12 Fancy French Appetizers You Can Actually Make at Home

Cream puffs made with cheese, gougeres go with just about anything. You can even freeze them unbaked to have on hand for for last-minute entertaining.

Tartines are simply toasted, sliced bread with toppings. We love the combination of tangy goat cheese (a French favorite), thyme, and peaches here.

"Salmon, butter, Dijon mustard, and fresh tarragon are just some of what make this traditional French fare so delicious. This no-bake version is more like a spread, which is perfect for casual parties, and you can make it in any kind of crock or bowl. Pair it with toasted baguette slices for an appetizer or eat as a salad," recipe contributor kimnantes says. 

The French refer to sea scallops as coquilles Saint-Jacques (in English: St. James shells) and often bake them in the shells, swimming in a Gruyère cheese and cream sauce. 

"Pissaladière is a pizza-like dish made in Southern France, around the Nice, Marseilles, Toulon and the Var District, and in the Italian region of Liguria, especially in the Province of Imperia. It can be considered a type of white pizza, as no tomatoes are used. The dough is usually a bread dough thicker than that of the classic Italian pizza traditional topping consists of caramelized (almost pureed) onions, olives, garlic and anchovies," says recipe contribtuor Charlie_one. 

French for "paste," pate traditionally consists of poultry liver, brandy, and seasonings. You can also make the spread using seafood, pork (like Chef John's Pate de Campagne), and even vegetables for a meatless version. But we suggest starting with our Easy Chicken Liver Pate, serving it with crusty bread.

Who can resist baked Brie? This fancy appetizer takes just 10 minutes to prepare with puff pastry from the freezer aisle and a jar of apricot preserves.

"Cervelle de canut is a French specialty from Lyon and literally means 'silk worker's brain', named for the silk weavers of 19th century Lyon who were called 'canuts.' It's a fantastic nibble. Spread it over crusty bread," recipe contributor Stella says.

This quick and easy take on escaragot stuffs garlicky snail filling into mushroom caps instead of shells, and finishes it off in the microwave. No one has to know.

"While this is a pizza almost everywhere else, in certain places on the German/French border, it goes by the totally dessert-sounding name of tarte flambée," recipe creator Chef John says. "Here we're using bacon, onions, and a creamy cheese mixture as toppings."

Topped with red tomatoes and fresh, green herbs, this South of France-inspired tart will stand out on any table.

"Duck rillettes is one of the most amazing culinary magic tricks of all time. Even though most of the spread is made up of fairly lean duck meat, by emulsifying it in a little butter, duck fat, and duck gelatin, you'll swear the final product has the fat content of the finest foie gras torchon," recipe creator Chef John says.