Marathon Cookies are a flourless, chewy oats and peanut butter treat, packed with dark chocolate, peanuts, and dried fruit. These amazing snacks take less than 30 minutes to make!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Energy cookies are a perfect snack just for munching, and also provide a boost of the nutrients a runner (or enthusiastic spectator) needs to keep going.
- Running cookies are like flourless monster cookies with nutritional punch.
- Enjoy the flavors and textures of trail mix in these whole grain treats.
- These cookies stay chewy and flavorful for at least 5 days.
Marathon cookies are full of contrasts. They are both crunchy and chewy with sweet and salty flavors.
This adaptable recipe can be made with or without added protein powder, depending on your needs.
You can also add peanut butter powder (like in these Peanut Butter Powder Cookies) to a protein and energy boost.
These tasty cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth with wholesome ingredients before a long run, after a long run, or while standing along a race route, waiting to cheer as your runner passes by. They are also an irresistible, nutritious after school snack or quick breakfast.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter,peanut butter, brown sugars and granulate sugar.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients to form the cookie dough.
- Use a medium (1 ½ tablespoon) scoop to portion the batter into dough balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Bake until golden brown.
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Storage
Store Marathon Cookies at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
Tips and variations
- Choose a dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage you enjoy. A 70% cocoa bar or higher is recommended to contrast with the sweet fruit.
- Semisweet chocolate chips can be used instead of the chopped chocolate.
- Use either quick oats or rolled oats. If needed, be sure to use gluten free oats.
- Any chopped dried fruit can be used in this flexible recipe.
- Any kind of nut and nut butter can be used in this cookie.
- For a nut free version, use soy or seed butter instead of the peanut butter and substitute sunflower seeds for the peanuts.
- For vegan cookies, use any plant based butter substitute.
More energy boosting cookies
Do you love soft oatmeal cookies? Then, Oatmeal Apple Raisin Cookies topped with a cinnamon glaze will make you very happy!
Steel Cut Oat Cookies are an extra chewy cookie recipe made with Irish oatmeal for nutty flavor.
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Marathon Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ cups oats quick cooking or regular
- ½ cup finely chopped dark chocolate
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
- ½ cup dried assorted fruit bits or any chopped dried fruit such as cranberries or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Beat in eggs (one at a time), vanilla, protein powder, and baking soda.
- Mix in oats. Then stir in chocolate, peanuts, and fruit bits.
- Using a medium (2 tablespoon) scoop, place balls of cookie batter 2” apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. If you want flatter cookies, use a spatula or the bottom of a glass to press down gently on top of each cookie right after removing from the oven.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- When cool, store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Choose a dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage you enjoy. A 70% cocoa bar or higher is recommended to contrast with the sweet fruit.
- Semisweet chocolate chips can be used instead of the chopped chocolate.
- Use either quick oats or rolled oats. If needed, be sure to use gluten free oats.
- Any chopped dried fruit can be used in this flexible recipe.
- Any kind of nut and nut butter can be used in this cookie.
- For a nut free version, use soy or seed butter instead of the peanut butter and substitute sunflower seeds for the peanuts.
- For vegan cookies, use any plant based butter substitute.
- Double wrap pairs of cookies, bottoms together, in plastic wrap. Place columns of wrapped cookie pairs in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
- Shipping cookies containing dried fruit is not recommended in hot weather.
Nutrition
First Published: April 16, 2015. Last Updated: July 20, 2023. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.
Kathleen M Jones
It's a nice cookie, I changed walnuts to pecans as I like them. Used raisins and dried cranberries! It is a keeper!
Cynthia
Please what kind of vanilla protein powder do you use? Thanks
Wendy Sondov
I've used a variety of brands. Basically, I use whatever brand my family runners are drinking at the time. Please note that the protein powder can be skipped completely (with no other adjustments to the recipe) and the cookies are delicious.
:D
If I choose not to add protein powder, what do I need to sub in forcth we protein powder?
Wendy Sondov
Just leave the protein powder out. No need to sub anything. These cookies are fabulous as just cookies (no protein powder). 🙂
Agness of Run Agness Run
Yummy! Such a delicious snacks. They seem so easy to be prepared!
Cindy
Will make these tomorrow and pack some in my pouch for DURING the race. I'm actually walk/running a marathon the day after tomorrow and I know that while I'm walking a few bites will energize me right when I need it most near the end of the race. Thanks for posting. 🙂
The Monday Box
Have a great run, Cindy! Good luck! I hope the cookies add a delicious boost to your marathon walk/run!
shannon
Congrats to Meira! That's amazing: i think anyone is amazing for being able to run...well, let's get real, basically I'm amazed that anyone can run for any length of time b/c i'm also not a runner. 🙂 Like i'm horrible at it, and although i can walk for probably days at a time, ask me to run...different story. So she has my respect for those 13.1 miles...and you have my total love for making these cookies for her. So sweet!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Shannon! (And welcome home to StL! I have done the box-it-up-and-move-it thing several times in Florida. 🙂 ) As a total nonrunner, when I see Meira run and achieve crazy long running goals, I am in awe. The least I can do is bake her really tasty cookies! 🙂
Saunya
OMG!! THANK YOUUUU!! My husband has colitis and we recently removed gluten from his diet along with a long list of other foods. I saved this recipe bc I thought I read natural peanut butter was ok, now i cant find that part but it worked!! Costco has an organic natural peanut butter that is mostly stir free. That is what I used and these are delicious! I wasnt sure if using natural peanut butter would be too oily so I added a tablespoon of cornstarch hoping it might soak up a little oil and keep the chewiness. Also used half old fashioned oats (which I prefer) and half quick oats--again thinking quick oats would absorb more oil. I'm sure this recipe would be great as written but I had to compensate for dietary restrictions and it held up to my tweaks. Glad I doubled the batch, this is a new favorite!
Julie
Ooh these look quite yummy, and the recipe is similar to a lactation cookie recipe - with all the healthy ingredients 🙂 Good for you making marathon cookies to show your support.
The Monday Box
Thank you, Julie! I wish I had know about lactation cookies decades ago when I was a new mom! Any excuse for a cookie works for me. 🙂 These Marathon cookies are delicious for any activity!