The Premier League visitors swaggered their way through the opening stages, but were made to look increasingly ragged. By the end Spurs had dispensed with their short passing game and resorted to punting long, hopeful balls into the box in the vain hope something would fall kindly for them.
Their manager Andre Villas Boas does not have the best FA Cup memories. Sacked by Chelsea after drawing at home to Birmingham in the Fifth Round last season, the Portuguese has now failed to guide Tottenham past the Fourth.
It rankles and he bluntly rejected a suggestion their early exit could turn out to be a blessing in disguise in terms of their Champions League qualification aspirations.
Leeds took the lead after an opening quarter of an hour in which Tottenham had looked dangerous without ever entirely convincing anyone a makeshift strikeforce of Gyil Sigurdsson and Clint Dempsey would find a finishing touch.
With Jermain Defoe rested because of a sore hip and Emmanuel Adebayor on African Cup of Nations duty, their lack of attacking depth was exposed.
Dempsey put two headers over the bar, but it was Sigurdsson who missed the best chance, failing to make firm contact with a header that bounced into the arms of Jamie Ashdown.
In contrast, Leeds, without their wantaway top goalscorer Luciano Becchio, took the lead with their first opportunity thanks to a clinical finish from a player who has been frequently criticised for being anything but.
Varney scored on his Leeds debut against Shrewsbury Town back in August following a summer move from Portsmouth, but had not scored since.
He has taken some stick from the Leeds crowd as a result, but he made a mockery of the one goal in 19 games statistic when he ran on to Michael Brown's through ball and calmly slotted the ball round goalkeeper Brad Friedel.
The celebrations were muted from him, but Elland Road exploded into noise. Game and upset on.
Tottenham responded, Ashdown getting down well to keep out a snap shot from Tom Huddlestone before denying Gareth Bale with his legs. The Leeds goalkeeper also did well to keep out a fizzing shot from Dempsey before the break.
Nevertheless, the best chance of another goal fell to Leeds, McCormack running on to Varney's header, only for Friedel to get out quickly to block his shot.
Leeds needed a second goal and it came five minutes into the second-half when the Spurs defence paid the price for pushing too high up the pitch, McCormack darting on to El-Hadji Diouf pass, before smashing a shot with his weaker left foot into the top corner.
McCormack almost had a second when the shaky Jan Vertonghen stumbled, allowing him to run in on goal again. This time Friedel saved with his feet.
By that stage, Spurs were chasing an equaliser after Dempsey had got on the end of a Bale cross, his header coming off Tom Lees and into the far corner.
The American had missed an easier chance when he side-footed wide minutes before, but despite plenty of pressure, Tottenham could not save themselves.
Match details
Leeds (4-4-2): Ashdown; Byram, Peltier, Lees, White; Green, Austin, Brown, Varney; Diouf (Pearce 90), McCormack (Somma 90).
Subs not used: Kenny, Tonge, Norris, Hall, Dawson.
Booked: Diouf, Brown.
Goals: Varney 15, McCormack 50
Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-1-1): Friedel; Naughton (Walker 66), Caulker, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Parker, Huddlestone (Obika 58), Bale; Dempsey; Sigurdsson (Dembele 58).
Subs not used: Gomes, Dawson, Livermore, Townsend.
Booked: Vertonghen.
Goals: Dempsey 57
Referee: Kevin Friend
Attendance: 29,943
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