If you’re used to gluten-free baking turning your tongue into the Sahara desert, you’re not alone.

Gluten-free baking is often dry — and if it’s not, you have to watch out for processed fats on the ingredient list. Gluten-free, after all, doesn’t mean that things are automatically healthy — they just won’t cause food-based reaction in someone with gluten intolerance, gluten allergy or coeliac disease, all three of which are different things.

So, what to do? Baking your own gluten-free is an amazing way to ditch the hyper-processed ingredient list. Watch out for pre-made gluten-free mixes or flours that are ultrarefined. Instead, a blend of brown rice flour with almond flour will usually work a treat. You might just have to up the baking powder/soda. Examples of home-baking recipes with this blend of flours include my Holy Crap cookies and the Nutrifit banana bread. If you don’t have those, pop over to social media and I will post the links underneath this recipe!

However, for this little treasure I have used a mix of organic cornmeal with brown rice flour. The recipe stays super moist because of the pumpkin and apple sauce. In addition, the sugars are from either Sucanat or coconut sugar — both of which are a more “wholefood” approach to sugar.

These muffins are frosting-free because I figured that Hallowe'en has enough sugar in it already! There’s a little sprinkle that goes on top though, which gives them a nice finish. They’re also healthy enough for lunchboxes, so if you like to send your kids to school with Hallowe'en-themed snacks, this is a perfect choice. Good for the office too! Either way, enjoy!

Pumpkin Mini Muffins (makes approx 36)

Ingredients

1 cup organic cornmeal

⅔ cup brown rice flour

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (use more for adults or stick to this for kids’ palates)

¾ cup coconut sugar or Sucanat

2 eggs, whisked and at room temperature

½ cup apple sauce

1 cup pumpkin (either steamed and well mashed, or tinned)

½ cup coconut oil, melted

Flax sugar: ¼ cup milled flax seed, ¼ cup coconut sugar or Sucanat, ¼ cup desiccated coconut.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 330F.

2. Prepare the flax sugar. Mix all ingredients and crumble any sugar lumps with your fingers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

3. Place mini cases in the mini-muffin pans.

4. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix.

5. Mix in the eggs, apple sauce and pumpkin, using a hand whisk.

6. Mix in the coconut oil until well combined.

7. Fill the cases until they are almost full.

8. Sprinkle the flax sugar on top.

9. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until firm but springy on top.

10. Cool in the trays for a few minutes and then transfer to wire racks.

• Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: www.natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram