Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Gently melt the baking chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler and stir until smooth. (Or you can use a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water, like I did-- you only need an inch or two of water in the bottom pot.) In a large mixing bowl combine the arrowroot, water, and maple syrup and use a whisk to stir them together, breaking up any lumps. Add in the melted chocolate and oil, along with the coconut sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and stir well. Add in the almond meal, and stir, creating a thick and uniform batter. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly into the bottom of the lined baking dish, and smooth the top. This batter is much thicker and stickier than traditional brownie batter so you'll definitely have to use the spatula to spread it well. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, until the top looks crinkly and your whole house smells like rich, chocolate brownies.
Now comes the hard part-- these brownies are WAY too sticky when hot, so you need to wait for them to cool completely before cutting them into squares. I placed mine in the fridge to speed the process along! Once they are cool, cut them into 16 squares and serve at room temperature. These brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week, or in the fridge for longer. (Or as long as they last before you eat them.)