•Cellulose derivatives from oil palm empty fruit bunch are very good Pickering emulsions stabilizer.•The stability and quality of emulsions depends on the viscosity of the dispersion medium.•Water retention value of cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch is independent of sample weight and particle size but depends on the curing temperature at above 150 ℃. Isolation and hydrophobic modification of cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and its capacity to act as Pickering emulsion stabilizer was studied. The isolated cellulose was hydrophobically functionalized with acid chloride (benzoyl chloride) in aqueous medium. Proximate analysis indicated that oil palm empty fruit bunch is a valuable source of hemicellulose and cellulose. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed crystallinity index (CrI) of isolated cellulose (CB) and benzoylated cellulose (MCB) to be 66.12% and 61.38% respectively. Both Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermogravimetric (DTG) showed that thermal stability of MCB is higher than CB. The aqueous modification method would mitigate problems of environmental challenges often encountered in non-aqueous methods of cellulose modification. Pickering emulsions stabilized by the benzoylated cellulose (MCB) derivatives are stable, more importantly at higher particles concentrations. The improved properties of modified cellulose (MCB) derivatives recorded in this study and resistance of Pickering emulsions to coalescence showed that MCB is a potential material for formulation of food, drug delivery and pharmaceuticals products. Display omitted