Prepare Oven and Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line three baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), blend the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
Add Eggs and Vanilla: Crack in the eggs, one at a time, and pour in the vanilla extract. Beat again until the mixture looks light, creamy, and fully incorporated. This will take another minute or so.
Mix in the Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low to medium speed. Continue until no streaks of flour remain, but be careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Fold in Chocolate Chips: Pour in the chocolate chips and use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold them into the dough until evenly distributed.
Shape and Portion the Dough: Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie (use a cookie scoop for consistency). Roll each portion into a ball and arrange them spaced evenly on the prepared baking sheets, leaving room for spreading.
Bake Until Just Golden: Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies look set around the edges and just lightly golden. The centers should still look slightly underdone—this ensures soft, chewy results.
Cool Before Serving: Remove the trays from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.