This delicious Shrimp Mold Recipe is stamped with the flavors of New Orleans for a classic Southern Louisiana shrimp dip. The dip congeals in a mold after it's chilled and magically keeps its shape when released from the container.
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The shrimp mold is a classic party dish that was my Mama's specialty. It made regular appearances at showers and receptions in our Cajun community. I think it's an original New Orleans-style recipe which made for a fancy addition for special occasions. In other words, we dressed up a shrimp dip.
When I asked Mama for the recipe, she said any shrimp mold recipe from her cookbooks would do. Hmmm, not so! Was I surprised later to find an old, yellowed photocopy of this recipe with her handwritten ingredient adjustments?
Her recipe calls for canned shrimp, but I chose to cook somfreshly frozen shrimp since fresh is always best. You can use canned shrimp, but this Easy Sautéed Shrimp, Simple Stove Top Recipe makes preparing it a breeze.
Simply store it in the freezer in a zip-top bag for later. Also, the leftovers from a shrimp boil or take-home from a restaurant work well here, too.
Here's my Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs Recipe, another easy dish using pre-cooked shrimp.
While your at it, go ahead and sautee enough for this Shrimp Salad, too. It never disappoints when needing a light and quick meal.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Don't let its many ingredients turn you away from making this recipe. It's so easy, but every member is needful to spice up the shrimp and surround them with creamy, spreadable goodness!
- Cooked shrimp - cooked, seasoned, and chopped to spread its flavor throughout the congealed spread.
- Unflavored gelatin - one small envelope is all it takes to hold the shrimp mold together after it is cooled in the refrigerator.
- Cold water - to dissolve the gelatin before adding it to the dip ingredients.
- Condensed tomato soup - full-bodied tomato taste adds a bit of sweetness and just the right amount of pink shrimp color.
- Cream cheese - softened and creamed together with the soup to make the perfect base for the molded dip.
- Green onion - sliced fresh onion tails for mild onion flavor.
- Celery - is another fresh vegetable, finely chopped for a bit of crunch.
- Mayonnaise - adds flavor and creaminess to every good dip; why not this one?
- Cajun seasoning - essential for classic Cajun flavor in any Louisiana dish.
- Lemon juice - adds fresh citrus whisps and always accents the flavor of shrimp.
- Prepared horseradish - gotta have it in this Louisiana dish for pungent, bold spice.
- Worcestershire sauce - this flavorful condiment adds its special blend of molasses, anchovies, onion, garlic, spices, and tamarind, an Indian date.
- Hot sauce - another Louisiana essential, is a vinegary pepper sauce that adds heat and another depth of flavor to the congealed spread.
See the recipe card below for specific ingredient amounts and their nutrition facts.
Instructions
Start by warming the soup in a small saucepan over the stove over low heat or in a small microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals for 1 and ½ minutes in the microwave. Set aside to cool.
Dissolve gelatin in ¼ cup cold water and set aside.
Chop the cooked shrimp and place them in a medium bowl.
Cream the cream cheese with a hand mixer in a large bowl.
Add the warmed tomato soup to the cream cheese and mix well with a hand mixer. The soup will melt the cream cheese into the soup.
Add the remaining ingredients to the soup and cream cheese mixture . . .
. . . and stir with a large spoon.
Pour the dip into the greased mold of your choice; a bundt pan works fine.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until the dip is cold and set. The flavors will meld together beautifully.
Place the bottom of the cold mold in a pan of hot water for a few minutes to help the dip release easily onto a platter.
Put a large platter over the mold, invert it, and carefully remove the mold from the congealed dip.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Garnish with fresh parsley, and place your favorite crackers around the mold for dipping and eating.
Hint: For the best results in removing the shrimp dip from the mold, coat a copper or tin mold or bundt pan with butter or cooking spray and brush the inside with mayonnaise. It will come right out!
Substitutions
- Canned shrimp can be used after rinsing, draining, and chopping.
Variations
- Omit the gelatin in the recipe and make this into a dip without molding it into a form. Serve in a bowl with chips and/or crackers.
- If you have more dip than fits into the mold, keep it in a separate container to serve as a dip or spread.
Storage
Always keep this dip as cool as possible, don't let it set out for too long.
The dip can be stored inside the mold in the refrigerator for a day before being unmolded. Store the unmolded dip in an airtight container for up to 2 days or it will start to dry on the edges.
The leftover dip keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Top tip
Place the cold mold in a pan about the same height as the mold. Pour hot water into the pan until it reaches about a half-inch below the top of the mold, being careful not to get water in the congealed shrimp dip. Let it sit for a few minutes in the hot water, then remove it from the pan of water. Place a serving platter over the mold, invert it, remove the mold, and watch the molded dip easily slip out of the form and onto the platter.
FAQ
A shrimp mold is any dish holding a chilled, congealed shrimp dip that molds to its container and remains that shape when removed onto a platter. It can be a simple bowl, bundt pan, or copper or tin mold made in the shape of a fish or type of seafood.
The dip in a shrimp mold is held together with plain gelatin added to the ingredients of most shrimp dips. The gelatin congeals the dip mixture as it gets cold in the refrigerator after pouring it into a mold.
The popular food style in New Orleans is a unique mix of French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Haitian cuisines. It is considered the food of a river city whose ports are filled with goods from around the world. Cajun food comes from the rural areas of Louisiana and uses the food sources that surround the Cajun people, mainly rice, beef, pork, chicken, and seafood.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this Shrimp Mold? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Shrimp Mold:
Shrimp Mold Recipe, A New Orleans Style Molded Dip
This delicious Shrimp Mold Recipe uses the classic ingredients of a Louisiana shrimp dip. The shrimp congeals after it's chilled and magically keeps its shape when released from its container.
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 30 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked shrimp
- 1 envelope (.25 ounces) of unflavored gelatin
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed tomato soup
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sliced green onion
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Instructions
- Warm the soup in a small saucepan over the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals for 1 ½ minutes in the microwave, set aside.
- Dissolve gelatin in ¼ cup cold water, set aside.
- Chop the cooked shrimp and place in a medium bowl, set aside.
- Cream the cream cheese with a hand mixer in a large bowl.
- Add the warmed tomato soup to the cream cheese and mix well with a hand mixer.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the soup and cream cheese and stir with a large spoon.
- Pour the shrimp dip into the greased mold of your choice; a bowl, copper or tin mold, or bundt pan works fine.
- Refrigerate overnight or until the dip is set.
- Place the bottom of the mold in a pan of hot water for a few minutes to help the dip release easily onto a platter.
- Place a large platter over the mold, invert it, and carefully remove the mold from the congealed dip.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and place crackers around the mold for eating.
Notes
- The warm soup will help the cream cheese blend well with the soup.
- For the best results in removing the shrimp mold, grease a mold or bundt pan with butter or cooking spray and brush the inside with mayonnaise.
- Place the cold mold in a pan about the same height as the mold. Pour hot water into the pan until it reaches about a half-inch below the top of the mold, being careful not to get water in the dip. Let it sit for a few minutes in the hot water, then remove it from the pan of water. Place a serving platter over the mold, invert it, remove the mold, and watch the molded dip easily slip out of the form and onto the platter.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
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“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”
Zig Ziglar
Linda says
I've had this recipe for over 45 years, my recipe calls for Cream of Shrimp soup instead of Tomato Soup, although not all stores carry Cream of Shrimp...
Louisiana Woman says
Hi, Linda! I'd like to try it with cream of shrimp soup. Try ordering the cream of shrimp soup through your grocery store or Amazon.