Wheat flours are an obvious no-no for gluten-free baking, but gluten is also commonly found in other baking staples like some brands of oats, as well as candies and leavening agents, so it's important to read labels carefully. It's also helpful to experiment with recipes ahead of time and find a good standard all-purpose gluten-free baking flour, like Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joe's brand.

If you follow a gluten-free diet or are just cooking for guests who do, here are some holiday sweets.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine baking mix, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Place melted butter in a large bowl, whisk in applesauce, sugar, canola oil and vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Fold in cocoa mixture until just combined, then fold in ½ cup chocolate chunks. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chunks and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Nutrition Info Per Piece: Calories: 171; Total Fat: 9 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Total Carbohydrate: 21 grams; Sugars: 19 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Sodium:  64 milligrams; Cholesterol: 31 milligrams; Fiber: 1 gram

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana's full bio »