“A heavily salted pudding…”—Dead by Daylight item description

Oh Dead by Daylight, you weird lovechild of slasher movie aesthetics and Lovecraftian horror tropes. You are a game of teamwork and survival of the fittest, of both fearing death and relishing murder, of trying to fight a system in which you are eternally bound and trapped.

You are also a game of teabagging and “please stop touching my stuff.”

For those who are not avid players or viewers of avid players, Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer video game where one person takes on the role of the Killer, whose job is to find, injure, and ultimately kill the other players, and the other four players act as Survivors who try to outrun, outsmart, and eventually escape the Killer’s grasp.

In the end, death is no escape from the Entity—the mysterious creature who created, rules, and is the dimension where the game takes place.

It’s the Killer’s job to sacrifice Survivors to feed and please the Entity, but sometimes even the best Killers need help. They can burn Offerings to the great spider-like plant god in the sky.

It likes an Offering called Survivor Pudding.

In This Pudding…

Since the description calls this a “heavily salted pudding,” I decided to make this as a salted caramel pudding with homemade caramel sauce.

DO NOT FREAK OUT. This is not overly complicated, I promise.

The pudding base itself is super easy to make and doesn’t take much time; you can even make the whole recipe a day or two ahead if you find yourself serving this at a Halloween or Dead by Daylight themed party. You’ll probably find yourself using this pudding base frequently in the future because it’s so good, though you may have to add sugar to it depending on your flavorings of choice.

To kick the pudding up a notch, strain it to remove any remnants of scrambled egg for a smoother result.

There Is Sweetness…

Making homemade salted caramel sauce, while intimidating, is totally doable. There are a few things to keep in mind when you make it: pan material, cooking speed and color, and the size of the pan you use.

Different materials conduct heat in different ways, which may affect the cooking time of your sauce. Be vigilant and keep an eye on your caramel! Sometimes it can take a while for the syrup to turn honey-colored, but once you see the color change and smell the sugar cooking the browning process speeds up. When you add the heavy cream at the end, the caramel bubbles up, so don’t scale down the pan and make sure it has high sides to protect you and your kitchen.

Any leftovers you have can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month if you can keep yourself from eating it with a spoon. Alternatively, try adding it to coffee, drizzling it over ice cream, or using it as a dipping sauce for apple slices.

If you lack the equipment, time, or confidence to make your own salted caramel sauce, don’t worry! You can use a premade store-bought caramel sauce or some dulce de leche mixed with salt. Just use 1 cup of whatever you pick as directed in the recipe.

And There Is Salt.

It may seem weird that I specified the type and brand of salt I used in the caramel. I have two reasons.

One, different kinds of salt, like kosher, table, or sea salt, all have different levels of saltiness depending on aspects like their production method and chemical structure. These affect what other minerals or materials are in the salt itself, and how the salt dissolves in our mouths.

Two, even the same kinds of salt can differ in saltiness between brands; Morton Kosher salt is almost twice as salty as Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. I’m not affiliated with either of these brands, but it’s important to be aware of how strong your salt is so you can adjust it to your taste accordingly!

When you serve the pudding, garnish it with some coarse, flaky, or Fleur de Sel sea salt for crunch, or consider using smoked salt for an exotic twist. In Dead by Daylight there’s no such thing as too much salt.

How would you flavor and serve your version of a Survivor Pudding? Let me know in a comment below and consider joining my Patreon if you’d like to see more Dead by Daylight recipes!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

½ cup water (or enough to cover sugar)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon Morton Kosher salt

Pudding:

5 egg yolks

⅓ cup cornstarch

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 whole vanilla bean pod, cut open with the seeds scraped out

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Red food dye, for serving (optional)

Coarse, flaky, or Fleur de Sel sea salt, for serving (optional)

Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Make the salted caramel sauce, if not using store-bought. Combine the sugar and water in a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan, or at least a stainless steel pot with high sides. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. If you find impurities, ladle them out. Simmer the syrup WITHOUT stirring until it reaches a medium amber color, shaking and swirling to combine if desired. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream. The caramel will bubble up; this is normal and why high-sided pans are necessary. Stir with a heat-safe spatula for about 1-3 minutes or until caramel reads between 220-225° Fahrenheit on a digital thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in salt and flavorings, if using. Transfer to a heat-safe container and let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating. To make the pudding, mix the egg yolks and cornstarch in a large heat resistant bowl until pale and smooth. Simmer the milk, heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla pod over medium heat until hot and foamy. Once warmed through, remove the vanilla pod. Slowly pour small amounts of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking as you pour, to temper the eggs and keep them from scrambling. Continue until everything is fully combined. Add the egg mixture back into the pot and heat over medium-high until thickened but pour-able, whisking all the while. It should be a light pudding consistency. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter and 1 cup of salted caramel sauce. Strain the pudding through a sieve and pour into serving cups or a heat-safe container. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours or overnight. To serve, take 1-2 tablespoons of the leftover salted caramel sauce and mix with some red food dye until blood-like. Serve the pudding with some whipped cream, crunchy sea salt, and drizzled bloodied caramel sauce for garnish. Enjoy!