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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Easy, but delete the salt, add vanilla, sprinkle choc. chips/buterscotch chips on top until melted, spread, score, cut when cool- even better!!

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!!