The influence of emulsifier type on the ability of excipient emulsions to improve the solubility, stability, and bioaccessibility of powdered curcumin was examined. Oil-in-water emulsions prepared using three different emulsifiers (whey protein isolate, caseinate, or Tween 80) were mixed with curcumin powder and then incubated at either 30 °C (to simulate applications of salad dressings) or 100 °C (to simulate applications of cooking sauces). The transfer of curcumin into the excipient emulsions was appreciably higher for excipient emulsions held at 100 °C than those held at 30 °C, and was appreciably higher for surfactant-stabilized emulsions than protein-stabilized emulsions. For example, the amounts of curcumin transferred into emulsions held at 30 and 100 °C were 66 and 280 μg mL(-1) for Tween 80, but only 17 and 208 μg mL(-1) for caseinate. The total curcumin concentration in the digesta and mixed micelle phases collected after excipient emulsions were exposed to a simulated gastrointestinal tract (mouth, stomach, and small intestine) depended on emulsifier type. The total amount of curcumin within the digesta was higher for protein-stabilized emulsions than surfactant-stabilized ones, which was attributed to the ability of the proteins to protect curcumin from chemical degradation. For example, the digesta contained 204 μg mL(-1) curcumin for caseinate emulsions, but only 111 μg mL(-1) for Tween 80 emulsions. This study shows the potential of designing excipient emulsions to increase the oral bioavailability of curcumin for food and pharmaceutical applications.