Marathon Cookies are a gluten free, 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
These cookies are great just for munching, but they also provide a boost of the nutrients a runner (or enthusiastic spectator) needs to keep going. They are like flourless monster cookies with nutritional punch.
Because these aren't intended as protein bars, but scrumptious treats with protein, I used only a small amount of protein powder in the recipe.
Feel free to double the amount if you don't mind the slight aftertaste and need more protein. The protein powder can also be left out completely.
These cookies are good to eat 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.
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter. Add granulated and brown sugars. Mix to combine.
- Beat in eggs (one at a time), vanilla, protein powder, and baking soda. Mix in oats. Then stir in chocolate, peanuts, and fruit bits.
- Use a medium (2 tablespoon) scoop to portion the batter 2” apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350° F for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
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 made with Irish oatmeal have an extra chewy texture and nutty flavor.
My recipe inspiration
I am not a runner. For me, the thrill of endorphins coursing through the body is completely overshadowed by the potential for sweat, bad weather, and leg cramps.
My father was an avid runner, but the running gene skipped a generation. My daughter, Meira, is a runner.
She actually enjoys the challenge. Last weekend, Meira completed a half-marathon for the second time. That’s 13.1 miles!
I think she is amazing. So, I baked her Marathon Cookies.
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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 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter.
- Add granulated and brown sugars. Mix to combine.
- 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.
- Cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When cool, store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- 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 fruit is not recommended in hot weather.
Nutrition
First Published: April 16, 2015. Last Updated: May 21, 2021. Updated for better reader experience.
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!