Preheat your oven to 375°F. While it heats, line an 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two sides for easy removal after baking. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup effortless.

In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas until completely smooth—there should be no lumps remaining. Add the almond butter and stir vigorously until well combined and creamy. The bananas and almond butter form the fat and binding base of these brownies, replacing traditional eggs and oil, so this mixture needs to be fully integrated.

Add the cacao powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt to the wet mixture from Step 2. Stir gently but thoroughly until everything is evenly combined and no dry streaks of cacao remain. I like to sift the cacao powder in first so it incorporates more smoothly without creating lumps in the batter.

Fold the chocolate chips into the batter from Step 3, reserving a small handful if you'd like them on top for extra richness. Pour the entire batter into your prepared dish and spread evenly with a spatula. I sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top before baking so they create little pockets of melted chocolate throughout.

Place the dish in your preheated 375°F oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs—they should still be slightly fudgy inside since they'll continue to set as they cool. Don't overbake or they'll become dry.

Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before cutting. This resting time is crucial—it allows them to firm up enough to hold their shape when sliced. Once cooled, lift the brownies out using the parchment overhang, then cut into squares and serve.