it at?
If you don’t have a low broil setting, cook the canapés at 375°F for about 15 minutes.
Other Crab Recipes
- Easy Crab Puffs (Crab Ragoons) – Cream cheese and crab-stuffed wontons
- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms – Cheese and crab mushrooms
- Broccoli Crab Salad Recipe – Refreshing seafood salad
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb crab meat
- 1 baguette
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb mushrooms
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 4 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients. Slice the baguette into thin, even-sized pieces.
- Dice the crab meat, green onions, and mushrooms and toss them into a mixing bowl with the grated mozzarella cheese.
- Add in salt, cream cheese and mayonnaise, stirring until well-combined.
- Apply a spoonful of the crab mixture on top of each piece of sliced bread. Toast the canapés on a low broil until they are golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly (for about 7 minutes)
- Serve immediately!
What if I use real crab (like the one in plastic containers at Costco)?
Already tried with imitation crab and was delicious!
Hi Yuli, All the better to use real crab! Either real or imitation taste great. Enjoy!
I have been making these for thanksgiving AND Christmas for the last 4-5 years I think. Everyone loves them! My nephew has to be gluten free so instead of sandwiches I bake some in a baking dish with extra cheese on top. Broil it for few mins to crisp it up and then he can enjoy it with GF crackers or as is as a side haha thank you for this recipe!
Hey Larisa, greta idea for GF option! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback.
I loved these! I did add fresh dill, a sprinkle of Old Bay on the tops and a few drops of lemon juice after I removed them from the oven.
Oh yum! Love all your additions, Sheri!
Love from first bite. But something was missing for us. A squeeze of sriracha and these taste like baked sushi!! 😍
ooh, I love the touch of sriracha. Thanks for sharing, Yuliya!
Oh my word, this was so good! This was the hit of the party. Everyone that tried it asked for the recipe.
Amazing! That's so cool to har, Wilhelmina. Our friends are just the same - they love these cheesy toasts so much, they eat them quicker than it takes me to prepare them. Will definitely be apart of my holiday spread.
I made these last night for a girls night in and it was such a huge hit! Four people asked me for the recipe!!
Love it, Vivian! The perfect appetizer for a girl's night for sure. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks a lot for this amazing and super easy to make crab mushroom canapes recipe! It's really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Thank you, Allyssa! Appreciate the kind words. I've eaten more of these little toasts than I'd like to admit over the years. They're always great for appetizers, but we serve them for a quick at-home lunch every now and again too.
What kind of crab meat should I buy ?
Hi Joanna - Imitation crab meat works great. You can find it at the seafood counter. Enjoy!
If your oven doesnt have low broil what degrees should you put it to?
Hey Jackie, I would keep it at 375F for about 15 minutes. Maybe turn up the heat at the end.
Any idea of how long they typically take?
Hold long they take? You mean in the oven? It all depends on the oven and where the rack is. Anywhere from 5 to 10 min.
Made them 3 times already, they are that good. Thank you Natasha for sharing your racipes with us
Hi Irina, thank you for sharing your feedback. It's great that you love them! Happy New Year to you!
Hi looks really delicious. For degree did you turn oven on?
If you have a "low broil" option in your oven, it will be perfect!
Made this and liked it alot. My parents came over tryed it and liked it also, so if you like seafood this is a must try! Super easy to make!!!
Thank you for such an awesome review! If you love mushrooms, the stuffed mushrooms are really good also 🙂
Can I make the topping for canapes a day in advance? Thank you)
Yes, don't put it on the bread, until right just ready to put it in a oven.
This looks so delicious, I wonder how it will taste with little bit it romano and gouda cheese? Have to give it a try
I am sure that it would only boost the flavor! Tell me when you try it.
Mm sounds delish. Can't wait to try. Did you use mozzarella cheese or parmasen? It's says mozzarella in ingradiance list but Parmesan in direction? Thank you
Oh lol, I will correct that. It is mozzarella. I think that part was my day dreaming 🙂
Hi! So the mushrooms don't need to be cooked?
Nope, they taste perfect this way. It does take some time while toasting in the oven so they do cook up.
Great, thank you. Can't wait to make them!
Np, hope you love them!