Name: Hot Crab Dip Recipe
Ingredients: 5 ounces chive & onion cream cheese, softened; 2 tablespoons sour cream; 1/4 lb crabmeat, drained & flaked; 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, shredded; 2 teaspoons parmesan cheese, shredded; 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped, only the green parts; 1 teaspoon green onions, chopped, only the green parts; 2 tablespoons water chestnuts, chopped fine; 2 teaspoons dry white wine (optional); 3/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional); 1 3/4 tablespoons sliced almonds; paprika, for sprinkling

Why it works: Cream cheese and parmesan cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 311 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cream cheese + parmesan cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together311 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Chive + horseradishtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together113 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Chive + oniontop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,907 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Chive + water chestnuttop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Onion + water chestnuttop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together205 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese: Creates the smooth, creamy base that holds the dip together.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and tang, keeping the dip soft and spreadable.
Crabmeat: Provides the main flavor and tender, flaked texture.
Parmesan cheese: Adds savory flavor and helps the top brown lightly in the oven.
Water chestnuts: Add a crisp, crunchy texture that contrasts with the creamy base.

The step that matters

Bake until lightly browned, not longer. Baking only until the top is lightly browned keeps the cream cheese and sour cream smooth and moist. Overbaking can cause the dairy to dry out and separate, making the dip grainy.

Swap the water chestnut

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chive, onion, cream cheese, cream, parmesan cheese, white wine, horseradish):

Avocadofits better
Plumfits about as well
Lemonfits about as well
Water chestnutthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against chive, onion, cream cheese, cream, parmesan cheese, white wine, horseradish. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Cream Cheese	1 oz (28g)	99
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Wine	2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)	25
Almond	1 almond (1.2g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Chive	1 tbsp (3g)	1
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Water Chestnut	not in our table	0
Horseradish	not in our table	0
Sauce	not in our table	0

Hot Crab Dip Recipe