The role of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in the field of enzyme-like materials is significant, and they have been successfully applied to various peroxidase-like studies involving catalytic oxidation of the substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). However, the limited chemical stability of MOFs in aqueous environments hampers their catalytic applications. To address this inherent drawback and enhance the peroxidase-like activity of MOFs, a method involving adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bonding was proposed. In this study, collaborative materials comprising cobalt MOFs (Co-MOFs) and ATP were utilized as model catalysts for TMB catalysis. The presence of ATP significantly improved the catalytic capability of Co-MOFs over a pH range from 3 to 9 and temperatures ranging from 25 to 60 °C. Notably, at pH 7 and 60 °C, the catalytic efficiency increased by approximately 100 times and an impressive enhancement rate of up to 4600 % was achieved respectively. This peroxidase-like catalytic system offers a colorimetric detection assay that selectively detects L-cysteine with a limit of detection as low as 76.2 nM. Incorporating ATP into Co-MOFs presents a novel approach for utilizing MOFs in catalysis that is convenient, straightforward, and gentle.