Heat the oven and prep the pans. Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them. This helps the cookies bake evenly and lift off easily.

Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. A hand mixer is easiest, but a sturdy spoon works with a bit of effort.

Add the egg and vanilla. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture looks creamy and well combined. Scrape down the bowl so everything blends evenly.

Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This spreads the leavening and salt evenly through the dough.

Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Stir gently until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing, which can make cookies tough.

Fold in the chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula. If the dough feels crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of milk and mix briefly. The dough should be soft and scoopable, not sticky.

Scoop the dough. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. For bakery-style looks, press a few extra chips on top.

Bake. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are just set and lightly golden. The centers may look soft—that’s good. They’ll finish setting as they cool.

Cool and set. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Warm cookies are fragile, so be gentle when transferring.

Optional chill for thicker cookies. If you want thicker cookies with less spread, chill the dough for 30–60 minutes before baking. You can also freeze scooped dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.