Crouch was sent off early on in the midweek hammering at the hands of Real Madrid, but he attempted to make amends quickly and was on hand to meet Roman Pavlyuchenko’s cross to head in the opener on 11 minutes.
Spurs quickly doubled their advantage as Pavlyuchenko laid the ball off for Luka Modric to dance past a defender and fire through the legs of Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The Potters did not fold, however, and pulled one back on 27 minutes when Matthew Etherington raced past Michael Dawson and beat then Tom Huddlestone before despatching the ball past Heurelho Gomes.
Spurs restored their two-goal cushion shortly after the half-hour mark when Crouch nodded home a Huddlestone cross, but the Potters responded once more and Kenwyne Jones beat Gomes from distance.
Jon Walters should have levelled matters early in the second half but, with the goal at his mercy, he somehow hit the upright from just a couple of yards, and Jones was then denied by a fingertip save from Gomes as Spurs secured the three points.