Crab Cream Cheese Wonton Cups aka Crab Rangoons
When it comes to entertaining, appetizers are one of my all time favorite things to make. There is something about grazing and snacking on a variety of dishes that I really enjoy. And it allows my guests a chance to try a variety of options. One of my favorite appetizers at Chinese restaurants is crab rangoon. And after I made my buffalo chicken dip cups I thought, I bet these wonton cups would be perfect for crab rangoons without all the hot oil and fried taste. This easy appetizer recipe only uses a few simple ingredients so any one can do this! These crispy cream cheese wontons are a great finger food for football season, holiday parties, or the perfect appetizer for kung pao chicken or other Asian dishes. Let me show you how to make these crispy cream cheese rangoons in wonton cups! Full recipe card below.
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What is Crab Rangoon?
Also sometimes referred to as crab cheese wontons, crab rangoons are usually a deep fried wonton wrapper stuffed with crab meat and cream cheese filling frequently in the shape of a four pointed star. Although many people associate them with Chinese cuisine, they are said to have been invented at a Polynesian restaurant in San Francisco in the 1950s. Despite being more of an American tradition, these tasty bite sized snacks are commonly found on the menu at most mom and pop Asian restaurants as well as chains like Panda Express and PF Chang’s.
In this recipe I am transforming the beloved crab rangoon into crispy wonton cups and eliminating the frying and folding by using a mini muffin tin.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love crab cheese wontons just as much as everyone else! But I am not so good at folding them nor do I love overly fried food. This recipe is just another take on it and makes them a bit easier to make and a little healthier. Aside from being the perfect combination of comfort food, this is an easy recipe with basic ingredients that doesn’t take long to make and no deep fryer is required.
Ingredients
These tasty appetizers use simple ingredients you probably already have stocked in your kitchen and are ready in 20 minutes!
Softened Cream Cheese – This recipe uses cream cheese and it works best if the cream cheese is a little soft, but don’t microwave it. Just let it sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes or so before you start cooking. You can use any version or brand you want. I used the reduced fat version so I could justify eating more of the baked cream cheese wontons, haha! But the full fat cream cheese is fine too 😉
Wonton Wrappers – If you have never used wonton wrappers they are about to be your new best friend in the kitchen! You can stuff them with almost anything once you find them at the grocery store. They can be tricky to locate but they are usually in the refrigerated produce section or the freezer section. I can find them at my local Kroger store, Wal-Mart, and Asian markets. And FYI uncooked wontons do need to be refrigerated before opening and after. But they are very versatile for appetizers and bite sized snacks!
Canned Crab – A key ingredient in this recipe is the crab meat. To make it easy, I usually use canned crab but you can use imitation crab as well. Canned crab will have a more dominate taste and imitation crab will be a sweeter flavor. You can also use canned chicken if crab isn’t for you.
Garlic Powder – For a lot of recipes I use real garlic from the jar, but in this case I think garlic powder is a better option. It will add a lot of flavor to the mix. You can also use real garlic if you prefer, but will need 1 1/4 tsp to every 1/4 tsp of garlic powder.
Worcestershire Sauce – The ingredient no one can say correctly. You just tried, didn’t you? Haha! This potent sauce adds a bit of umami flavor with sweet, salty, and sour all at once.
Green Onions – Green onions add a lot of flavor and are frequently used in Asian food. I don’t recommend substituting these, but chives would be a close second.
Powdered Sugar – AKA confectioners sugar. I know this one seems like an odd choice, but it gives the cream cheese mix just enough sweetness to offset the savory flavors of the other ingredients. Powdered sugar is just a little sweeter than regular sugar and is more effective here than plain white sugar.
Salt & Pepper – I didn’t measure this part out, just added a little to taste. A few shakes of each should do the trick.
Garnish – If you are looking for a pretty presentation, garnish with green onions, chives, and red chili flakes.
Dipping Sauce – Like with ordinary crab rangoons, sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce make great dippers. But my personal favorite is actually Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing sauce. It’s a Thai sweet chili sauce and pairs so well with this cream cheese wonton recipe. Sweet and spicy for the perfect combo!
How to Make the Wonton Cups
Making the cups is actually really easy! First you will need a mini cupcake/muffin pan. Then you need to spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray. This will serve two purposes. It will make sure your wonton cups don’t stick to the pan and it will help the wonton wrappers get a little extra crispy.
If you do not have a mini muffin pan you can use a full size muffin cup pan you will just need more filling because the base of the wonton cup will be larger.
To make the cups as even as possible, place the wonton wrapper over the center of one of the holes and gently press it into the pan. You can also use a small shot glass that fits in the pan to help flatten out the bottom.
Cooking Options for Crab Cream Cheese Wonton Cups
I baked my crab cheese wonton cups in the oven in my mini muffin pan. You could also air fry them, however you would not be able to make the same cup shape unless you have a small pan that fits in the air fryer or you bake the cups first and then transfer them to the air fryer with the filling.
The benefit to baking is you can make more at a time especially if you have a 24 count muffin tin or more than one. Most air fryers cannot accommodate more than 10 at a time in the fryer basket and if you are having a party, these will disappear faster than you can make em!
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Crab Cream Cheese Wonton Cups aka Crab Rangoons
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 cups 1x
Description
A simple combination of wonton wrappers, crab, cream cheese, and savoy flavors, come together to make the perfect handheld party appetizer! Make these crab rangoon cups for your next holiday party, super bowl party, or to go with your next homemade Asian dish all without using a deep fryer!
Ingredients
- 6 oz Canned Crab
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 2 Green Onions chopped
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Powdered Sugar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Wonton Wrappers
- Extra Green Onion optional for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350.
- In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, crab, green onions, and seasonings with an electric mixer until combined. Set aside.
- Spray mini muffin pan generously with non stick cooking spray.
- Place the center of the wonton wrapper over the center of each cup and gently press into pan forming a cup. Be careful not to rip the wonton wrapper.
- Using a teaspoon, spoon the cream cheese mixture into the middle of each cup. Fill the wonton about half way full.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until wonton cups are golden brown and become crispy.
- Top with green onions.
- Cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
I do not recommend freezing these. If you are running short on time, make the cream cheese filling a day or two in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Fill and bake the cups 20 minutes before your guests arrive.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian
How to Reheat
If you have leftover crab rangoon cups you have a few options for reheating. You can microwave them but they will lose their crispy texture. For best results and crispy cream cheese rangoons, reheat in the oven on 325 for 5 minutes or until the center is warm. You can also reheat in the air fryer on 325 for 5 minutes or until the center is warm.
When to Make Crab Rangoon Wonton Cups
These homemade cream cheese wontons are a great recipe for holiday parties, snacks, Super Bowl Sunday, happy hour, game day, or to pair with your favorite Asian dishes like orange chicken or sweet and sour chicken. I personally never miss a chance to have crab cheese wontons with a bowl of shrimp Pad Thai! No matter when you decide to make them, they are always a crowd-pleasing appetizer!
Looking for another party appetizer for your next big gathering or game day? Check out my Mexican style street taco deviled eggs, buffalo chicken dip wonton cups, homemade guacamole with jalapenos, or my favorite holiday crab puff appetizers on English muffins.
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