Add buttermilk, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract to large mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully combined. Eggs should no longer be streaky. Set bowl aside.
Add sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to medium mixing bowl. Using fork, mix dry ingredients together until thoroughly incorporated.
Slowly add dry ingredient mixture into wet ingredient mixture, whisking well between each addition. Continue until all of dry mixture has been added to wet mixture, and whisk until ingredients are fully combined and batter is smooth. Note: it's fine if some lumps of dry ingredients remain.
Add chocolate chips to batter and gently fold chips in until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or batter will become dense. Set batter aside to rest 5 minutes.
Heat large skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add butter and let melt completely, swirling skillet occasionally to distribute butter across entire surface. Note: if using oil instead, add just enough oil to coat bottom of skillet and heat oil until hot and shimmery.
Using cookie scoop, transfer batter from bowl into skillet, creating discs of pancake batter. Be sure to leave space between each pancake to allow for spreading. Work in batches as needed. Note: for medium-sized pancakes, use approximately ½ cup (8 tablespoons) batter per pancake.
Cook pancakes undisturbed until small bubbles begin to form and pop on top side of pancake, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
Gently slide spatula under pancake and flip pancake over, so cooked side of pancake faces up. Cook pancakes another 3 to 4 minutes or until edges of pancake are cooked and golden.
Use spatula to carefully transfer pancakes from skillet to plate. Set plate aside. Add more butter or oil to skillet if needed and let melt or warm up, then repeat process with remaining pancake batter. Continue in batches until all batter has been cooked.
Divide pancakes into preferred portion sizes. Top with preferred toppings and serve warm with desired sides.