Prepare the Brownie Bites

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a mini muffin tin with paper liners for easy removal.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
3. Add Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
4. Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. This step is optional, but it adds an extra gooey chocolatey texture to each bite.
5. Scoop the Batter: Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of batter into the mini muffin tin. Fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full to allow the bites to rise and spread.
6. Bake the Brownie Bites: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Be careful not to overbake; you want them to stay fudgy!
7. Cool and Serve: Let the brownie bites cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.