An LED-based lighting assembly includes a heat sink having at least one pedestal with an upwardly facing, upper planar surface that is raised in a vertical direction relative to an upwardly facing, lower planar surface of the heat sink. A PCB forms an aperture corresponding to the pedestal, includes electrical conductors on an upper surface thereof, and is attached to the lower planar surface. The upper planar surface extends into the aperture, and one or more LED chips attach directly to the upper planar surface and connect to the conductors such that light emits upwardly. A method of integrating LEDs with a heat sink includes mounting a PCB to a planar surface of the heat sink, mounting one or more LED chips to a raised surface of the heat sink that is not covered by the PCB, and electrically connecting the LED chips to conductors on the PCB.