Coating paper with polymers is an efficient way of awarding it with gas-tightness and moisture protection in food packaging applications, but it impedes the recyclability of the both paper and polymer. Cellulose nanocrystals were found to be excellent gas barrier materials, but their hydrophilicity forbids their straightforward application as protective coatings. To introduce hydrophobicity into a CNC coating, this work exploited the capability of cationic CNCs isolated in a one-step treatment with a eutectic medium to stabilize Pickering emulsions in order to include a natural drying oil in a dense layer of CNCs. This way, a hydrophobic coating with improved water vapor barrier properties was achieved.