Totally sinful, extremely addictive, guaranteed to hit the spot! A crispy yet chewy combination of oats and brown sugar. We strongly recommend doubling the recipe because they won't stick around long!
Deee-licious! Fortunately, I read the reviews first and followed many of your suggestions. I doubled the recipe, but divided the mixture in two parts, and baked each separately. I used regular butter, and only 1/4 tsp. salt total. It was perfect for my taste. I used shortening to grease the pans. I made sure the oats were completely and thoroughly mixed with the sugar mixture. I pressed it firmly down into the pan. Baked at exactly 400 degrees (per my oven thermometer)for 9 minutes. The last line of the recipe says "Cut while hot." This will result in a crumbled mess. Instead, I waited about 7 minutes and then scored the cookies. When the pan was completely cool, I removed the bars easily, with no breakage. It seemed like the cooler they became, the easier they were to handle. Will definitely make this again. My husband is inhaling them now. Thanks Mandy and Lisa. These are fast, frugal and fabulous!
Read MoreEasy, but delete the salt, add vanilla, sprinkle choc. chips/buterscotch chips on top until melted, spread, score, cut when cool- even better!!
Read MoreDeee-licious! Fortunately, I read the reviews first and followed many of your suggestions. I doubled the recipe, but divided the mixture in two parts, and baked each separately. I used regular butter, and only 1/4 tsp. salt total. It was perfect for my taste. I used shortening to grease the pans. I made sure the oats were completely and thoroughly mixed with the sugar mixture. I pressed it firmly down into the pan. Baked at exactly 400 degrees (per my oven thermometer)for 9 minutes. The last line of the recipe says "Cut while hot." This will result in a crumbled mess. Instead, I waited about 7 minutes and then scored the cookies. When the pan was completely cool, I removed the bars easily, with no breakage. It seemed like the cooler they became, the easier they were to handle. Will definitely make this again. My husband is inhaling them now. Thanks Mandy and Lisa. These are fast, frugal and fabulous!
I have made these bars 4 or 5 times, and they have never disappointed me or anybody else who has tried them. They are meant to have that "sweet and salty" taste, so if that turns you off, don't add so much salt. The baking powder also adds to the saltiness, so adjust the amount of salt to your taste. Make sure you thoroughly mix the oats in so that all of it is coated with the butter/sugar mixture, and really press it down into the pan. I lined my pan with foil, which works very well for this recipe. And yes, it's even better with a teaspoon or so of vanilla.
These were TOO good! I used only a pinch of salt, real butter, and added a tsp. of vanilla. I also used a 10x15 rimmed baking sheet (jelly roll pan) instead of the 9x13 pan. It took a while to firmly pat the dough to cover the pan, but the tiny spaces remaining filled in during cooking. I cooked exactly 9 minutes, and the dough still looked kind of molten when I took it out of the oven, but hardened while it cooled. A couple of pointers--use a really non-stick baking pan or these will stick, and cut and remove from pan while still warm or they will break apart. They cool very quickly. Next time I make them I might bake them only 8 minutes, so they'll be a tad less brittle. I have not tried making this recipe following the directions exactly, but doing it "my way" turned out great! These are really a grown up kind of cookie instead of a kid snack.
Addicted to these bars!! I never understood why so many people said these were crumbly. I used regular butter, no salt and a little vanilla as suggested by others and NEVER came out w/ less than perfect until...I used a generic brand of oats instead of Quaker. Salty,disgusting mess. Hope that helps. These are Awesome!
I found this recipe on my new Baker Secret cookie sheet. Mine turned out just like the picture shown on the package. They were great, I loved them. Mine were not crumbly at all (like other reviews have stated). They carmalized completely and were nice and chewey. I baked them for exactly 8 minutes like in the recipe. I will definitely make them again. They were not too salty or too sweet for me.
this was so easy...after reading the reviews , I choose to use a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of van..........cook for about 10min let set for 10 min and than score it well ...at first they were crumbly ..but dont be in a hurry..1 hour later they were setup pppuurrffectlllyyy...thanks
Considering how easy this recipe is, it was good, although I'm not sure where the caramel flavor is. My 15 month old is allergic to eggs so I will keep this on hand for him. I used pam cooking spray and baked it for 5 minutes longer and it didn't fall apart. Thanks Girls!!
These are awesome! I'm totally addicted! My brother and my fiancé gobbled the whole pan up in an hour! I've made them many different times, and never had a problem with them coming out crumbly. I don't time them, and I watch until the whole pan is bubbly (I think that may be the problem for some people... they haven't let the ingredients melt together). I used only half the salt, and loved the salty/sweet flavor. I sometimes add cinnamon depending on my mood.
Easy, but delete the salt, add vanilla, sprinkle choc. chips/buterscotch chips on top until melted, spread, score, cut when cool- even better!!
I made these for a class potluck and all the guys liked them. Mine turned out really chewy, not crumbly at all. I made sure to mix the oats in very thoroughly so that the melted sugar would coat all of it properly. Also, I think firmly pressing the mix into the pan is important. I added a tsp. of vanilla, and used 1/2 tsp. of salt. The baking powder taste is noticeable if you eat them warm, but it totally goes away when they're completely cool, so be patient!
I used to make a cookie called "Rickety Uncles" for my family and to bring to potlucks, etc. My kids loved them! Over time, I lost the recipe and forgot about them. Lately I have been looking for the recipe again and scoured my cookbooks and the internet. None of the internet recipes I found were right. I did an ingredient search here and found this recipe. The ingredients I remembered (brown sugar, margarine, oats and baking soda) matched but many of the comments weren't describing my cookie. I decided to try it anyhow and as I was making it, instinct took over. I think I found the one thing missing that may help many of the crumbly/salty issues. I melted the margarine, added the brown sugar and salt and "cooked" it for a minute or two to kind of melt the brown sugar, stirring constantly. While still on medium high heat, I added the baking powder. The consistency completely changes and the mixture becomes foamy and light coloured. I cooked and stirred it for about another minute before taking it off the heat and adding the oats. I spread it thinly on the sprayed cookie sheet, baked for 8 minutes, let it sit for maybe 5 minutes, cut into squares and had to try one. I think I found my Rickety Uncles!! I'd be interested to know if anyone that made them according to the recipe notices a difference trying it this way. Not too salty, not too sweet, a little greasy and a whole lot of good! **Update** I use a 9x13x1/2" cookie sheet. A 9x13 cake pan would also work.
My cookies had an excellent taste but turned out more like granola pieces. After reading the reviews, I realized what I did wrong. I should have baked a little longer to allow everything to melt together.
After reading some of the other reviews I was tentative to make this- but I'm glad I did. We really liked them. I did make a couple changes though. I decreased the sugar a bit and then added a few tablespoons of corn syrup. That really helped to hold it together so they didn't crumble. I also added a 1/2 c. of milk chocolate chips. If you stick them in the fridge for a hour they're easy to slice.
This was a great tasting recipe. I would agree it it not really a bar and I could not figure out how to cut them from using the recipie. I decided that they might turn out better if I did them in a mini muffin tin and that was the trick. The second batch I made was perfect but I did cook them for more than the 8 minutes.
Many people consider me a very good cook. I am not at all "new" to cooking either. However, I must say that had I not known that information before I made this recipe I would doubt myself. These turned out to be a mess for me! That is the only word I can describe it as. I even read the feedback before I made these but thought I could fix it. I admit I could not. I am sorry if this seems harsh but I would like others to know so they will have an option as to try and make them or not.
While this recipe is very fast, easy and interesting, I would not make it again. We found it too salty and too crumbly. The brown sugar taste was masked by the salt and the butter made it really greasy. Did not satisfy my craving for something sinful last night. sorry...
I learned the hard way that you CAN'T use GENERIC oats- use name brand or you will have a crumbly mess! With name brand oats, this is wonderfully addictive!
I thought that it was a good recipe for the amount of work that went into it. It took me abouy 5 minutes to mix up and put in the pan. I made sure that the oats were completely coated and I pressed it into the pan really firmly. I baked it about 7 minutes, not 8, until the edges were a little brown and crisp. I cut them while warm and removed when almost cool They turned out perfect; crsip on the edges and slighly chewy in the center. My husband and I loked the sweet/salty flavor.
I followed the advice of others, and added only a pinch of salt, a tsp of vanilla and a tbl spoon of Karo syrup. I thought it turned out well. Mine was a little crumbly in spots. I think this was from trying to score it while it was hot. I think had I left it alone until it was cooled and "hardened" then it would not have been crumbly at all. This is a SUPER sweet dessert. Yummy!
We cooked this a few times before we figured out the crumbly (mess) vs. chewy (what you want)technique. We think that it turns out crumbly and falls apart- the crumbly granola bar result some people get- if you use quick cooking oats (maybe the finer grind means there isn't enough caramel to coat the oats enough or something). When we use regular rolled oats (health food store kind as well as Quaker) we got a great result.
This was just about the easiest recipe that I have ever made and it is very tasty. I'm a real big salty/sweet fan so I really enjoyed this and so did my husband. I followed a couple of suggestions made by reviewers though. I added a bit of vanilla, baked it for 7 mins, and waited 5 mins before scoring it. Very tasty!!!
These were awful! Much too salty and if you let them cook for 15 seconds over required time - they taste scorched. Took them to work and only one person would eat them. I'll never make them again.
These were very good. I followed the suggestion of others and didn't add any salt, I used salted margarine, and I added about a tsp of vanilla. After adding the oatmeal I added about another tablespoon of melted margarine to hold it together better. Cooked them for 8 mins and they came out great! They will need to cool all the way before you can eat them or they will crumble. They went fast in my house.
I must have baked these too long, because they were really hard. I didn't think they were very caramel-y tasting either. Easy to make though, and no special ingredients needed. I'll probably try them again taking other's advice
I don't know if I should review this one or not, I made so many changes! Well, first of all, I didn't have brown sugar so I used white sugar and added some molasses. Actually used only 1/2 cup white sugar since many reviewers had said it was too sweet. I also cut back on the salt by a 1/2 tsp and added chopped walnuts, coconut and chocolate chips! It was terrific! Somewhat crumbly in spots, but otherwise held together well. I suspect that it would do even better if done in drop cookie form...
These were really easy to make and tastey, too. I used margarine and melted it in the microwave oven and then threw the other ingredients in, except for the salt (as per other reviewers). After it was baked, I put semi-sweet chocolate chips on part of it, thinking that it might be better with chocolate. I was wrong. The semi-sweet chips overpowered the oatmeal bars. By the way, mine came out nice and chewy. I wish I knew why some people ended up with crumbs!
Ack, I'm very disappointed to report that I fell victim to the crumbly curse. I, like so many other reviewers, followed this recipe exactly, yet I ended up with a incohesive, sugary, oaty mess. I took a tip from the others and used it as ice cream topping, which was OK, but too sweet and messy. :(
I followed some other advice and double the recipe, but left the salt at 1 tsp. I also added 2 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of cinnamon. I baked in a greased stoneware bar pan for 10 minutes. I let it cool for about 10 minutes, then cut them. They were crumbly when I tried to get one out of the pan. So I left the rest in the pan to cool completely and they didn't crumble.
These were a little too salty for my taste, so next time I'll put in half. Even so, they were a hit at the party I brought them to. I made them in my mini-muffin tin, so cutting them was not a problem and I didn't find them crumbly at all. I'll make these again.
I USED ONLY HALF THE SALT JUST LIKE THE OTHERS SAID. IT WAS STILL TOO SALTY. MINE WERE CHEWY BUT THE TASTE IS JUST AWFUL! I'M WONDERING WHY ANYONE WOULD SUBMIT SUCH A RECIPE! I WOULD GIVE IT LESS THAT ONE STAR IF I COULD.
yuck then yumm. The first time I tried this there was too much salt. The second time i followed the recipie except i only put 1/8 of a ts of salt and 1/4 of a ts of baking powder. It is really good.
The men in the house thought these were yummy! I thought they were very good too... but found them very sweet. Also, when making the first batch I used the 9 x 13 cookie sheet and it made a mess in my oven! I then made a batch in the 10 x 15 cookie sheet... results... PERFECT!
I agree with omitting the salt, other than that they are perfect. I lined my pan with parchment paper, I let them cool for a few minutes until they were firm, and then I just lifted them right out and cut them into bars. Quick and easy recipe!
These cookies turned out really yummy for me after following the recipe exactly. I used store-brand quick-cooking oats and spread the mix on a flat baking stone. It was bubbly when I removed from the oven after 8 minutes. I think it was too hot when I cut it because it didn't cut very smoothly but it hardened as it cooled and the cookies were awesome. I did use a spatula to remove the cookies from the stone because they threatened to crumble - these are very delicate. Hubby and friends thought they were fantastic, as did I. Probably not the best thing for your figure, but sometimes you've just got to forget about your figure and indulge your sweet tooth. I will be making these again.
Easy, quick, and I always have the ingredients on hand. Addictive is right!
THESE ARE QUICK AND AWESOME! I did as author suggested and made my very first batch a double batch. Husband ate about 1/3 of the tub of cookies and then I took the rest to work that night. They were gone in seconds! Fabulous recipe! THANK YOU! I have already passed it on to several friends! -Sharon
Wild horses couldn't keep me from trying this recipe once I read the reviews. It was simple to make and turned out perfectly with scoring the bars when hot and cutting them later. They were too sugary for us but interesting. I don't think I'll make them again, but if I did I would be tempted to melt some chocolate chips on top.
These are definitely quick and easy, maybe just a bit on the salty side. I'm going to take people's suggestions next time and add some vanilla and either reduce or eliminate the salt completely. I took some to a friend who was working at a trunk show, and she shared to other women displaying their things. She called me from her cell phone to get the recipe for all of them! NOTE: I added a teaspoon of vanilla and took out the salt. Wow! What a difference! Now they get 5 stars.
I had to add half again to get enough to fill my cookie sheet and ended up with a pan of bubbling goo. I can't cut it because it's molten. It may harden, but if it does, I'll have something resembling oatmeal candy. What a bizzar recipe! And not one I'll try again.
Great recipe! So easy and it takes very little time! I doubles the recipe and added vanilla. So addictive!! I took them to a cookout and they were gone before any of the other deserts!
I made these for my family Thanksgiving weekend. It was a trial before my holiday baking. Everybody inhaled them. So easy, inexpensive to make and delectable! I did not add the salt and used salted butter and it was perfect. Definitely score the bars while they are hot. Mine did not crumble and were easy to remove.
Quick and easy, and I had all the ingredients on hand. The first time I made it, it was a crumble, then the next two times it baked up like a cookie. I crumbled it over my ice cream anyway!
I found these a little bit greasy(though storing them in the fridge helps-I think they taste better when they are cold).Good, but for the calories, I would probably choose to make something else.Sorry!!
My husband loves these cookies. They can be a bit tricky, but if worked properly they do come out as bar cookies=not crumbly. My first attempt resulted in the granola like product others have mentioned. The second time I made them I made sure I mixed them extra (used my hands like for meatloaf). I had a hard time pressing them into the pan so that it was covered. To get past this I placed a sheet of wax paper over the mixture and rolled it down with a rolling pin. Worked great! Baked per instructions, used a pizza cutter to cut them will still warm but not hot. Decreased salt by half, added vanilla. Yummy. (They are much better after they cool.)
I thought this was a wonderful recipe. It was super easy and tasted great! I left out the salt and added vanilla as others suggested and cut the "cookies" while they were HOT as the recipe directed and I didn't have any problems.
Delicious. Definitely be careful with the salt: I used 1/2 teaspoon and will probably cut it to 1/4 next time, but I like the salty-sweet taste. Mine didn't fill a 9x13 pan, although I didn't double it. And don't cut them when warm, they will fall apart. Some of mine were a little crumbly, but even the crumbs were delicious! You may need to experiment to get them right; I think I will let them harden longer next time.
I thought that these bars were very good and great to munch on, only problem I had was they were much too crumbly. I (like others) used real butter and added only a pinch of salt. But these are a keeper in my book!
I just made my second attempt and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong? The first time I followed the recipe as is .... with the suggestion of vanilla. The first batch turned out dry and similar to a granola bar. Today I decreased the oats to a cup and a half and baked until the caramel cookies had completely risen and were bubbly on top. I had to keep looking in on them and probably cooked the cookies for 15 minutes. I cut while warm and they came apart. I pressed the ingredients firmly into the pan to! The end result was a crispy crumbly granola like square more so than a cookie with a salt/sweet caramel flavor I do like but are too dry.
The cookies hardened to the point we couldn't get them off of the cookie sheet.
What the heck are these things? They are a weird bar thingy with sugar and butter? Yup..that's how they came out....they were just like the picture, so I know I did it right...I just don't get what's good about them.
These were alright - buttery and sugary, but not much else. Not worth making again.
WAY to salty and a bit too sweet, but I made a double batch to make it a little thicker, cut the salt out, and lessened the sugar and it was great!
These turned out very salty and did not hold together as they should have. As other readers have said, maybe they would be good sprinkled over ice cream but they are a bit too sweet for me.
I made these "cookies" today and followed the directions exactly. They tasted like caramel flavored butter pats and I had to rub the butter that accumulated on the bottom off before I could serve them. It would be much more expedient to just apply them directly to the hips and avoid the detour through the digestive tract. They tasted great, but the greasy texture made them unappetizing and unattractive. Not a keeper.
Okay - it sounded like a good idea at the time. I bake all the time and have literally made hundreds of batches of cookies (I owned my own cafe). These are NOT cookies. But.....after reading the other reviews, I doubled the recipe except for the salt and baking soda (which was the perfect combination) and I baked for 8 minutes which was not nearly enough. So, I stirred it around a bit and baked a little more. Then I added raisins, sliced almonds and coconut and baked a little more. I kept stirring to break it up a bit. I guess total baking time was 25-30 minutes. I ate some of it while warm which was good but this morning - I put some in a bowl and poured milk on it and it was really good. It even stayed somewhat crunchy. So, the reason this got ONE star is because it's NOT a cookie, it's cereal. :) It would also be good stirred into yogurt or sprinkled on ice cream.
Absolutely wonderful!!! My husband loves them, friends ask for the recipe, and it's so easy to make!
I so wanted to like these cookies but in the end I threw half the pan away. I cut the salt in half like others had suggested and it was still too salty for me and the texture was an absolute disaster. At first they were too crumbly so I tried to cook them a few minutes more which resulted in a cookie as hard as rocks. I will definitely not make this again.
wanted to take these cookies to a church fair, but found them to be too soft, even after they were cool and set up...my kids did not like them. so will delet from my recipe box
Quick and easy with few ingredients, but taste-wise something for the kids or to tame that sweet-tooth, nothing I would serve to impress guests.
These were ok. Did the like the sweet & salty combination. They came out very sticky. This recipe really needs to be eaten the first or second day. After that they get really chewy.
Easy recipe..simple ingredients..no flour or eggs and has an old fashioned good flavor. Exactly what I was looking for when I came across this recipe...My only suggestion is to reduce the amount of salt suggested..will make these again.
Very tasty! Sounded like such an interesting recipe, with such varied comments, I had to try it... and it was a very unique treat! I love the salty-sweet combo. Had a really great flavor and texture, and by the time you'd get a square out of the pan, it was crumbly. Scoring when still hot might help. Either way, very tasty and my husband and I had gobbled them up in a day!
I should have read the reviews before I made them but it had such a high rating. I agree with everyone else, it was too salty and it crumbled. Great on frozen yogurt but they don't qualify as bar cookies. Make sure to use high quality oats. First batch I made with Quaker oats came out fine, cut easily, stayed together. Next batch, omitted half the salt and used store brand oats (hubby bought them) and they seemed finer and seemed to soak up all the "caramel". These turned in to a crumbled mess. They definitely need more wet ingredients to stick them together and they didn't taste like caramel. However, hubby loved them. I would not make them again. I think they were too thin to be a bar cookie. I like some substance.
Even though I followed the tips from the other reviews, they still turned out to be a crumbly mess. What a waste.
Good cookies, but ease of preparation is almost forgotten with extreme difficulty removing them from pan in tact!
I wish I would have read the reviews first, I trusted the submitters claims and made a double batch. This is AWFUL!!!!I was making this for a get together, Luckily I tasted it first. To begin with it was a bubbly goo then it wouldn't harden.There's enough salt in there to float a ship.Good thing I had enough time to make something else.This would have been an embarrassment!
My daughter made them for the fair and they completely fell apart. I watched her every step of the way and she did everything according to the directions. I don't know what went wrong, but it was a complete flop. I will not be making these again.
These were incredible -- easy to make and tasty! I don't know why people say to eliminate the salt because you really need the balance from the sweetness of the brown sugar. I used butter instead of margarine, sprayed the cookie sheet with non-stick spray, baked at 375 instead of 400 and in 8 minutes they were bubbly and lightly browned. I cut them after a minute of letting them rest and they stayed together in squares, no crumbles. I told my DH to "taste" them and he ate 3! The rest are going to a tailgate tomorrow -- Go Hokies!!
Take my advice and don't use any kind of margarine substitute! I used shortening (because it was all I had) and they turned out GREASY. I may try it again without the shortening.
yucks!~ too sweet!A bit bitter after swallow.and crumble everywhere.I think should bake more time.Won't make it again.
a word to the wise, never cook in bulk, i took the stuff and put it in a cake pan... now I have a stove to clean and a room to air out
I enjoy a sweet/salty taste, but found this much too salty—it overpowered the sweetness. I'll try it again, but I will be sure to use less salt next time. I also think the idea of vanilla is not to be missed—I'll try that next time. Tried it again with less salt and they are divine.
These are VERY sugary. Might be good on an apple cobbler or something, but not by itself.
Wow I have no idea what I did wrong here. This recipe ended up a pan of oats with brown sugar mixed in. No texture, no form. No good!!
These work as goo, good tasting goo, but they are not bars!
After reading the suggestions from other people I decided to leave out the salt and add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. I waited 5 minutes after I removed them from the oven to score them. They were great! Thanks for an easy recipe that I can do with my kids!
Extremely easy to make!!! Too salty in my opinion. I would cut the salt in half. Someone I made this for said it was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.
I made these last night. Basically, they're the "crisp" part to Apply Crisp. I thought it would be great to have a wheat-free, dairy-free treat...however, they were a little too rich for me. I added unsweetened apple sauce when they were finished and crumbled the mixture...This created a very simple apple crisp (sort of!) that my kids enjoyed, anyway! For those who are finding that the bars are falling apart, you need to make sure that the brown sugar is PACKED when you measure it out. Otherwise, when it melts, it won't be enough to melt throughout the oats and that's likely the reason for them crumbling apart.
This recipe is great! It's easy enough for the students in my weekly cooking activity to make, and delicious enough for the teachers to ask for it every week. Kudos all around!
These thngs are nasty!!! I do not recommend this recipe. The texture and taste are not appealing at all.
I thought this recipe was good but too bland. I made another batch and added about 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, 1/3 cup finely chopped milk chocolate bits, 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1/3 cup shredded coconut. I liked this recipe MUCH better.
I used 7 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp butter flavored shortening. I don't understand the complaints about the salt, I added 1 tsp and thought it balanced the flavors perfectly. I think these were just okay, but my 4-year old son loves them.
SALTY! I can see that these would have potential, but as the recipe is written there is much too much salt, and it totally spoils the bars. On the other hand, it's certainly easy to whip together and the ingredients are things that are usually around the house.
These are super simple and very tasty. My husband loves them. Thanks for the recipe.
These were pretty good. The were crispy and not crumbly at all. They were good! I would make them again and add something like cranberries and pecans. Yum.
Love these! Yes they are messy and yes they are pretty basic, but i love them.
I love the taste but need some advice. I put them on a sided 9x13 cookie sheet, sprayed with Pam. They baked up and over the edge and my oven is a mess and my house is full of smoke. Should I put them into a regular 9x13 pan with high sides like for brownies next time? Thanks
I tried this with Butter Flavored Crisco shortening since I didn't have enough butter or margarine on hand to try it. About 1/2 of the recipe came out solidified, the rest was pretty crumbly. The crumbs would definitely make great topping for ice cream or maybe a apple crisp. I took the reviewers' advice who mentioned the saltiness of the recipe and halved the salt called for in the recipe. I thought it tasted a little bland but might improve with some cinnamon, and one of my daughters agreed. The other enjoyed it as is, and as usual, my husband liked it very well, and wolfed most of it down!
