In this study, we report an eco-friendly and cost-efficient cathode based on sucrose-derived active carbon (SDAC). Ni(NO3)2 is then co-impregnated into the cathode, which is designed to form a hierarchical pore architecture inside the SDAC that takes into account both the mass transport process of O2/Li+ and the accommodation of discharge product (Li2O2). Another feature of the cathode is binder-free that circumvents the aggregation of the cathodic active materials and the three-phase boundaries loss. This study is aimed to provide a feasible reference plan to give common cathode substrates an additional capability to catalyze electrochemical reactions without destroying its pristine structure and mission. A lithium–oxygen battery with the cathode delivers a high capacity of 24500 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 in a 1 M LiTFSI/TEGDME electrolyte system. Moreover, the cathode exhibits a pretty good stability in a long-term round-trip test of 1000 cycles. These results suggest that the SDAC with a hierarchical pore structure has the potential to be used in next-generation lithium–oxygen batteries in a facile and cost-efficient manner, moreover, the proposed convenient method is worth applying and popularizing as it can transform even the most mundane into the spectacular.