Preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. While the oven heats, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set this dry mixture aside—having it ready before you start the wet ingredients ensures a smooth, quick combining process.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled coconut oil, sugars (both white and brown), room-temperature egg, applesauce, and vanilla extract until well combined and slightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. I prefer to use room-temperature eggs here because they incorporate more smoothly with the other wet ingredients, creating a better texture in the final cookie.

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 to the wet mixture from Step 2, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Don't overmix—stop as soon as no flour streaks remain, as this keeps the cookies tender rather than tough.

Fold the chocolate chips into the combined dough until evenly distributed. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, drop roughly tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. I like to chill these for just 5-10 minutes in the freezer before baking—it helps them hold their shape and prevents too much spreading.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked—they'll continue to cook on the hot pan after removal. Take the cookies out of the oven and immediately sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie while they're still warm. This salt brightens the chocolate flavor and adds a sophisticated contrast to the sweetness. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.